Function
I want you to leave - what is the object :you or to leave ? and why? ( my teacher said that to leave is a infinitive phrase functioning as an adjective(which i can't understand why) can someone help me to solve this problem? ?
Top answer
I want you to leave. The object is "you", and "to leave" is an infinitival clause functioning as complement of "want". This is a catenative construction in which "you" is the semantic subject of the subordinate infinitival clause "to leave", but the syntactic (grammatical) object of the verb "want".
- I want you to leave.
- The object is "you", and "to leave" is an infinitival clause functioning as complement of "want".
- This is a catenative construction in which "you" is the semantic subject of the subordinate infinitival clause "to leave", but the syntactic (grammatical) object of the verb "want".
- "You" is called a 'raised' object because the verb it relates to syntactically is higher in the constituent structure than the one it relates to semantically.
- The term 'catenative' comes from the Latin word for 'chain', because the construction has a chain of verbs with only a noun phrase permitted to intervene between them, as "you" does in your example.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
I want you to leave.
The object is "you", and "to leave" is an infinitival clause functioning as complement of "want".
This is a catenative construction in which "you" is the semantic subject of the subordinate infinitival clause "to leave", but the syntactic (grammatical) object of the verb "want".
"You" is called a 'raised' object because the verb it relates
0
Related Questions