Question

Which word/phrase is the subjective complement in the following statement? The baby is crying.
a. The baby
b. is
c. crying
d. none of the above

Answer 1

Hint:A subject complement refers to a word or phrase that follows a linking verb and identifies or describes the subject.

Complete answer:
In the given question we need to identify the subject complement in the given sentence from the options listed below. In order to do this, we need to first understand the meaning of a subject complement. A subject complement refers to an adjective, noun or any phrase that follows a linking verb and is used to identify and describe the subject of the sentence better.
Now, let us try and understand the structure and components of the given sentence. The sentence is ‘the baby is crying’.
In this, ‘baby’ is the subject. The linking word is ‘is’ and ‘the’ is the article that is used to refer to a particular subject, in this case, the baby. The word ‘crying’ is a gerund and it complements the subject.
Now, let is take a look at the given options one by one and find the option that gives the correct answer.
Option ‘A’, ‘the baby’, is incorrect as it is the subject.
Option ‘B’, ‘is’, is incorrect as it is the linking word.
Option ‘C’, crying, is the correct answer as it complements the subject in the given sentence and is hence the subject complement.
Option ‘D’, none of the above, is incorrect as we already have already chosen option ‘C’ as the correct answer.

Note:Subject complements can be words that are nouns, adjectives or phrases. Therefore, to choose it correctly it is essential to have clarity on what it is and at the same time understand all the other components of a sentence perfectly.