[Grammar] Structures like 'it requires that'

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undeddy

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Hello!

How are structures like the one below called?

To interpret a radiocarbon result in terms of calendar age requires that it be calibrated.

Can you say "...requires it to be calibrated" ?
 

Barb_D

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Yes, that would have the same meaning. In both cases, you don't say who must do the calibrating.
 

undeddy

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Ok, and what's the name for this kind of structures? Complex Object/Subject?
 

Barb_D

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To interpret a radiocarbon result in terms of calendar age requires that it be calibrated.

Can you say "...requires it to be calibrated" ?

I'm not the best at naming these things, but the pink is one big noun phrase, which is the subject, the blue of course is the verb, so the green is [?] the complement/object [?].

I confident on my names for the first two, but I don't know what you'd call "that it be calibrated." It's what is required, so does that make it a direct object? I think so.

As a whole, the sentence is not that complex, but the grammatical subject of the sentence is a big phrase!
 

undeddy

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What I'm not that confident about is the usage of to-infinitive or bare infinitive in phrases like this. Is there some rule?
 

Barb_D

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Ah. You'll need someone else to come answer this. As my signature line says, I know what reads well, but not what to call things.
 
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