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Once again, the folly of my nickname becomes clear to me.

Please see this thread: Remove the linking verb with expletives

I know we say "I think it laughable" or "I think it plausible" or "I think it sensible" to mean "I think the situation is such that it is..." but I don't know what rule this is or what name it has.

I don't like that Yahoo answer very much, and Eddie (in another thread) asked for another opinion on it, and frankly, I can't answer him about WHY, only that we DO.

I feel the subjunctive may play a role here? Or mabye not. Anyway, can someone please weigh in on this.

GWB (new name for Grammar WannaBe)

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Geez, GG! If it were anyone but Eddie! I don't do Eddie anymore. His questions get too pesky. I really have to be in the right mood to tackle them.

I suspect it comes in the category of predicative complements (also called object complements).

Beth Levin establishes several subclasses of such verbs: Appoint verbs, Characterize verbs, Dub verbs, Declare verbs, etc.

think and believe she puts in with the Declare verbs.

She says, of this general class of verbs, that they occur in the following frames, though not all of them can occur in all three frames.

NP V NP NP NP V NP AP
NP V NP as NP NP V NP as AP
NP V NP to be NP NP V NP to be AP

Thus: The president appointed Smith ( [as / to be] ) press secretary.

The final noun phrase, or adjective phrase, is the "predicative complement" which is "predicated of the immediately postverbal NP", she says.

With think, you can have Julia thought the gift inappropriate, She thought it inappropriate. (NP V NP AP)

Expletive it means dummy it, as in "It is strange that worms can fly on Mars", which comes from "That worms can fly on Mars is strange".

Combining the predicative complement idea with the expletive it idea, you get things like

I think it strange that worms can fly on Mars.
< I think [(the fact) that worms can fly on Mars (is) strange].
NP V NP AP = [ I ] [think] [that worms can fly on Mars] [strange]

At about this point, my brain blows a fuse.
So I think I'll take a rest now.

And please don't make me talk to Eddie!

CJ

P.S. Nothing subjunctive required for the structure itself, but with certain adjectives, the subjunctive might come into play.

Henry thought it advisable that Mary wash her hair after that incident with the pot of glue.

BarbaraPA · Answer

CJ, thank you.

Would it be okay if I copied and pasted your information (which was great!) and say that I got it from a great source, and that I think it would help?

I'll leave out the editorial comments, of course, and the subjunctive stuff, since that was only my confusion and not his question.

If that's okay with you, I'll do that.

Philip · Answer

Couldn't it just be explained as a case of ellipsis?

Clive · Answer

Hi,
Eddie is using a definition of 'expletive' that I've never even heard of before.

He's an easy guy to lose patience with. No matter what you say or explain, he never stops.

He's much more interested in anlaysing and naming things than he is in actually using and improving his English.

Clive

CalifJim · Answer

Grammar GeekWould it be okay if I copied and pasted your information (which was great!) and say that I got it from a great source, and that I think it would help?

I'll leave out the editorial comments, of course, and the subjunctive stuff, since that was only my confusion and not his question.

Sure, as long as you wipe the fingerprints off it as you say! No problem!

CJ

CalifJim · Answer

CliveEddie is using a definition of 'expletive' that I've never even heard of before.

Seriously? It's the first definition at m-w.com.

1 a: a syllable, word, or phrase inserted to fill a vacancy (as in a sentence or a metrical line) without adding to the sense ; especially : a word (as it in “make it clear which you prefer”) that occupies the position of the subject or object of a verb in normal English word order and anticipates a subsequent word or phrase that supplies the needed meaningful content.

CJ

Clive · Answer

Hi,
I guess I just don't get out enough.

My dictionary just has
expletive - an oath, swear word, or other expression, used in an exclamation.

As in “expletives deleted”, in other words.

Clive

CalifJim · Answer

CliveI guess I just don't get out enough.

Whatever! I wouldn't lose sleep over it.

CJ

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