Object complement

[mawes12]

How do we know if a complement is complementing an object?

 

[TheParser]

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

Hello, Mawes:

As you know, the word "complement" comes from "to complete."

"Tom painted the house" is a good sentence.

"Tom painted the house red" is also a good sentence. The speaker wants to tell you the color that was used. As you can easily guess, "red" must be complementing "house."

Maybe you can post two or three sentences that confuse you. (I remember your excellent post regarding what an infinitive modifies. I am VERY eager to see your questions about objective complements.)

 

[mawes12]

These are simple sentences I made.

1. The guy robbed a girl walking down the street.

2. The guy robbed a girl interested in her watch.

To me, those sentences can modify subject and direct object.

I was trying to make an infinitive sentence but I can't think of one. If anybody wants, you can make one.

 

[TheParser]

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

Hello, Mawes:

I think that if you told the police: "I saw the guy rob a girl walking down the street," the police would assume that you had said: "I saw the guy rob a girl [who was] walking down the street."

If you wanted the participial phrase to modify the subject, do you agree that it would have be expressed as: "I saw the guy [who was] walking down the street rob a girl." [Maybe she was NOT walking down the street. Maybe she was just sitting at an outdoor cafe.]


*****

I am eager to see another member's comment regarding sentence #2. I do not have the confidence to comment.

 

[mawes12]

I do not have the confidence to comment.

I think that's an infinitive sentence I was trying to find.

I will post this and another one in order to find object complements.

1. I do not have the confidence to comment.

2. I don't have time to waste.

[QUOTE=TheParser;1168658]If you wanted the participial phrase to modify the subject, do you agree that it would have be expressed as: "I saw the guy [who was] walking down the street rob a girl." [Maybe she was NOT walking down the street. Maybe she was just sitting at an outdoor cafe.] [/QUOTE]

I think "walking down the street" is an object complement modifying modifying the guy(Direct Object). I'm not sure though.

 

[MikeNewYork]

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

"Tom painted the house red" is also a good sentence. The speaker wants to tell you the color that was used. As you can easily guess, "red" must be complementing "house."

In that sentence, I would call "red" a resultative adjective. Other examples are:

The chef cooked the steaks rare.
She dyed the shirt blue.

 

[mawes12]

a resultative adjective.

I never heard that before.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Feel free to Google it. It describes a change in the direct object resulting from the action of the verb.

 

[mawes12]

I think it almost works like an adverb.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Not at all. The house becomes red, the steaks become rare, and the shirt becomes blue.

 

[mawes12]

Not at all. The house becomes red, the steaks become rare, and the shirt becomes blue.

Can't it also mean "painted the house redly" or "cooked the meat rarely"?

 

[TheParser]

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

Hello, Mawes:

1. I tend to agree with you that "to comment" and "to waste" are infinitives that modify the nouns ("confidence" and "time," respectively).

*****

2, You say that "walking down the street" in "The guy walking down the street" is an objective complement.

a. Of course, your humble servant does not know enough to say that you are wrong.
b. But do consider a few points.

i. "Objective complement" refers to a word or phrase that completes the object.

a. Thus, perhaps we can say that in "The guy robbed a girl walking down the street," the words "walking down the street" are an objective complement, for they complete the meaning of the object ("a girl").

ii. But in "The guy walking down the street robbed a girl," isn't "the guy" classified as the subject? Just a few ideas (not "answers") for you to consider.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Can't it also mean "painted the house redly" or "cooked the meat rarely"?

No.

"Redly" is not a word. "Cooked the meat rarely" would mean not very often.

 

[mawes12]

ii. But in "The guy walking down the street robbed a girl," isn't "the guy" classified as the subject? Just a few ideas (not "answers") for you to consider.

I think you are right but on the other example you said I saw the guy walking down the street robbed a girl and I thought "the guy" was a direct object in that sentence.
i don't know if I'm right.

 

[mawes12]

No.

"Redly" is not a word. "Cooked the meat rarely" would mean not very often.

I saw that "redly" is an adverb. I don't understand what "I cooked the meat rare" mean.

 

[MikeNewYork]

"Redly" is not a word. One can cook beef to be rare. medium rare, medium, medium well, or well done. Google them.

Are you sure American English is your native language?

 

[mawes12]

"Redly" is not a word. One can cook beef to be rare. medium rare, medium, medium well, or well done. Google them.


Are you sure American English is your native language?

I was born in America but I grew up with my mom who is natively from Dominican Republic so I guess I learned Spanish before I went to school. Why do you ask? and what about you?


Look at http://i.word.com/idictionary/redly

 

[TheParser]

"I saw the guy walking down the street rob a girl." I thought "the guy" was a direct object in that sentence.

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


Hello, Mawes:

Interesting point.

But consider:

"I saw something."

What "something"?

"A guy [who was] walking down the street rob a girl."

Would you agree that "the guy" is the subject? / "rob" is the verb. / "a girl" is the object.


*****

P.S. After some verbs (such as "see") we have to use the bare infinitive (no "to"):

"I saw a guy rob her." (NOT: "robbed")

 

[mawes12]

Maybe you are right, Parser. Let's see what other people will say. Thanks to everyone for trying to answer my question.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Well "redly" is a new word for me. I asked about your background because of some of your questions. I am a native English speaker.