Parts of speech for a sentence

[Kimijane]

The following sentence is in our DOL book....
Let me tell you the plot.
I need help with diagramming this sentence. The students say ....(you) understood subject... Let is the verb or is tell the verb?
read on another site that tell the plot is an object complement adjective?????! Really confused. I am the special education teacher and I need help explaining to my students.

 

[emsr2d2]

The following sentence is in our DOL book.

"Let me tell you the plot."

I need help with diagramming this sentence. The students say ....(you) understood subject... Let is the verb or is tell the verb? I don't understand any of this.
I read on another site that "tell the plot" is an object complement adjective. [strike]?????![/strike] I am really confused. I am the special education teacher and I need help explaining this to my students.

Please see my notes in red above. I don't know what you mean with the underlined section at all.

In addition, please remember to write correct English on the forum. As an English teacher, it is incumbent upon you to provide a good example of written English at all times. Please use correct capitalisation, punctuation and write in full sentences. A single, appropriate punctuation mark suffices at the end of a sentence.

 

[TheParser]

Let me tell you the plot.

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Hello, Kimijane:

IF I understand my books correctly, there are two ways to analyze that sentence. I shall TRY to explain both ways. Then you can decide which way YOU prefer.

Before I start, may I remind you of something that you probably already know?

Sometimes an infinitive has "to": I like to read. ("I like read" is NOT acceptable.)

Sometimes an infinitive does NOT have "to": He made me read. ("He made me to read" is NOT acceptable.) If an infinitive does NOT have "to," grammar books call it a bare infinitive.

*****

First Analysis

You = understood subject (just as your students said).
let = verb.
me = object (of the verb "let").
tell you the plot = an infinitive phrase. (In other words: "to tell you the plot." But after certain verbs, such as "let," native speakers use the bare infinitive.)

a. The infinitive phrase "tell you the plot" is the objective complement of "me."

i. "Complement" comes from the word "complete."
ii. If you tell someone "Let me," she will ask you, "Let me what?"
iii. So you need something to "complete" the object "me."
iv. Thus: (You) let me tell you the plot. (See how "tell you the plot" completes the meaning of "me"?)

(a) tell - infinitive.
(b) you = the indirect object
(c) the plot = the object of the infinitive "tell." (Compare: tell the plot to you.)


Second Analysis

You = understood subject.
let = verb
me tell you the plot. = infinitive phrase that is the object of the verb "let."

a. me = the subject of the infinitive "tell."
b. tell = the infinitive.
c. you = the indirect object.
d. the plot = object of the infinitive "tell."

Thus: (You) let me tell you the plot. (See how "me tell you the plot" is the object of the verb "let"?)

James: You let.
Mona: I let what?
James: Me tell you the plot.
Mona: OK. Go ahead.





I know that it is very confusing. Don't hesitate to ask any questions that you may have. Other members (or I) will be delighted to answer.



James