- What is the circumstantial complement?
- Types of circumstantial complements
- How to identify the circumstantial complement?
- Examples of circumstantial complements
We explain what is the circumstantial complement in a sentence, its types and how they are identified. Also, examples of each type.
What is the circumstantial complement?
In grammar Y syntax, the circumstantial complement (or rather circumstantial complements, since they can be of many types), is one of the syntactic functions that the noun, adverbial or prepositional phrases fulfill in the prayer.
As their name indicates, they allow to point out some specific circumstance of how the action expressed by the verb. The latter may refer to the place in which it occurs, or to the time, mode, quantity, cause, purpose, and so on.
Thus, for example, in the sentence "My father will come back from work later", there is a subject evident ("my father") and in the predicate we have:
- A main verb (return), which makes core of predicate.
- A circumstantial complement: "later" that expresses time.
- Another circumstantial complement: “from his work” that expresses provenance (place).
Like other types of complements (direct, indirect), the circumstantial complement is part of the predicate of the sentence, in which it acts as direct modifier of the verb, that is, that provides information specific about the action expressed by the verb, which can be of a very different type. That is why there are many forms of circumstantial complement, depending on the aspect of the verbal action on which they focus.
Types of circumstantial complements
The circumstantial complements can be of multiple types, such as:
- Place circumstantial complement (CCL). They express a spatial location, that is, a place where the action occurs, or from which it comes, or to which it goes. They can be exchanged for a adverb of place. For example: "My father will travel to Roman lands."
- Circumstantial Time Supplement (CCT). They express a temporal relationship in the action of the verb, be it past, present or future. They can be exchanged for an adverb of time. For example: "My father will travel early tomorrow."
- Circumstantial mode complement (CCM). They express a specific way in which the action of the verb is carried out, whether it is an objective or subjective appreciation. They can be exchanged for an adverb of manner. For example: "My father will travel comfortably" or "My father will travel against his will."
- Circumstantial cause supplement (CCC). They express a causal relationship, that is, they detail the origin or motivation of the action described by the verb. They can be exchanged for an adverb of cause. For example: "My father will travel for work reasons."
- Circumstantial purpose supplement (CCF). They express a sense of goal, objective or, as the name implies, a specific purpose. They can be exchanged for an adverb of purpose. For example: "My father will travel to close an important business."
- Company circumstantial complement (CCCo). They express who are co-authors of the action of the verb, or who accompany the sentence subject. For example: "My father will travel with his partners."
- Instrumental circumstantial complement (ICC). They express with what thing the action of the verb was carried out, that is, what instrument was used for it. For example: "My father will travel in a private company jet."
- Circumstantial quantity supplement (CCCant). They express the measure or proportion in which the action of the verb is carried out. They are interchangeable with adverbs of quantity. For example: "My father will travel many times."
- Property circumstantial complement (CCP). They express a relationship of ownership or authorship intrinsic to the action of the verb. For example: "My father is from Barcelona."
- Subject circumstantial complement (CC Subject). They express a theme or a matter to which the action described by the verb refers. For example: "My father will talk about financial investments."
How to identify the circumstantial complement?
The simplest way to identify a circumstantial complement is to prove that it is neither a direct object, nor an indirect object, but rather that it is a phrase that depends on the main verb of the sentence, and that expresses complementary or additional information, depending on be the case. As we already said, this allows us to substitute an adverb from the corresponding category.
It is possible, however, to distinguish between circumstantial complements if we ask the appropriate question to the sentence, and observe the logical answer to it.
If we suspect that it is a circumstantial complement of place, it will be logical that the question to ask is "Where?", "Where to?" or "From where?", while for a circumstantial complement of time we must ask "When?" or "Since when?", and for a circumstantial complement of way we must ask "How?" or "In what way?", and so on for the rest of the categories.
Examples of circumstantial complements
Here are some additional example sentences in which we make the circumstantial complement explicit and indicate what type it is.
- Prayer: Cockroaches appear in that corner.
Situational complement of place: "in that corner" (Where do cockroaches appear?).
- Prayer: My grandparents emigrated from Stockholm.
Circumstantial place complement: “from Stockholm” (Where did my grandparents emigrate from? ”).
- Prayer: The elections will take place the day after tomorrow.
Circumstantial time complement: "the day after tomorrow" (When will the elections be held?).
- Prayer: The pizza will arrive just in time.
Situational complement of time: “on time” (When will the pizza arrive?)
- Prayer: The soldiers reluctantly returned.
Circumstantial complement of mode: "reluctantly" (How did the soldiers return?).
- Sentence: My cat approaches me as one who does not want the thing.
Circumstantial complement of mode: "like someone who does not want the thing" (How does my cat approach me?).
- Prayer: We will go to the movies with my little brother.
Company circumstantial complement: "with my little brother" (Who are we going to the movies with?).
- Sentence: They saw you with your girlfriend at the theater.
Circumstantial complement of place: "in the theater" (Where did they see you with your girlfriend?)
Companion circumstantial complement: "with your girlfriend" (With whom did they see you at the theater?)
- Prayer: The day before yesterday my aunt arrived from Italy with her husband.
Circumstantial time complement: "The day before yesterday" (When did my aunt and her husband arrive from Italy?).
Circumstantial complement of place: “from Italy” (Where did my aunt and her husband come from the day before yesterday?).
Companion circumstantial complement: “with her husband” (With whom did my aunt arrive from Italy the day before yesterday?).
- Prayer: These men lie a lot and without any impudence.
Circumstantial quantity complement: “a lot” (How much do these men lie?).
Circumstantial complement of mode: "without any impudence" (How do these men lie?).
- Sentence: Lizards move very little lately.
Circumstantial quantity complement: “very little” (How much do lizards move lately?).
Circumstantial time complement: "Lately" (When do lizards move little?).
- Prayer: Your friends only talk about politics.
Circumstantial topic complement: “politics” (What are only your friends talking about?).
- Sentence: These are my niece's German books.
Subject circumstantial complement: "German" (What are my niece's books about?).
Situational complement of belonging: “from my niece” (Whose German books are they?).
- Prayer: In Argentina they eat pizza with cutlery.
Circumstantial place complement: "In Argentina" (Where do you eat pizza with cutlery?).
Instrumental circumstantial complement: "with cutlery" (What do they eat pizza with in Argentina?).