Adjective clause construction

Question

"We need them complete, every detail of their lives and works accounted for, fillted into place, given significance. "1. Is this part an Adjective clause? "every detail of their lives and works accounted for, fillted into place, given significance."?2. In this clause, why the verb is omitted? Why not "every detail is accounted for, ...."3. For me, both of the following sentences make sense, but I can't distinguish the clause.We need them complete, every detail accounted for.We need them complete, so that every detail is accounted for.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

(fillted? That's not a word. fitted, maybe?)

I would call every detail of their lives and works a direct object of the verb need. accounted for, fitted into place, and given significance are (past participle) object complements. These elements taken together explain in greater detail what is meant by "complete" without repeating "we need".

We need them complete,
(that is,
We need) every detail of their lives and works accounted for,
(every detail of their lives and works) fitted into place,
(and every detail of their lives and works) given significance.

Compare:

We need [ these documents | edited ].
They need [ this question | answered ].
Susan needs [the tear in her dress | mended ].

It's not unusual to omit words instead of repeating them as a way of lightening the style. Repeating the same words again and again makes for "heavy style".

CJ

Clive · Answer

Hi,
"We need them complete, every detail of their lives and works accounted for, fillted into place, given significance. "

1. Is this part an Adjective clause? "every detail of their lives and works accounted for, fillted into place, given significance."? No. I'd call these a series of adjectival phrases. My definition of a clause is that it requires a finite verb, which these lack.
'Accounted, fitted, given' are all adjectives here.

"We need them complete, (with) every detail of their lives and works accounted for, describes 'detail'
fitted into place, describes 'detail'
given significance.

2. In this clause, why the verb is omitted? Why not "every detail is accounted for, .."
Consider simpler examples of this construction.
eg I bought a car, painted red.
eg I bought a car, (with) doors painted red.
'Painted' is an adjective. No verb is required here.

3. For me, both of the following sentences make sense, but I can't distinguish the clause.
We need them complete, (with) every detail accounted for.
We need them complete, so that every detail is accounted for. Only this one contains a subordinate clause.

Clive

Adjective clause construction

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