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Hela Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

sentence analysis (6/05/06)

Dear teachers,

How should I analyse the following:

"I find the way children spend hours just watching TV quite depressing."
I = subject
Find = monotransitive verb
The way… watching TV = direct object
Quite depressing = object complement or adverbial of manner?

"quite depressing" is it a complement or an obligatory adverbial, I never know.

Regards,
Hela
  

Top answer

In my book find is called a complex-transitive verb, and quite depressing an adjectival object complement.

— Mister Micawber

  • In my book find is called a complex-transitive verb, and quite depressing an adjectival object complement.
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9 Answers
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In my book find is called a complex-transitive verb, and quite depressing an adjectival object complement.
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Mr Micawber, what's the technique to differenciate between some adverbials and some object complements ? Sometimes and really don't know which is which.

Regards,

Hela
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when you see subordinating conjunctions such as, after, where, although, since, as long as, they are adverbial.

object complenent is modified the following noun. for example, she called his girlfirend idiot.
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when you see subordinating conjunctions such as, after, where, although, since, as long as, they are adverbial.
Is this always the case? Can't we have sometimes an adjective in an adverbial?

Have a nice day,

Hela
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i hope this can answer your question.

the modifying clause is adjectival if it introduces by a relative pronoun such as " who, whom, whihch or that " or by a relative adverb such as " when, where, and why "
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Mr Micawber, what's the technique to differenciate between some adverbials and some object complements ? Sometimes and really don't know which is which.
Honestly, neither do I sometimes, Hela. I'm not aware of any parsing technique-- I just try to figure out, semantically, what is modifying what. My first thought is whether the word/phrase/clause is a sentence adverbial
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I see, so an adverbial gives information about the whole action that is talked about in the sentence, whether a complement refers back either to the subject or to the object only?

Kind regards
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Sometimes; at least, a lot of adverbials turn out to be sentential adverbials; I don't think that can be said of complements.
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OK, thanks. If ever I come up against a difficulty like this one again, I'll come to you for help. Emotion: smile
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