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Inchoateknowledge Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
parsing
I consider what he did unforgettable.
Is the object of the sentence a finite clause: what he did?
Is unforgettable the object complement here?
Thanks
Is the object of the sentence a finite clause: what he did?
Is unforgettable the object complement here?
Thanks
Top answer
Hi Inchoateknowledge, A finite clause is a clause that has either present/past tense or a modal verb. What he did has a past tense which means it is a finite clause. An object complement, or object predicative, is a clause element that occurs after the direct object and characterises the object.
- Hi Inchoateknowledge, A finite clause is a clause that has either present/past tense or a modal verb.
- What he did has a past tense which means it is a finite clause.
- An object complement, or object predicative, is a clause element that occurs after the direct object and characterises the object.
- Unforgettable in your sentence meets this criterion.
- Source: Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English , D.
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4 Answers
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Hi Inchoateknowledge,
A finite clause is a clause that has either present/past tense or a modal verb. What he did has a past tense which means it is a finite clause.
An object complement, or object predicative, is a clause element that occurs after the direct object and characterises the object. Unforgettable in your sentence meets this criterion.
Source:
A finite clause is a clause that has either present/past tense or a modal verb. What he did has a past tense which means it is a finite clause.
An object complement, or object predicative, is a clause element that occurs after the direct object and characterises the object. Unforgettable in your sentence meets this criterion.
Source:
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Hello,
very good, thanks.
But, is it the object in the sentence: what he did?
I know that the head of this clause is did, but I do not trust so much my intuitions as my "power" of reason.
So can anybody give me a hint as to how to identify a head.
Cheers
very good, thanks.
But, is it the object in the sentence: what he did?
I know that the head of this clause is did, but I do not trust so much my intuitions as my "power" of reason.
So can anybody give me a hint as to how to identify a head.
Cheers
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Hi Inchoateknowledge,
Unforgettable is the object in this clause. The object describes how something is done, in this sentence, it's done in an unforgettable way.
Unforgettable is the object in this clause. The object describes how something is done, in this sentence, it's done in an unforgettable way.
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Your analysis is correct. object: what he did object complement: unforgettable.
Another analytical system calls what he did unforgettable a "small clause".
I consider this (true): (His actions were unforgettable.).
I consider this (true): (What he did was unforgettable.).
[In the second case an ordinary clause (What he di
Another analytical system calls what he did unforgettable a "small clause".
I consider this (true): (His actions were unforgettable.).
I consider this (true): (What he did was unforgettable.).
[In the second case an ordinary clause (What he di
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