Introduction

Relevance of the Theme

Complements of the Sentence: Direct and Indirect Objects, Passive Agent, Nominal Complement are the pillars of sentence structuring in the Portuguese Language. They provide more precision and semantic richness to the discourse, allowing the articulation of ideas and clarification of actions, states, and processes. Mastering these concepts is essential for clear and effective communication.

Contextualization

• Connection with Previous Topics: If the essential terms of the sentence (subject and predicate) are the foundations of the sentence structure, the 'Complements of the Sentence' are the beams and pillars that keep this structure standing, providing support and completeness to the discourse.
• Relevant Points:
  • Direct Object (DO): It is the term that completes the meaning of a transitive verb directly without the need for a preposition. Its presence is essential for the understanding of verbal action.
  • Indirect Object (IO): Similar to DO, but connects to the verb through a preposition. It complements the meaning of the verb and is usually related to actions that benefit or harm someone or something.
  • Passive Agent (PA): It is the term that indicates who performs or carries out the action in the passive voice. Although it is a complement, it is neither a direct nor an indirect object.
  • Nominal Complement (NC): Accompanies and completes the meaning of nouns, such as nouns, adjectives, and adverbs.
• Course Progression: After learning the essential terms of the sentence, it is natural to progress to the study of the Oral Complements, as these expand the students' capacity for expression and interpretation.

Theoretical Development

Components

• Direct Object (DO): It is the target of the action expressed by the verb. Often answers the questions 'what?' or 'who?'. It can be represented by a noun, pronoun, numeral, or a subordinate noun clause.

  For example:

  • I bought a bicycle. (noun)
  • I read a book. (pronoun)
  • I won the first prize. (numeral)
  • We know that he arrived. (subordinate noun clause)

• Indirect Object (IO): It is the recipient, the person or thing that receives the action of the verb. Usually introduced by a preposition, especially 'to', 'for', or 'with'.

  For example:

  • I gave a present to my friend. (noun)
  • I offer to you. (pronoun)
  • We talked about the test. (subordinate noun clause)

• Passive Agent (PA): Indicates who performs the action in the passive voice. Generally introduced by the preposition 'by'.

  For example:

  • The house was built by the engineer. (noun)
  • The work was done by me. (pronoun)

• Nominal Complement (NC): Complements the meaning of a noun, such as a noun, adjective, or adverb. It directly accompanies the noun, not the verb.

  For example:

  • We obey the rules. (to the noun)
  • We are satisfied with the result. (to the adjective)
  • I study diligently. (to the adverb)

Key Terms

• Transitive Direct Verb (TDV): A verb that requires a Direct Object to complete its meaning. No preposition is needed to link the verb to its complement.

• Transitive Indirect Verb (TIV): A verb that requires an Indirect Object to complete its meaning. The Indirect Object is usually introduced by a preposition.

• Passive Voice: Verbal construction in which the subject of the sentence is the recipient or sufferer of the action expressed by the verb. The Passive Agent is the term that, in the active voice, would be the subject, but in the passive voice, appears as a complement.

Examples and Cases

• Example of Direct Object (DO): In the sentence 'The students love reading.', the term 'reading' is the DO, as it answers the question 'what do the students love?'.

• Example of Indirect Object (IO): In the sentence 'The employee delivered the report to the boss.', the term 'to the boss' is the IO, as it answers the question 'to whom did the employee deliver the report?'.

• Example of Passive Agent (PA): In the sentence 'The party was organized by the friends.', the term 'by the friends' is the PA, as it indicates who carried out the action of organizing the party.

• Example of Nominal Complement (NC): In the sentence 'She is interested in sciences.', the term 'in sciences' is the NC, as it complements the interest (noun) that the person has.

Detailed Summary

Key Points

• Direct Object (DO): Learned that the DO, without the need for a preposition, completes the action of the transitive direct verb, answering the questions 'what?' or 'who?'. It can be expressed by a noun, pronoun, numeral, or a subordinate noun clause.
• Indirect Object (IO): Recognized that the IO complements the transitive indirect verb, usually starting with the preposition 'to', 'for', or 'with'. It serves to indicate to whom the verbal action is intended or to indicate from whom the verbal action is received.
• Passive Agent (PA): Understood that the PA is the one who performs the action in the passive voice. It is introduced by the preposition 'by' and only exists in the passive clause.
• Nominal Complement (NC): Mastered the concept that the NC is the term that complements the meaning of a noun (noun, adjective, or adverb). It never accompanies the verb, but rather the noun.

Conclusions

• Importance of Oral Complements: Realized that the Complements of the Sentence are essential for constructing sentences, providing details about the action or state expressed by the verb and allowing a more complete understanding of the discourse.

• Differentiation between Complements: Learned to distinguish DO, IO, PA, and NC, identifying their functions and distinct characteristics.

• Practical Use of Concepts: Understood that knowledge of DO, IO, PA, and NC not only facilitates the construction of correct sentences but is also fundamental for linguistic interpretation and analysis.

Suggested Exercises

1. Identify the Complements of the Sentence in the following sentences and classify them:

   a) 'Maria gave a book to the boy.'

   b) 'The party was organized by the mother.'

   c) 'The principal announced the suspension of classes.'

   d) 'Your friend likes music.'

2. Transform the following sentences into the passive voice, identifying the Complements of the Sentence and the change of the subject to the Passive Agent:

   a) 'The teacher explained the subject to the class.'

   b) 'They invited my brother to the party.'

   c) 'The company dismissed the employee.'

3. Rewrite the sentences below, replacing the Direct Object (DO) with the Passive Agent (PA):

   a) 'The player scored a goal.'

   b) 'The director rewarded the students.'

   c) 'The mother made the cake.'