ABSTRACT
The elements needed by a particular verb are called the complements of the verb, and the type and number of complements required by a particular verb to construct a grammatical sentence make up the valency of the verb. This chapter explains valency and the verb complements, with particular emphasis on verbs and constructions in German which are different from their nearest English equivalents. German typically shows the relationship between the complements and the verb by using cases. English noun phrases do not have endings to show case, and the relationship of the complements to the verb is typically indicated by their position. The action of giving involves a person handing a thing over to another person. The verb geben needs three complements to form a sentence: a subject (in the nominative case), a direct object (in the accusative case) and an indirect object (in the dative case).
