The second object (COS) in French

What is the second object complement in French ? 

The second object complement (French: le complément d'objet second) is a complement that is preceded by a preposition. It completes the direct object complement in a sentence.

To make it simple, the COI changes its name and becomes the second object complement: COS.

Examples:

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How to recognize the COS in French ? 

The COS indicates who benefits or who harms the action made by the subject.

The complement is introduced by a preposition and is attached to a verb that is already built with a COD (after the latter, so it comes second)

The presence of the COD is mandatory in this type of construction, otherwise the sentence will be incorrect.

• Subject + verb + COD + COS

Examples

Roméo annonce une bonne nouvelle à sa famille. (Romeo announce a good news to his family)

• The subject is "Roméo"
• The transitive verb is "annonce"
• The direct object is "une bonne nouvelle"
• "à sa famille" is a COI because you ask the question "à qui ?" 
• But it is the second complement in the sentence, therefore it becomes a COS

Papa a demandé une nouvelle voiture de service à son directeur général. (Dad asked a new service car to his CEO)

• The subject is "papa"
• The transitive verb is "a demandé"
• The COD is "une nouvelle voiture de service"
• "à son directeur" is a COI because you ask the question "à qui ?"
• But it is a second complement in the sentence, therefore it becomes the COS

The position of the COS in French 

The COS can be placed in different ways in a sentence:

• After the first COD
• If the COS is a pronoun, it always stands before the verb.
• If the COD and the COS are pronouns, we look at their grammatical person: in the 3rd person → the COD is before the COS; 1st and 2nd person => the COS is before the COD
• If the verb is imperative, the COS is after the COD.

Examples

If the COS is usually placed after the COD, it sometimes happens to be placed before:

• Le client a commandé au vendeur une voiture. (The client ordered to the seller a car)
• Le client a commandé une voiture au vendeur. (The client ordered a car to the seller)

​The grammatical category of the COS in French

As a general rule, the COS can not be deleted and it is part of the verbal group and a sentence can have two COS at the same time. 

The grammatical nature of the COS can be: 

• A noun 
• A nominal group 
• A pronoun

Examples: