The Object Complement Patterns Ed McCorduck English 402--Grammar SUNY Cortland

As discussed in the “Verb Patterns and the Be Patterns” lecture and in the “Linking Verbs” lecture, a subject complement (subj comp) refers to the same entity as or attributes a property to the subject of a sentence. For example, in the sentences Beelzebub is evil and Beelzebub is a demon, both the adjective evil in the first sentence and the noun phrase a demon in the second refer to their respective subjects, i.e., in both cases Beelzebub. The sentences are likewise diagrammed in similar ways with the headwords of these subject complements on the main line as the verb and separated from it by a slanted line: slide 2: review of subject complements English 402: Grammar

slide 3: Reed-Kellogg diagraming of subject complements reviewed English 402: Grammar

Similarly, direct objects can also be followed by slots whose occupants co-refer to the same entity as the object. Words and phrases that can fill these slots are called object complements (obj comp). slide 4: definition of object complements English 402: Grammar

Pattern IX NP 1 V-tr NP 2 ADJ (subj)(pred vb) (dir obj) (obj comp) in this pattern, the ADJ refers to the same entity as the NP 2 slide 5: Pattern IX English 402: Grammar

exx I | consider | that | ridiculous. (cf. That is ridiculous ) NP 1 V-tr NP 2 ADJ She | likes | her men | hot. (cf. Her men are hot ) NP 1 V-tr NP 2 ADJ Catnip | drives | my little kitties | absolutely nuts. NP 1 V-tr NP 2 ADJ slide 6: examples of Pattern IX sentences English 402: Grammar

Pattern X NP 1 V-tr NP 2 NP 2 (subj)(pred vb) (dir obj) (obj comp) in this pattern, the second NP 2 functions as object complement, i.e., it has the same referent as the direct object slide 7: Pattern X English 402: Grammar

exx I | consider | him | a nutjob. (cf. He is a nutjob ) NP 1 V-tr NP 2 NP 2 They | called | it | the greatest thing since sliced bread. NP 1 V-tr NP 2 NP 2 The club | has named | Ebeneezer | (the) treasurer. NP 1 V-tr NP 2 NP 2 slide 8: examples of Pattern X sentences English 402: Grammar

Other verbs that can occur in Pattern IX and X sentences (sometimes in only one of the patterns or the other) are find, elect, leave, make and prefer. slide 9: verbs that can appear in Pattern IX and/or Pattern X sentences English 402: Grammar

In Reed-Kellogg diagrams, object complements are indicated like subject complements, i.e., their headwords occur on the main line preceded by a slanted line, but because these complements modify not the subject but the direct object they always immediately follow the direct object (as they do in surface structure). As an illustration, here is the diagram of the sentence I consider that ridiculous where the adjective ridiculous is an object complement: slide 10: Reed-Kellogg diagrams of sentences with object complements English 402: Grammar

slide 11: example of a Reed-Kellogg diagram of a Pattern IX sentence English 402: Grammar

And here is the diagram of the sentence I consider him a nutjob where the noun phrase a nutjob is an object complement: slide 12: example of a Reed-Kellogg diagram of a Pattern X sentence English 402: Grammar