Subject Complement Worksheets and Exercises (Free PDF)

Subject complements are an essential part of English grammar. They complete the meaning of a sentence by giving more information about the subject and always follow a linking verb such as be, seem, become, look, feel, taste, or smell.

There are two main types of subject complements:

• Predicate Nominative: a noun or noun phrase that renames the subject.
• Predicate Adjective: an adjective that describes the subject.

In the worksheets and exercises below, you will practice identifying and using both types of subject complements to better understand sentence structure.

For a full explanation, you can also review this lesson: Subject Complement

Download Subject Complement Worksheets

1. Underline the subject complement in each sentence.

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Answer Key:

1. The cake looks delicious.
2. She is a doctor.
3. The weather became cold.
4. My brother seems happy.
5. The flowers smell sweet.
6. He feels tired after the workout.
7. The movie was exciting.
8. She is my best friend.
9. The room feels warm.
10. The food tastes delicious.
11. The sky looks clear.
12. The test was easy.
13. The music sounds beautiful.
14. He appears confident.
15. The kids are excited.

2. Fill in the blank with an appropriate subject complement from the box.

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Answer Key:

1. beautiful
2. friendly
3. tired
4. stronger
5. clean
6. excited
7. interesting
8. relaxed
9. entertaining
10. talented

Download Subject Complement Worksheets PDF

Subject Complement Exercises

Exercise 1: Choose the correct subject complement to complete the sentence.

1. She is _______ (a teacher / teacher).
2. The flowers smell _______ (good / well).
3. He looks _______ (sad / sadly).
4. The meal tastes _______ (delicious / deliciously).
5. The cat seems _______ (happy / happily).
6. The dress looks _______ (beautiful / beautifully).
7. They became _______ (angry / angrily) after the match.
8. The movie was _______ (interesting / interestingly).
9. The room feels _______ (comfortable / comfortably).
10. The food tastes _______ (bad / badly).

Answer Key:

1. She is a teacher.
2. The flowers smell good.
3. He looks sad.
4. The meal tastes delicious.
5. The cat seems happy.
6. The dress looks beautiful.
7. They became angry after the match.
8. The movie was interesting.
9. The room feels comfortable.
10. The food tastes bad.

Exercise 2: Identify and correct the error related to the subject complement.

1. She is a good singer, but she sings good.
2. The movie is really bored, but it is not bad.
3. The dog looks sadly today.
4. His story seems interestingly.
5. The child looks tiredly after playing.
6. The flowers look beautiful, but they don’t smell goodly.
7. He is a strong person, but he feels weakly.
8. The dog looks happyly when it sees its owner.
9. The teacher is always patient, but she looks patient today.
10. The dinner was wonderful, but the dessert tastes badly.

Answer Key:

1. She is a good singer, but she sings well.
2. The movie is really boring, but it is not bad.
3. The dog looks sad today.
4. His story seems interesting.
5. The child looks tired after playing.
6. The flowers look beautiful, but they don’t smell good.
7. He is a strong person, but he feels weak.
8. The dog looks happy when it sees its owner.
9. The teacher is always patient, but she looks impatient today.
10. The dinner was wonderful, but the dessert tastes bad.

Exercise 3: Create a sentence using the subject complement in each prompt.

1. Use a noun subject complement to describe someone’s job.
2. Use an adjective subject complement to describe a feeling.
3. Use a noun subject complement to describe an object.
4. Use an adjective subject complement to describe an emotion.
5. Use a noun subject complement to describe a relationship.
6. Use an adjective subject complement to describe a color.
7. Use a noun subject complement to describe an animal.
8. Use an adjective subject complement to describe the weather.
9. Use a noun subject complement to describe a place.
10. Use an adjective subject complement to describe a situation.

Suggested Answers:

1. She is a teacher at the local school.
2. He feels nervous before the big presentation.
3. The book is a gift from my friend.
4. She is happy with the results of her exam.
5. They are best friends who have known each other for years.
6. The walls are blue, giving the room a calm feel.
7. The dog is a Labrador, friendly and energetic.
8. The weather is cold today.
9. The park is a beautiful place for a picnic.
10. The situation is complicated.