This study provides a syntactic analysis of verb complementation in selected Nigerian newspaper headlines. The objectives are to describe patterns of verb complementation used by editors in Nigerian newspaper headlines, identify the most prevalent verb subcategory in the headlines, and determine whether the grammatical features of headlining affect the application of VP Phrase Structure Rules (PS-Rules) for complementation. Using an eclectic theoretical approach—Systemic Functional Linguistics and Transformational Generative Grammar—the study employs both qualitative and quantitative research designs. Data consist of 130 headlines drawn from The Punch, Daily Trust, and The Guardian editions for May, June, and July 2019, using random and purposive sampling. The data were analysed using the Subject Verb Object Adjunct and Complement (SVOAC) taxonomy, labelled bracketing, and tree diagrams to show hierarchical organization and interrelationships using the X-bar theoretical model. The findings show that transitive verbs are the most used subcategory in headlines (73.85%). Ditransitive and copular verbs tie for second (9.23%), followed by intransitive verbs (7.69%). Transitive verbs are often used intransitively and vice versa, with editors omitting function words in line with the economy principle of headlines. When adherence toPS-Rules competes with the economy principle, the former is traded off for brevity. The study concludes that complementation deviations do not amount to linguistic aberration because the context licenses such deviations, and grammar interfaces with normative social context.
