Questions tagged [complements]
For questions about expressions needed to complete the meaning of other expressions. Related to tags subject-complement and object-complement.
135
questions
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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
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1answer
20 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?
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0answers
154 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
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1answer
28 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
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2answers
52 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 ...
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0answers
25 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
66 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
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1answer
156 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
239 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
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1answer
44 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
116 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
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1answer
67 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?
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1answer
31 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 ...
1
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1answer
40 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
413 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
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2answers
28 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
51 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
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1answer
549 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
57 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
64 views
Complements: -ing form or infinitives
Not sure if this was already discussed, but I am confused about the use of -ing form/infinitives as complements. I've found in several threads in Stack Exchange that the verb "to be" has to be ...
0
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2answers
44 views
When is inversion between the subject and the object or the subject and the complement possible?
When is inversion between the subject and the object or the subject and the complement possible?
For instance:
I stood at the window watching the kids play. <---> At the window watching the ...
0
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1answer
50 views
Why is “difference” used following “is”?
Could anyone please explains to me when to use "different" and when to use "difference"?
I searched the web about that and I have seen that difference is a noun and different is an adjective and for ...
1
vote
2answers
71 views
Should I use “is” or “has” here?
I am confused about how to use "is" or "has" in one way or the other.
Is it correct to say " he is gone to the back gate "
or it should be "he has gone to the back gate"
because I think "gone is a ...
0
votes
3answers
72 views
“A Thai youth soccer team were found alive Monday” Why is an adjective “alive” following a verb “found”? or “found alive” is an idiom?
I have read this sentence in a newspaper of USA Today, "Thai soccer team found alive after 10 days lost in caves":
A Thai youth soccer team and its coach were found alive Monday in a vast, flooded ...
0
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2answers
82 views
These terms are important for me to work here happily
Can I use infinitive clauses in that way?
1-) These terms are important for me to work here happily.
2-) These terms are important to work here happily.(If it is obvious that I am talking ...
0
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2answers
65 views
Do we have to use adjective complements just after adjectives?
Examples:
I had already been very sorry but with your behaviour, I was extremely disappointed.
(Instead of "but I was extremely disappointed with your behaviour")
I was good at software ...
0
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0answers
82 views
I prevented you from going there
I prevented you from going there.
What is the function of "from going there" ?
I think that it is an adverbial prepositional phrase because I have studied object complements and learned that ...
2
votes
2answers
401 views
Why can we say “Enough money to do something” but not “a ready machine to do something”?
We can say:
I have enough money to go to Italy.
Which means:
I have money which is enough to go to Italy
But why does the following sentence not work?
I have a ready machine to run for 10 ...
0
votes
1answer
247 views
The complements of linking verbs
We know that the complements of action verbs can be neither an adjective nor a prepositional phrase, but, it seems that that situation changes for linking verbs.
He was upstairs.
"Upstairs" ...
0
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0answers
28 views
How scared are you of snakes?
Do you think that it is grammatically correct to ask questions by leaving adjective complements alone?
How happy are you about the exam results?
How disappointed were you with my last ...
1
vote
1answer
40 views
Directly asking questions about adjective complements
Can we ask some questions about adjective complements?
I was disappointed with your behaviour.(1)
Can we ask its question like
With what were you disappointed? (2)
or
What were you ...
-2
votes
1answer
36 views
I want to be a good person to invite to a party
Can we say this sentence is grammatically correct English?
I want to be a good person to invite to a party.
The intended meaning is:
I want to be a person who is good to invite to a party.
...
2
votes
2answers
67 views
Is “The way we are learning English is not good” a clause?
Can I call the following a clause?
The way we are learning English is not good.
Here, what kind of clause is "The way we are learning English"
I think it's a noun clause because it sits before ...
2
votes
2answers
57 views
the icing on the cake: Is 'on the cake' an adjunct or complement?
It's the icing on the cake.
Here, is on the cake an adjunct or a complement of the noun icing?
2
votes
2answers
118 views
The first thing I can see in this picture ‘are’ 2 people
The first thing I can see in this picture are 2 people
I happened to see this sentence, and it says using 'is' instead of 'are' is wrong.
As I looked up some grammar stuff, you can invert the ...
1
vote
2answers
282 views
Is this to-infinitive clause an adjunct or a complement?
He'll keep his pledge to donate 10,000 mosquito nets to charity to help fight Malaria in Africa.
In this sentence, is the to-infinitive in bold a complement or an adjunct of purpose?
Perhaps more ...
1
vote
2answers
218 views
SPEND [a period of time] ENGAGED/ENGAGING in something
I came across the following sentence in the book - ORIGIN - written by Dan Brown
Since 1893, hundreds of spiritual leaders from nearly thirty world religions had gathered in a different location ...
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2answers
2k views
“Did I hear that correctly?” or “Did I hear that correct?” Which one is correct?
This is a conversation in the film "A Wish for Christmas", you can download its subtitle on the internet
The boss is talking on the phone:
Boss: Frankly, the way things are going, Christmas is ...
0
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1answer
45 views
Confused “Complements and adjuncts” in these sentences “Did I hear this correct?” & “Am I reading this right?”
Source
Complements and adjuncts are different. A complement is necessary in
order to complete the meaning. An adjunct is not necessary, and adds
extra information.
Compare He put the cake ...
0
votes
1answer
40 views
…waited until recently…[Is 'until recently' a complement of 'waited'?]
This article says in part:
Though the White House first announced his nomination in April, lobbyists waited until recently to begin publicly mounting an aggressive opposition effort.
Is 'until ...
1
vote
3answers
2k views
What is passive voice of 'I have a pen to write'?
My question is in continuation to this question :
Is there a passive construction for 'I have a pen.'
Wherein it is said that no passive possible for 'I have a pen' since it has 'have' as ...
2
votes
1answer
431 views
Gerunds and complements in a sentence
What's the role of the word flying in both sentences and drones in the latter, please?
Troy enjoys flying.
Losi's hobby is flying drones.
And how to differentiate between a gerund and a complement ...
0
votes
3answers
478 views
Complement or Adv. Prepositional Phrase?
I'm having trouble identifying/breaking down the components of an example under Adverb Prepositional Phrases in McGraw-Hill's English and Grammar Usage book.
Here's the example with the Adv. PP ...
1
vote
2answers
1k views
Personal Pronouns and complement of verb be
Which personal pronouns are complement of verb be?
First example:
A: It was him who broke the window pane.
or
B: It was he who broke the window pane.
Second example:
C: It’s me. Can you ...
0
votes
1answer
19 views
What is the meaning of “I read the catcher the signal”?
What is the meaning of "I read the catcher the signal" ?
Does "I read the catcher the signal" mean "I read the catcher's signal" ? Or does it mean "I read the singal and I give the signal to the ...
0
votes
1answer
461 views
Complements nicely?
While writing a resume for a friend, I had a debate with my family over whether or not an adjective should be used to describe how something 'complements' something else.
For example:
"My experience ...
0
votes
1answer
20 views
Do we need to add again “complementiser-that” before “the second clause”
The two advantages of self-service are that there is no waiting to be served and that there is a wide variety of choice.
Do we need to add again "complementiser-that" before
"the second clause".
1
vote
1answer
183 views
Can we use an adjective to modify a verb?
'A confident person speaks a little stronger, stands a little taller, and looks a little bolder'.
I read the sentence in the book Instant Voice Training.
In this sentencen, both the verb speaks and ...
11
votes
1answer
462 views
Is “chicken” a modifier in “chicken soup”?
Wikipedia says "chicken" is an adjunct which modifies the head noun "soup."
But I think this analysis is a little bit weird. How could it be modifying "soup"? "Chicken" doesn't seem to be describing ...
1
vote
3answers
370 views
To-Infinitive Phrase with an explicit subject?
Hey guys.
In these sentences:
I wanted her to do it;
I need you to do it;
How should the bolded parts be treated?
Either as:
a To-Infinitive Phrase (To do it) with an explicit subject (...
