Can prepositional phrases be direct objects??????????

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kobeobie

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I always thought that prepositional phrases acted as an adjective modifying a noun or noun phrase answering the question which one? or what kind?

or they acted adverbially modifying a verb,adverb or adjective and answering the questions how?,why?,when?,where?

But have a look below:

Prepositions as Subject Complements

The second additional grammatical function that prepositions and prepositional phrases can perform is the subject complement. Subject complements are defined as words, phrases, and clauses that follow a copular verb and describe the subject. Prepositional phrases functioning as subject complements provide additional descriptive details about the subject. For example, the following italicized prepositional phrases function as subject complements:


  • My hiding place is under the bed.
  • The best time to call is between six and nine.
  • A good place to study is in the library.

Prepositions as Direct Objects


The third additional grammatical function that prepositions and prepositional phrases can perform is the direct object. Direct objects are defined as words, phrases, and clauses that follow a transitive verb and receive the action of the verb. Prepositional phrases functioning as direct objects answer the question "what?" about the verb. For example, the following italicized prepositional phrases function as direct objects:


  • I cleaned under the bed.
  • The decorator has painted along the trim.
  • Mom organized in the closet.

Prepositions as Object Complements


The fourth additional grammatical function that prepositions and prepositional phrases can perform is the object complement. Object complements are defined as words, phrases, and clauses that directly follow and describe the direct object. For example, the following italicized prepositional phrases function as object complements:

Prepositions as Indirect Objects

The fifth additional grammatical function that prepositions and prepositional phrases can perform is the indirect object. Indirect objects are defined as words, phrases, and clauses that follow a ditransitive verb and answer "to or for whom or what" the action of the verb is performed. For example, the following italicized prepositional phrases function as indirect objects:


  • The maid gave inside the refrigerator a thorough scrubbing.
  • Have you given under the bed a good cleaning?
  • The farmer will be giving beyond his fields some consideration.

 

kobeobie

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Yeah my question is this? can prepositional phrases play noun roles??? I can't find much information on the internet about this and I have found no information on this in any of grammar books. Take this sentence:

I cleaned under the bed.

It says in the Macmillan dictionary that cleaned is a transitive verb which takes an object for example
I cleaned the car
I cleaned whom or what? the car

I cleaned whom or what? under the bed so therefore under the bed is a direct object.

But at the same the preposition under the bed seems to be acting as an adverb answering the question where.I'm confused.I need an expert.
 

5jj

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It says in the Macmillan dictionary that cleaned is a transitive verb which takes an object for example
I cleaned the car
I cleaned whom or what? the car.
As you see here,'clean' can also be used intransitively.

Please use only one question mark at a time.
 
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kobeobie

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As you see here,'clean' can also be used intansitively.

Please use only one question mark at a time.



Before I posted I had a look at some of the sentences and I thought that perhaps the verbs in the sentence were intransitive and that the sentences would be complete without the use of prepositional phrases,but I wasn't sure. But what you have posted makes sense.
 

kobeobie

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Here's the link to the article:

suite101.com/article/the-grammatical-direct-object-in-english-a108700

Perhaps you might be curious to see what the writer has to say.
 

Raymott

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Here's the link to the article:

suite101.com/article/the-grammatical-direct-object-in-english-a108700

Perhaps you might be curious to see what the writer has to say.
I'm not sure I agree with all her examples. But yes, I think they can be objects.
"Under the bed" is the name of a place, and could be an object, as in "I cleaned under the bed".
"I cleaned the bathroom, the kitchen, and under the bed." It would be strange if the bathroom and kitchen could be objects, but "under the bed" not.
 

BobK

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:up: For me it's a place. If you analyse 'clean' as transitive. there is an implicit '[the floor]' before 'under the bed', and if you analyse it as intransitive, 'under the bed' is a prepositional phrase. Either way it works, and I don't see why anyone should make such a big fuss about this sort of abstract quibble. ;-)

b
 
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