The Grammar of 'Complain' 

Aim:
This page is to help you choose the right part of speech for complain / complaint / complained etc.

On this page: Grammar notes, prepositions, a situation and an exercise.

Grammar Notes



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    <td width="33%" align="center" height="19"><b>Word</b></td>
    <td width="33%" align="center" height="19"><b>Part of Speech</b></td>
    <td width="34%" align="center" height="19"><b>Examples</b></td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td width="33%" align="center" height="38">to complain</td>
    <td width="33%" align="center" height="38">infinitive verb</td>
    <td width="34%" height="38">I would like to complain about your services.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td width="33%" align="center" height="38">complains</td>
    <td width="33%" align="center" height="38">third person verb</td>
    <td width="34%" height="38">He complains all the time.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td width="33%" align="center" height="38">complained</td>
    <td width="33%" align="center" height="38">past tense verb</td>
    <td width="34%" height="38">Customers complained 
    about our services last year.<p>I complained to the customer service representative 
    2 weeks ago.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td width="33%" align="center" height="38">have complained</td>
    <td width="33%" align="center" height="38">present perfect verb</td>
    <td width="34%" height="38">Recently several customers have complained about this 
    problem.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td width="33%" align="center" rowspan="3" height="116">complaining</td>
    <td width="33%" align="center" height="38">continuous verb</td>
    <td width="34%" height="38">Customers are complaining about our services.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td width="33%" align="center" height="38">adjective</td>
    <td width="34%" height="38">We value complaining customers because they 
    help us to improve.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td width="33%" align="center" height="38">gerund </td>
    <td width="34%" height="38">Complaining makes me feel better.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td width="33%" align="center" height="37">complaint</td>
    <td width="33%" align="center" height="37">noun</td>
    <td width="34%" height="37">I have received a complaint about our services.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td width="33%" align="center" height="37">compl<u>ia</u>nt <br>
    (meaning: <i>obedient</i> / <i>co</i>-<i>operative</i>)</td>
    <td width="33%" align="center" height="37">adjective</td>
    <td width="34%" height="37">The company is a compliant customer.</td>
  </tr>
</table>
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