What parts of speech "are designed" and "to compliment" in the following

Question

In the sentenceGreater Vancouver's golf courses are designed to compliment their spectacular surroundings.What parts of speech  areare designedto complimentThanks very muchJulia

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

In the sentence

Greater Vancouver's golf courses are designed to complement their spectacular surroundings.

What parts of speech are

are designed a verb, present simple passive

to complement an infinitive, serving as part of an adverbial phrase

Best wishes, Clive

Anonymous · Answer

Clive's answer for "are designed" is only partially correct. "Are" is indeed the present simple form of the verb to be; however, "designed" is here used in the past participle form (since combined with the verb "to be"), and really functions as an adjective to modify the subject, "golf courses." So much mis-information on the Web...

Dolph H

Clive · Answer

I interpret it this way.

( Whenever thy are built, ) Greater Vancouver's golf courses are designed (by landscape designers) to complement their spectacular surroundings.

Clive

BillJ · Answer

AnonymousClive's answer for "are designed" is only partially correct. "Are" is indeed the present simple form of the verb to be; however, "designed" is here used in the past participle form (since combined with the verb "to be"), and really functions as an adjective to modify the subject, "golf courses." So much mis-information on the Web...Dolph H

"Greater Vancouver's golf courses are designed to complement their spectacular surroundings".

I'd say that you are incorrect on three counts:

[1] This is a passive construction in which “designed” is a verb, not an adjective. This is evident from the fact that it can easily take a by-phrase complement (e.g. "designed by architects"), and also that it can't take an infinitival complement: compare the ungrammatical *"GC’s golf courses became designed to complement their spectacular surroundings”.

[2] Whether “designed” is a verbal or adjectival passive, it would still be a past participle form.

[3] Putting [1] and [2] aside, you are mistaken in your assertion that adjectival “designed” modifies “golf courses”. If it really were an adjective, then this is a complex-intransitive clause in which “designed” is a predicative complement of “are” (not a modifier of “golf courses”).

Not so much misinformation on the Web after all, eh?

BillJ

What parts of speech "are designed" and "to compliment" in the following

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