Transitive Verbs 3

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Pattern 5

Sentence Pattern 5

Finally we come to the pattern that does for the direct object what Pattern 2 did for the subject: It equates or relates the direct object with something else, which follows it:

     Customers consider these sleds inexpensive.
     Customers consider these sleds a bargain.

The element after the direct object is called an objective complement, and it may be either a noun or an adjective (or a noun phrase or adjective phrase): either "a bargain" or "inexpensive."

Let us summarize Pattern 4 this way: S + Vt + D.O. + O.C., where "O.C." stands for "objective complement."

English word order affords comedians an opportunity by a slight ambiguity: Two nouns or noun-substitutes in a row after a transitive verb could be either an indirect object plus a direct object or else a direct object plus an objective complement. Certain verbs, but not all, can take either construction after them, and so we get the well-known joke "Call me a taxi." "Okay, you're a taxi." The ambiguity can be demonstrated thus:

     [S="you"] + Vt + I.O. + D.O.
     [S="you"] + Vt + D.O. + O.C.

     The cannibal queen made her husband dinner.
     S + Vt + I.O. + D.O.
     S + Vt + D.O. + O.C.

Click on the objective complement in the following sentence:

The poppies made the flesh-and-blood travellers sleepy.
1. The poppies
2. made
3. the
4. flesh-and-blood
5. travellers
6. sleepy
Click on the objective complement in the following sentence:

The coming of dawn made the soldiers apprehensive.
1. The coming
2. of dawn
3. made
4. the soldiers
5. restless
Click on the objective complement in the following sentence:

Throughout his service to Queen Victoria, Disraeli called himself her loyal opposition.
1. Throughout
2. his
3. service
4. to
5. Queen Victoria
6. Disraeli
7. called
8. himself
9. her
10. loyal
11. opposition
Click on the objective complement in the following sentence:

Gentlemen in those days could make their names famous.
1. Gentlemen
2. in
3. those
4. days
5. could
6. make
7. their names
8. famous