Question about objects of a verb

Question

"He made Bob Dylan his idol." In this sentence, which noun is the direct object of the verb, and how would the other noun be classified?

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Katherine0825which noun is the direct object of the verb

Bob Dylan.

Katherine0825how would the other noun be classified?

his idol would be classified as an object complement.

CJ

Katherine0825 · Answer

Thank you. I had someone arguing they were both direct objects and I knew that wasn't correct but I wasn't sure how to categorize "his idol".

~Kate

Avangi · Answer

It seems like a complement can be anything that completes anything.

I advised him to quit. The infinitive phrase is an object complement, right?

Does this still obtain if the direct object is a verbal?

I love eating lobster.

Or is "lobster" categorized as the direct object of the direct object?

Avangi · Answer

How would we categorize the elements in -

I advised him to quit wasting time. ?

"wasting" is direct object of "quit"?

"time" is direct object of "wasting"?

Or are these complements?

Heretofore I only knew "complements" as complements of the verb "to be." "She is cute."

So should I assume that "objects" of action verbs/verbals are not called "complements"?

CalifJim · Answer

AvangiIt seems like a complement can be anything that completes anything.

More or less. Yes. An object is a complement of a verb, for example. Depending on the form of analysis you use, even physics can be considered a complement in physics teacher. (from to teach physics.)

AvangiI advised him to quit. The infinitive phrase is an object complement, right?

I don't know what traditional grammar says about most of these constructions. I know it as this:

I advised him [for him to quit ].
him is the indirect object. (from gave advice to him)

for him to quit is the direct object.
_______________

I love [ I eat (ing) lobster ].
lobster is the object of the imbedded clause, which is the object of the main clause, so yes, I'd say object within the object.

CJ

CalifJim · Answer

AvangiI advised him to quit wasting time.

I advised him [ he quit [ he waste (ing) time] ].

Avangi"time" is direct object of "wasting"?

Yes.

AvangiOr are these complements?

'complement' and 'object' are not mutually exclusive choices (though they may be in traditional grammar, and, as I said, I'm not good at the traditional terms for some of these more complex structures).

AvangiHeretofore I only knew "complements" as complements of the verb "to be." "She is cute."

Yes, those are subject complements, but even traditional grammar recognizes object complements as well.

AvangiSo should I assume that "objects" of action verbs/verbals are not called "complements"?

I can't advise you on this.

There are many different approaches to grammatical analysis. I can only say that I would call them objects, and that I consider objects to be complements of verbs and verb-like entities like gerunds.

CJ

Avangi · Answer

Thank you very much for your comprehensive answers. Of course you realize that they generate more questions. Eg, how can you justify rephrasing a sentence to determine the direct object of the main verb?

But the thing that makes me want to throw up my hands and resume a career as a left-handed short-stop is the ease with which we accept multiple interpretations on the one hand and dig in our heels over some inane detail on the other.

I did find your comments enlightening and helpful. Thanks again.

Best regards, - A.

CalifJim · Answer

Avangihow can you justify rephrasing a sentence to determine the direct object of the main verb?

Read up on transformational grammar. According to a theory of grammar proposed by Chomsky, what you see written or what you hear said is just the surface structure. The deep structure is the underlying structure. Mentally, the theory goes, we instinctively transform deep structures (which are closer to "pure thought") into surface structures by applying "rules" that we absorbed when we acquired our native language as children. This transformation is something like changing thought into words. What are the deep structures? How do we know what they are for any given sentence? We have to hypothesize -- guess -- using any logic we can bring to bear on the case at hand.

Here's an illustration. Though it is not very rigorous, you may get the general idea.

I want . [The "thought"]

I want [ ~~for I/me~~ to have a sandwich].

I want to have a sandwich. [Rule: Delete the subject of the embedded clause when it's the same as the subject of the main clause.]

CJ

CalifJim · Answer

Avangithe ease with which we accept multiple interpretations on the one hand and dig in our heels over some inane detail on the other.

Oh, dear. Have I been digging in my heels over something?

CJ

Avangi · Answer

Present company excepted, of course.

I was really frustrated, because I'd recently been involved in a thread about "advise," in which the direct object seemed to be either a person or a course of action. Anyway, I'm so confused I can't even talk about it - obviously.

I had been getting the impression that "I advised him to quit" is not the same structure as "I told him to quit."

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