Spanish Verbal Complements: Functions and Identification
Understanding Spanish Verbal Complements
The verb, functioning as the predicate nucleus, is often accompanied by one or more word groups that specify or restrict its meaning. These are the verbal complements. They include the direct object, prepositional complement, indirect object, circumstantial complement, and agent complement. The attribute and the predicative complement are also added, which complement both a verb and a noun.
Direct Object (Objeto Directo)
This complement names the being or object upon which the action of the verb directly falls.
Recognizing the Direct Object
- It can be replaced by the atonic personal pronouns: la, lo, los, las.
- It becomes the subject when the sentence is transformed into the passive voice (using ser + participle).
Prepositional Complement (Complemento Preposicional)
This complement is introduced by a preposition required by the verb. It also receives the names supplement (suplemento) or regimen complement (complemento de régimen).
Recognizing the Prepositional Complement
- It can be replaced by a preposition + tonic personal pronoun or preposition + demonstrative pronoun.
- It cannot be replaced by an unstressed pronoun or an adverb.
- If we delete the prepositional complement, the verb changes its meaning, or the sentence becomes grammatically incorrect.
Indirect Object (Objeto Indirecto)
This complement indicates the recipient or beneficiary of the action expressed by the verb and the direct object. The function of the indirect object can be performed by a noun phrase introduced by the preposition a or by the unstressed pronouns me, te, le, nos, os, les (or se when co-occurring with lo/la/los/las).
Recognizing the Indirect Object
- When it is a prepositional phrase (starting with a), it can be duplicated or replaced by the unstressed personal pronouns: le, les, se.
- When the verb is transformed into the passive voice (ser + past participle), the indirect object does not change its form or function.
Circumstantial Complement (Complemento Circunstancial)
This complement expresses circumstances such as place, time, manner, quantity, cause, purpose, or instrument of the verbal action. Adverbs and noun phrases (with or without a preposition) can function as circumstantial complements.
Recognizing the Circumstantial Complement
- It is a complement that can often be removed without making the sentence grammatically incorrect (though information is lost).
- It does not support substitution by unstressed pronouns (me, te, lo, la…).
- Many circumstantial complements, especially those of place, time, and manner, can be replaced by an adverb (e.g., aquí, ayer, así).
Attribute (Atributo)
This verbal complement names a quality or state of the subject in sentences with a nominal predicate. This predicate has a copulative verb (ser, estar, or parecer) as its nucleus. This function is typically performed by adjectives, but noun phrases, prepositional phrases, or even adverbs can also serve as attributes.
Recognizing the Attribute
- It always accompanies the copulative verbs ser, estar, or parecer.
- When possible (e.g., if it’s an adjective), it agrees in gender and number with the noun it refers to (usually the subject).
- It can be replaced by the neutral unstressed pronoun lo.
Predicative Complement (Complemento Predicativo)
This complement appears in sentences with a predicative (non-copulative) verb and expresses a quality or state of a noun to which it refers. It can refer to the subject or the direct object.
Recognizing the Predicative Complement
- It is the only complement in a verbal predicate that refers to a noun (subject or direct object), with which it agrees in gender and number whenever possible (e.g., if it’s an adjective).
- It cannot be replaced by an atonic personal pronoun (lo, la, etc.).
- It can sometimes be replaced by the adverb así.