For questions about the use of, or meaning of, complements.
According to Wikipedia, "a complement is a word, phrase or clause that is necessary to complete the meaning of a given expression."
Questions tagged [complements]
160 questions
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how to understand "as ~ as ever"
Nosey Flynn was sitting up in his usual corner of Davy Byrne's and,
when he heard the story, he stood Farrington a half-one, saying it
was as (1) smart a thing as (2) ever (3) he heard. (James
Joyce, Dubliners)
The meanings of the (1), (2),…
Listenever
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Indirect complement or extraposed subject?
Is the content clause ('that she saw him commit the crime') in the following sentence an extraposed subject or an indirect complement* licensed by 'so'?
It just so happens that she saw him commit the crime.
*See, for example, The Cambridge Grammar…
Eric
- 706
2
votes
1 answer
How to understand the "of somebody" part
It is recounted of Thomas Carlyle that when he heard of the illness of his friend, Henry Taylor, he went off immediately to visit him, carrying with him in his pocket what remained of a bottle of medicine formerly prescribed for an indisposition of…
Charlie
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2
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1 answer
'Out to get me.'
"He was out to get me."
'Out' is not a verb, so 'He was out' looks like subject/linking verb/PA, except that quite plainly 'out to get me' carries the full meaning, because 'He was out' on its own means one of several completely different things.…
Dunsanist
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Is this that-clause a complement?
In that discomfort, breathing quicklime and tar, no one could see very
well how from the bowels of the earth there was rising not only the
largest house in the town, but the most hospitable and cool house that
had ever existed in the region…
Listenever
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Is the prepositional phrase possibly called a subject complement?
Russet leaves were swept by past winds in heaps.
(Original sentence: "Russet leaves, swept by past winds in heaps."— Jane Eyre)
‘In heaps’ can be called as a ‘positional’ complement for verb phrase (were swept), yet it’s not an argument for the…
Listenever
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Resultative Complement in English?
I suspect there might be something missing between ‘experience’ and ‘a much’ in the sentence.
She has emerged from the experience a much stronger person.
Is that grammatically correct? I don’t have the slightest clue how to understand the…
tasira
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Is an object of a verb a complement of a verb or of a verb phrase (a predicate)?
a. I love you.
Here, you is the object of the verb love. It's also a complement, because it completes the meaning of the sentence.
Per Wikipedia, complement is defined as:
In grammar, a complement is a word, phrase, or clause that is necessary to…
listeneva
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vote
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noun as object complement, which is in S + V + O + N
Considering noun object-complements, can we use prepositions in front of them at will? (S + V + O + Noun OC)
e.g.
He elected me president./He elected me as president
He considers them hypocrites./He considers them as hypocrites.
Kim Hui-jeong
- 112
1
vote
2 answers
notion of complement
Liam is very ill. (English Syntax and Argumentation, Bas Aarts)
Traditional Grammar says ‘very ill’ as a subject complement.
And the book says ‘very ill’ as a complement for verb be.
Do I have to accept the remark as ‘Liam is’ can’t complete a…
Listenever
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Is 'that-clause' an adverbial clause or a complement clause?
"I’m glad that we’ve won the match."
An English-Korean dictionary says that-clause above is an adverbial clause. However, from the definition for complement by Oxford - “one or more words, phrases, or clauses governed by a verb (or by a…
Listenever
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0
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Omissibility of "to be" before Noun or Adjective
I have heard that cognitive verbs such as 'think, believe, consider, suppose, understand, imagine...etc.' should use 'to be + noun' or 'to be + adjective' in the object complement.
She believed him to be a teacher.
She considers him (to be)…
hero yoo
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0
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3 answers
That-clause in "it seems that"
Is the that-clause in the following sentence a predicative complement or a displaced subject with it being the dummy subject?
It seemed that he was correct.
My understanding is that if the that-clause is a subject, then the sentence could be…
Gestaltfilter
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0
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Mckee believed WAS the Mary Rose Vs Mackee believed TO BE the Mary Rose
In 1967 , Edgerton's side-scan sonar systems revealed a large , unusually shaped object , which Mckee believed WAS the Mary Rose.
Shouldn't this be "Mackee believed TO BE the Mary Rose"?
Can somebody please explain the grammar?
Antonio Conte
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0
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not followed by to or ing
Take a look at this sentences:
1 I usually try not BE so rude.
2 I usually try not TO be so rude.
3 I usually try not BEING so rude .
4 All I need is TAKE a rest .
5 All I need is TO take a rest.
6 All I need is TAKING a rest.
Which of these…
juan
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