To identify an object

[chance22]

To pick the object in the sentences, do you differentiate between the object after the predicate verb and the object after a preposition?e.g. He insisted on being kept waiting. Can I say "being kept waiting" is used as an object? Or should I define exactly that that part is object of a preposition? i.e. if we are asked to identify the object, does it refer to object of the whole sentence only, as corresponding to the subject? Or should I also point out the object of a preposition?
And in the above sentence, the object of preposition is being kept or being kept waiting?

 

[MikeNewYork]

To pick the object in the sentences, do you differentiate between the object after the predicate verb and the object after a preposition?e.g. He insisted on being kept waiting. Can I say "being kept waiting" is used as an object? Or should I define exactly that that part is object of a preposition? i.e. if we are asked to identify the object, does it refer to object of the whole sentence only, as corresponding to the subject? Or should I also point out the object of a preposition?
And in the above sentence, the object of preposition is being kept or being kept waiting?

In general, the object of the sentence refers to the direct object of the verb. Prepositional objects are different kinds of objects.

 

[chance22]

In general, the object of the sentence refers to the direct object of the verb. Prepositional objects are different kinds of objects.

Thank you. Then will an object follow an intransitive verb like begin? He begins to write. Can I say "to write" is an object? And in the sentence "I don't mind you smoking", when identifying object, if I don't include "you", but "smoking" only, will that be wrong?

 

[MikeNewYork]

What makes you think that "begins" is only intransitive? I would say that "to write" is an infinitive acting as the direct object of the transitive verb "begins". For your second question, yes, that would be wrong. That particular construction can be written two different ways: 1. "I don't mind you smoking" (subject - verb [with a built-in adverb] - direct object [you] - participle [smoking] modifying "you"). 2. "I don't mind your smoking" (subject - verb [with a built-in adverb] - possessive adjective - direct object [gerund].

 

[chance22]

What makes you think that "begins" is only intransitive? I would say that "to write" is an infinitive acting as the direct object of the transitive verb "begins". For your second question, yes, that would be wrong.

It seems I have made a mistake. I thought transitive verbs would always be directly followed by a noun as its object. Then as to the word worry, when it's in the sentence: He always worries about his health. This worry is used as an intransitive verb,I suppose, so I can't say "about his health" is the object of the sentence?

 

[MikeNewYork]

Transitive verbs always take a direct object (noun or pronoun). If you meant "directly" to mean the very next word, then that was incorrect. An infinitive can be a noun in certain uses. It can also be an adjective or adverb in other uses.

In your worry example, you are correct. The prepositional phrase is not the direct object of "worries". It is not a noun.

 

[5jj]

- direct object [you] - participle [smoking] modifying "you").

What do you mean by 'verb [with a built-in adverb]'?

 

[MikeNewYork]

I meant the contraction "don't" in "don't mind". Those two words are not technically "the verb".