Adjunct vs. Complement: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Published on January 6, 2024
Adjunct is a non-essential part of a sentence that adds extra information. Complement is an essential part of a sentence that completes its meaning.
Key Differences
Adjuncts are optional sentence elements that provide additional context but do not alter the fundamental meaning of the sentence. They often answer questions like "when," "where," "how," or "why." In contrast, complements are necessary to complete the sentence's meaning, often providing direct information about the subject or object. Without a complement, a sentence might feel incomplete or vague.
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Jan 06, 2024
In terms of function, adjuncts serve to embellish a sentence, adding layers of meaning and detail. They are often adverbial in nature. For example, in the sentence "She sings beautifully in the choir," "beautifully" and "in the choir" are adjuncts. On the other hand, complements are integral to the sentence's core meaning, providing specific details about the subject or object. They can be nouns, pronouns, or adjectives.
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Jan 06, 2024
Adjuncts can be removed from a sentence without affecting its grammatical correctness. They are like accessories in a sentence, enhancing but not essential. For instance, removing "on Sunday" from "He goes fishing on Sunday" doesn't change the sentence's basic structure. Conversely, removing a complement can lead to incomplete or ungrammatical sentences, as complements are key to providing a complete idea.
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Jan 06, 2024
The role of adjuncts is often to add descriptive depth or contextual clarity to actions or states described by the verb. In contrast, complements typically identify or characterize the subject or object, often answering the questions "who?" or "what?" about the subject or object. This distinction highlights their differing contributions to sentence structure.
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Jan 06, 2024
In terms of modification, adjuncts can be modified by other adverbs or adverbial phrases, adding to their descriptive nature. Complements, however, cannot usually be modified in the same way, as they are more closely tied to the subject or object they are complementing, serving a more structural role in sentence construction.
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Jan 06, 2024
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Comparison Chart
Essentiality
Non-essential, can be omitted without altering the sentence's grammar.
Essential, crucial for the grammatical and logical completeness of a sentence.
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Function
Provides additional information, such as time, place, manner.
Completes the meaning of a verb, often identifying or characterizing the subject or object.
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Modification
Can be modified by other adverbs or adverbial phrases.
Generally not modifiable as they are integral to the subject or object.
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Example Sentence
"She sings (beautifully) in the choir." - "beautifully" and "in the choir" are adjuncts.
"She is a singer." - "a singer" is a complement, specifying what she is.
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Jan 06, 2024
Removal Impact
Removal does not affect the grammatical correctness of the sentence.
Removal often results in incomplete or ungrammatical sentences.
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Jan 06, 2024
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Adjunct and Complement Definitions
Complement
Gives more information about the object.
They elected her (president).
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Complement
Completes the meaning of an adjective.
She is happy (about her promotion).
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Complement
Completes or explains a noun.
The belief (in equality) is strong.
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Complement
Something that completes, makes up a whole, or brings to perfection
A sauce that is a fine complement to fish.
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Adjunct
Something attached to another in a dependent or subordinate position.
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Complement
The quantity or number needed to make up a whole
Shelves with a full complement of books.
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Adjunct
A person associated with another in a subordinate or auxiliary capacity.
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Adjunct
(Grammar) A clause or phrase added to a sentence that, while not essential to the sentence's structure, amplifies its meaning, such as for several hours in We waited for several hours.
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Complement
Either of two parts that complete the whole or mutually complete each other.
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Complement
An angle related to another so that the sum of their measures is 90°.
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Adjunct
Added or connected in a subordinate or auxiliary capacity
An adjunct clause.
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Complement
(Grammar) A word or words used to complete a predicate construction, especially the object or indirect object of a verb, for example, the phrase to eat ice cream in We like to eat ice cream.
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Adjunct
Attached to a faculty or staff in a temporary or auxiliary capacity
An adjunct professor of history.
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Complement
(Music) An interval that completes an octave when added to a given interval.
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Adjunct
An appendage; something attached to something else in a subordinate capacity.
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Complement
(Immunology) A complex system of proteins found in blood plasma that are sequentially activated and play various roles in the immune response, including lysing bacterial cell membranes, making pathogens more susceptible to phagocytes, and recruiting inflammatory cells to sites of infection or injury. Also called alexin.
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Adjunct
A person associated with another, usually in a subordinate position; a colleague.
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Complement
Mathematics & Logic For a universal set, the set of all elements in the set that are not in a specified subset.
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Adjunct
(brewing) An unmalted grain or grain product that supplements the main mash ingredient.
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Adjunct
A quality or property of the body or mind, whether natural or acquired, such as colour in the body or judgement in the mind.
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Complement
To serve as a complement to
Roses in a silver bowl complement the handsome cherry table.
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Adjunct
(music) A key or scale closely related to another as principal; a relative or attendant key.
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Adjunct
(grammar) A dispensable phrase in a clause or sentence that modifies its meaning.
Noun adjunct
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Complement
(obsolete) The act of completing something, or the fact of being complete; completion, completeness, fulfilment.
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Adjunct
A constituent which is both the daughter and the sister of an X-bar.
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Complement
The totality, the full amount or number which completes something.
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Complement
(obsolete) Something which completes one's equipment, dress etc.; an accessory.
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Adjunct
(category theory) One of a pair of morphisms which relate to each other through a pair of adjoint functors.
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Complement
An angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle.
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Adjunct
Conjoined; attending; consequent.
Though that my death were adjunct to my act.
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Complement
Something which completes, something which combines with something else to make up a complete whole; loosely, something perceived to be a harmonious or desirable partner or addition.
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Adjunct
Something joined or added to another thing, but not essentially a part of it.
Learning is but an adjunct to our self.
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Complement
A word or group of words that completes a grammatical construction in the predicate and that describes or is identified with the subject or object.
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Adjunct
A person joined to another in some duty or service; a colleague; an associate.
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Complement
(music) An interval which, together with the given interval, makes an octave.
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Adjunct
A word or words added to quality or amplify the force of other words; as, the History of the American Revolution, where the words in italics are the adjunct or adjuncts of "History."
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Complement
(optics) The color which, when mixed with the given color, gives black (for mixing pigments) or white (for mixing light).
The complement of blue is orange.
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Adjunct
A quality or property of the body or the mind, whether natural or acquired; as, color, in the body, judgment in the mind.
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Complement
(set theory) Given two sets, the set containing one set's elements that are not members of the other set (whether a relative complement or an absolute complement).
The complement of the odd numbers is the even numbers, relative to the natural numbers.
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Complement
(immunology) One of several blood proteins that work with antibodies during an immune response.
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Complement
(logic) An expression related to some other expression such that it is true under the same conditions that make other false, and vice versa.
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Adjunct
A construction that is part of a sentence but not essential to its meaning and can be omitted without making the sentence ungrammatical
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Complement
(electronics) A voltage level with the opposite logical sense to the given one.
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Adjunct
Relating to something that is added but is not essential;
An ancillary pump
An adjuvant discipline to forms of mysticism
The mind and emotions are auxilliary to each other
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Complement
(computing) A bit with the opposite value to the given one; the logical complement of a number.
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Complement
The diminished radix complement of a number; the nines' complement of a decimal number; the ones' complement of a binary number.
The complement of is .
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Complement
The radix complement of a number; the two's complement of a binary number.
The complement of is .
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Complement
The numeric complement of a number.
The complement of −123 is 123.
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Complement
(genetics) A nucleotide sequence in which each base is replaced by the complementary base of the given sequence: adenine (A) by thymine (T) or uracil (U), cytosine (C) by guanine (G), and vice versa.
A DNA molecule is formed from two strands, each of which is the complement of the other.
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Complement
Obsolete spelling or misspelling of compliment. should this be at a different ety?
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Complement
To complete, to bring to perfection, to make whole.
We believe your addition will complement the team.
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Complement
To provide what the partner lacks and lack what the partner provides, thus forming part of a whole.
The flavors of the pepper and garlic complement each other, giving a very rich taste in combination.
I believe our talents really complement each other.
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Complement
That which fills up or completes; the quantity or number required to fill a thing or make it complete.
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Complement
That which is required to supply a deficiency, or to complete a symmetrical whole.
History is the complement of poetry.
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Complement
Full quantity, number, or amount; a complete set; completeness.
To exceed his complement and number appointed him which was one hundred and twenty persons.
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Complement
A second quantity added to a given quantity to make it equal to a third given quantity.
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Complement
Something added for ornamentation; an accessory.
Without vain art or curious complements.
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Complement
The interval wanting to complete the octave; - the fourth is the complement of the fifth, the sixth of the third.
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Complement
Number needed to make up whole force;
A full complement of workers
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Complement
Something added to complete or make perfect;
A fine wine is a perfect complement to the dinner
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Complement
One of a series of enzymes in the blood serum that are part of the immune response
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Complement
Make complete or perfect; supply what is wanting or form the complement to;
I need some pepper to complement the sweet touch in the soup
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
Can a sentence have both an adjunct and a complement?
Yes, many sentences contain both, with the adjunct providing extra information and the complement completing the sentence’s core meaning.
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Jan 06, 2024
What happens if you remove an adjunct from a sentence?
The sentence remains grammatically correct and its basic meaning is intact, but some descriptive detail might be lost.
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Jan 06, 2024
Are complements always nouns or adjectives?
Complements are commonly nouns, adjectives, or pronouns, but they can also be other parts of speech, depending on the sentence.
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Can an adjunct become a complement?
No, an adjunct and a complement have distinct roles in a sentence and are not interchangeable.
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Jan 06, 2024
What happens if you remove a complement from a sentence?
The sentence may become incomplete or grammatically incorrect.
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Jan 06, 2024
Are adjuncts always adverbs?
Adjuncts are often adverbial, but they can also be phrases providing information about time, place, manner, etc.
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Jan 06, 2024
How do complements affect sentence structure?
Complements are crucial for sentence structure as they ensure that a sentence conveys a complete and coherent idea.
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Jan 06, 2024
What is an adjunct?
An adjunct is a part of a sentence that provides additional information but is not essential to the sentence's grammar or meaning.
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Jan 06, 2024
What is a complement?
A complement is a sentence element that is necessary to complete the meaning of a sentence, typically related to the subject or object.
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Jan 06, 2024
Can a sentence exist without an adjunct?
Yes, many sentences do not have adjuncts and are still complete and meaningful.
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Jan 06, 2024
How do you identify an adjunct in a sentence?
Identify an adjunct by seeing if its removal changes the basic meaning or grammatical correctness of the sentence.
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Jan 06, 2024
Can a sentence have multiple adjuncts?
Yes, a sentence can have multiple adjuncts, adding various details like time, place, manner, etc.
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Jan 06, 2024
Can a sentence have multiple complements?
Yes, especially in complex sentences, there can be multiple complements providing different types of information.
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Jan 06, 2024
Can a sentence exist without a complement?
It depends on the verb; some verbs require complements for the sentence to be complete.
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Jan 06, 2024
Do all verbs need complements?
No, not all verbs require complements; some convey a complete idea on their own.
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Jan 06, 2024
Do adjuncts change the basic tense or aspect of a sentence?
No, adjuncts do not change the fundamental tense or aspect of a sentence.
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Jan 06, 2024
Do complements affect the tense of a sentence?
Complements do not directly affect the tense but are essential for completing the meaning in the given tense.
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Jan 06, 2024
Is understanding adjuncts and complements important for language learning?
Yes, understanding these concepts is crucial for mastering sentence structure and conveying clear, detailed information.
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Jan 06, 2024
Are adjuncts necessary for a sentence's meaning?
No, adjuncts are additional elements that provide context or detail but are not necessary for the core meaning of the sentence.
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Jan 06, 2024
How do you identify a complement in a sentence?
A complement is typically directly related to the verb and is necessary for completing its meaning.
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Jan 06, 2024
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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