Questions tagged [complements]
For questions about expressions needed to complete the meaning of other expressions. Related to tags subject-complement and object-complement.
167
questions
0
votes
2answers
37 views
"earn" and its ambiguity direct object
I earn my living by fighting on arena for many years as gladiator.
There is some ambiguity in this sentence. In my opinion it convey two different meanings:
1. I earn (money/and so on) for my living ...
0
votes
2answers
25 views
Is 'watching him' a gerund clause in this example?
He saw James watching him.
Recently, I have become familiar with non-finite clauses. This has led me to question the function of the ing- clause in constructions like the one above. Prior to learning ...
0
votes
0answers
8 views
whether it is a subject complement or a adjective complement
1.Hard work is fundamental to success.
In a sentence above, whether is the PP "to success" an subjective complement or a adjective comeplement?
and
2.Hard work to success is fundamental.
...
0
votes
0answers
13 views
Grammatical explanation of participle phrase (or gerund phrase) after verb + noun (see example)
They spend hours watching video on their phones.
In this quote, is the phrase 'watching video on their phones' a present participle phrase or a gerund? If it is a participle phrase, surely it should ...
1
vote
1answer
52 views
a subject complement or an adjunct
They were crushed to death in the accident.
In this case, is the preposition phrase(to death) a subject complement or an adjunct?
It is hard to distinguish both.
If neither isn't correct, what does ...
0
votes
1answer
31 views
SVC sentence structure confusion [closed]
I have read about SVC sentences like "we all feel sorry for him".
Can I also write: The trunk wrinkled old and dry.
As wrinkle is not a linking verb so is it incorrect? Is there any other ...
0
votes
1answer
42 views
subject complement or adverb phrase
I have a question about a sentence below.
we expect about 50% of registered voters to vote in the election.
Is a PP(in the election) a subject complement(is it possible?) or a modifier?
If it is a ...
2
votes
2answers
845 views
What is "more carefully than I do" in "My wife drives more carefully than I do", grammatically?
Consider this sentence:
My wife drives more carefully than I do.
I want to understand the grammatical role of the phrase,
more carefully than I do
Is it an adverb, and adverb phrase, an adverb ...
0
votes
0answers
26 views
In noun complement
while studying a complement, I have a question in a sentence.
The name was changed to avoid confusion with another firm.
Is a preposition phrase(with another firm) a noun complement with the word '...
0
votes
2answers
84 views
Is 'cry' a catenative complement in this example?
In the provided example (below), is 'cry' considered a catenative complement?
He made him cry.
'Him' is the object of 'made,' so 'cry' must be a complement. I know that a verb cannot function as an ...
0
votes
2answers
53 views
She was told a joke
She was told a joke
Is a joke an object here? Or maybe a compulsory adjunct? Cuz I think she was told doesn't make sense on its own.
I'm confused, can someone help?
0
votes
1answer
17 views
found his apartment broken into and his antique vase missing
Do native speakers find the following sentence natural?
Joe found his apartment broken into and his antique vase missing.
0
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0answers
35 views
That- Clauses as Adjective Complements – How Do They Modify the Adjective?
Researching adjective complements, I have found the use of that- clauses quite jarring. The Free Dictionary lists the different types of adjective complements — prepositional phrases, infinitive ...
0
votes
1answer
39 views
difference between to be N, A / N, A [closed]
I have heard that cognitive verbs such as 'think, believe, consider, suppose, understand, imagine...etc.' should use 'to be noun' or 'to be adjective' in the object complement.
She believed him to be ...
-1
votes
1answer
46 views
Is "to be innocent" in the accused declared himself to be innocent the object complement?
The accused declared himself to be innocent.
Got a quick question, is to be innocent the object complement?
0
votes
0answers
27 views
To infinitive as object complement
i have a question concerning whether "to resist" in the sentence below is an object complement.
"He lacked the strength to resist"
1
vote
1answer
39 views
Verb+adjective into adverb+adjective
Can verb+adjective complement be freely inverted into adverb+adjective?
For example:
Something seems beautiful.
It’s something seemingly beautiful.
Something looks special.
It’s something visually ...
0
votes
1answer
37 views
Get something hot
If I say "I want to get my coffee hot", (In the literal sense),
does it mean I want to cause my coffee to be hot? or literally the same as "I want to receive my coffee hot"?
0
votes
0answers
20 views
It's a question about complements
It is important that he ________ what he is learning is worthwhile.
a-believe / b-believes /c-to believe /d-believing
Why is the answer of this question is a and not b?
1
vote
1answer
23 views
Grammar and role of the word "protected"
What is the role of the word "protected" in the following sentence?
She kept her money protected in a safe.
I mean, she is the sub., kept is the v. and ... so what about the word "...
0
votes
1answer
59 views
Smell bright, taste bright
Smell bright and taste bright is grammatically correct, but why are they not used but look bright is used?
0
votes
0answers
27 views
Complement vs adjunct
For this sentence:
I have trouble solving the problem.
Is solving the problem a complement or an adjunct?
What if the sentence is I have trouble in solving the problem ? Is in solving the problem an ...
0
votes
2answers
74 views
What is ‘intelligent’ complementing in the beginning of this sentence?
I have the following sentence and diagram:
To sound intelligent on political issues was Wayne’s goal.
The infinitive phrase is the subject of the sentence. What is intelligent complementing exactly, ...
1
vote
0answers
23 views
be careful that-clause and be careful wh-clause
I'll be more careful what I say in the future.
We were very careful that he didn't find out.
The that-clause in sentence 2 is a complement of the adjective careful. The wh-clause in sentence 1 seems ...
0
votes
0answers
31 views
"Adjective Complements" in major English grammar books?
Are there any major English grammar books (like CGEL, PEU, etc.) that list "adjective complements" as one of main constituents of a predicate (or a sentence pattern)?
https://www....
1
vote
1answer
74 views
When is a complement of verb gerund?
I am confused about when a complement of a verb is a gerund.
For instance
He is going to school.
here "going" is the complement of verb "is" yet not a gerund
He is playing for ...
0
votes
1answer
31 views
What's the difference between post attributive and complement？
After six months of arguing and final 16 hours of hot parliamentary debates, Australia's Northern Territory became the first legal authority in the world to allow doctors to take the lives of ...
0
votes
1answer
31 views
{past tense verb} [optional adverb] is... - what is this grammar?
I came across with this sentence
Located on the Trusted Server is a private key named Certificate Authority (CA)
I guess it's another way to say something like: "The thing that is located on ...
0
votes
1answer
58 views
Adjective or noun?
In the sentence "He became captain of the team", 'captain' (noun) is the subject complement of 'became' and 'of the team' (a PP) is the object complement of 'captain'. Since complements ...
-1
votes
1answer
30 views
Kick someone to somewhere
Is it correct to say like that meaning to send someone there?
Kick someone to hell
0
votes
0answers
23 views
Use to or Used to exercises , help me complete the sentence
When we were children, we ____________________ collect stamps.
Mr. Wood ______________ read at leat four hours a day when he was young.
John __________________ walk to school in the ...
0
votes
1answer
23 views
"Donna became quickly irritated"
Donna became quickly irritated.
I'm confused about the position of "irritated". Is that considered as a direct object as it answered the verb "became"?
I read it is a complement, why? Which type?
0
votes
2answers
3k views
"Starting" or "to start?"
What is the difference between them and when I should use -ing form and when -to+infinitive in similar cases?
"I could see her eyes starting to tear up."
or
"I could see her eyes to ...
0
votes
0answers
696 views
Specifier, adjunct, or complement? how to know? syntax
How can I know if an embedded clause is a Specifier, an adjunct, or a complement?
For example, in a sentence like:
One notion that nobody has mentioned yet was proposed during the conference.
Can ...
0
votes
1answer
30 views
Valency of being situated
Being situated seems to need some kind of complement. According to Cambridge Dictionary, it may be used in the following ways:
with in/on/near/...
with an adverb
with a to-infinitive
However, it ...
0
votes
2answers
172 views
to infinitive vs happen + to infinitive difference
Is there any difference between the following sentences, respectively?
“It so happens that today is my birthday.” -- Today is my birthday.
“I happen to have exactly what you need.” -- I have ...
0
votes
0answers
28 views
Grammatical function of "all" in "You ladies all have to understand its importance."
Does all within:
You ladies all have to understand its importance.
play the role of an adverb?
3
votes
3answers
163 views
What is the grammatical function of the bold phrase in the sentence?
Some of the world's oldest preserved art is the cave art of Europe,
most of it in Spain and France.
The above sentence is from IELTS test reading passage, and it is oral English. I want to make ...
0
votes
1answer
634 views
How to distinguish the attribute & complement in a sentence?
As an example:
In some cultures, people regard men as breadwinners.
my textbook says: ''as breadwinners'' is the complement to ''regard'', but I think it is the attribute to ''men''. Which one is ...
4
votes
2answers
257 views
Marking the functions of a sentence: 'She may like it'
I am reading Cambridge Grammar of English Language (CaGEL) all over again, though not cover to cover.
One page no. 215, I came across
The major functions in the structure of the clause are the ...
0
votes
1answer
65 views
complement omission after "than"
The average age is higher than it has been in recorded history.
Can you tell me why "than it has been" doesn't have a complement in the sentence above?
3
votes
4answers
183 views
How to parse this sentence "I heard him drop his keys."
"I heard him drop his keys"
I = subject
heard = verb
"him drop his keys." = direct object.
But how can I understand 'drop his keys'?
"I heard him singing in the shower."
Here, "singing in the ...
0
votes
1answer
205 views
Subject-dependent inversion
In front of him opens a magnificent view on mountains.
Is such a subject-dependent inversion possible? Or should I use
there opens a magnificent view on mountains in front of him?
0
votes
1answer
112 views
relative clause or object complement
Note that because every 2-element subset chosen from a set of 5 elements corresponds to a unique 3-element subset consisting of the elements not chosen.
My questions concern whether consisting of the ...
0
votes
1answer
227 views
"That would be more than enough". Is 'more' the head of the complement or 'enough'?
It has over 100,000 words and meanings. You'd think that would be
more than enough for most of us but meanings change and new words are being created all the time.
Might I trouble you to tell me ...
4
votes
3answers
784 views
two subject complements in passive form?
Hi I am English learner.
Recently, I have a question.
There is a sentence:
He was selected chairman.
On this passive form, I think the word selected is a subject complement.
Therefore, He is ...
0
votes
2answers
40 views
Sentence structure , object and complement
He offered to lend the book to the student.
Subject: He
Verb: offered
I don't know what the object should be, is it "to lend the book"? but then the object itself would be comprised of a verb and ...
2
votes
1answer
154 views
Intransitive verb + one's way construction
The following seems to be transitive verb + one's way constructions.
She pushed her way through the crowd.
She cut her way through the jungle.
I parse that as this: S+V+O+O.C
Yet, the ...
0
votes
1answer
2k views
Nominal to-infinitive clause as complement of an adjective
Source: "A Cmmunicative Grammar of English" by Geoffrey Leech and Jan Svartvik (p.328-329)
As you can see, the book says:
● Nominal to-fininitive clause as subject:
To say there is no ...
3
votes
1answer
306 views
Is it distransitive or complex transitive as in “She told her cat to leave”?
She told her cat to leave.
Here are two kinds of parsing.
1.Distransitive + indirect object and direct object
She (S) + told (V) her cat (I.O) to leave (D.O)
2.Complex transitive + direct ...
