What is an Incomplete Verb?

The verbs which require a complement without an object to complete their meanings are called Verbs of Incomplete Predication or Incomplete verbs.

Examples:

  1. My father is.
  2. She looked.
  3. You seem.
  4. This building appears.
  5. Henry will be.

In the above sentences, we observe that the verbs, is, looked, seem, appears and will be, fail to complete their meanings. To complete their meanings, they require a complement.

Examples:

  1. My father is happy with my result.
  2. She looked confident.
  3. You seem sad today.
  4. This building appears to be old.
  5. Henry will be waiting for me.

Now the complements happy with my result; confident; sad today; to be old; and waiting for me complete the meanings of the verbs is, looked, seem, appears and will be, respectively.
Verbs. Therefore, these verbs are called Incomplete verbs.

Try aiPDF, our new AI assistant for students and researchers

X