Object and Compliment

Andrew Patterson · Post by **Andrew Patterson** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 11:11 pm

Is there a word that can be use to refer to both in transitive verbs?

lolwhites · Post by **lolwhites** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 11:25 pm

I thought that an object was a complement, but not the only possiblity - a complement could also be a clause, for example.

If you were to represent it as a Venn diagram, you'd have a big circle marked complements wholly enclosing a little circle marked objects

Andrew Patterson · Post by **Andrew Patterson** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 11:42 pm

I've actually heard two definitions. The one you just gave, and that complements somehow link back to the subject, as when the (let's call it "the transitive element" for now) is an adjective.

lolwhites · Post by **lolwhites** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 10:56 am

After re-reading the title of this thread I realised something. An example of a compliment would be "You're a wonderful transitive verb", as opposed to the grammatical term complement. I assume you mean the latter.

Andrew Patterson · Post by **Andrew Patterson** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 5:24 pm

Yes, thank you, I knew someone would notice it. I sometimes put words into a spellchecker, and I did here. Of course, when it means that it is correctly spelt. I realised it was wrong after your first reply, but unfortunately, although I can edit the body, I can't edit the title.

I still don't know how to differentiate a complement meaning either an adjective, or object, or only an adjective. With the catenatives, technically verbs can be complements, the whole system of nomenclature seems messed up to me.