95. An incomplete verb is one that requires the addition of one or more words to complete its meaning.
The word or words added to an incomplete verb to complete its meaning are called the complement.
A complete verb is one that requires no complement to complete its meaning.
96. You can readily tell when a verb is complete and when it is incomplete by asking the question What? If you put the question what after the verb, and it makes a sensible question the verb is incomplete. For example:
- Farmers raise—what?
- The employer discharged—what?
- We were—what?
- The earth is—what?
If the question what? does not make sense after the verb, then the verb is complete. For example:
- The sun shines.
- Water flows.
- Men work.
The question what after these verbs would not make sense, as:
- The sun shines—what?
- Men work—what?
- Water flows—what?
So these verbs are complete verbs.