Objective constructions with non-verbals

§ 129. Adjectives and nouns which form the second part of these objective constructions are in subject-predicate relations to the first part and show what the person or non-person expressed by it is or becomes, or what quality it acquired. Because of its meaning the nominal part is often called an objective predicative.

These constructions may be used after the following verbs:

I. Verbs of mental activity and sense perception, which acquire in this construction the meaning of judgement, opinion or conclusion (to appreciate, to believe, to claim, to class, to consider, to condemn, to count, to deem, to esteem, to fancy, to feel, to figure, to imagine, to impart, to interpret, to judge, to look (at, on, upon), to perceive, to picture, to place, to pronounce, to recognize, to regard, to see, to sum up, to take, to think, to view, to visualize, etc.); also after some other verbs (to find, to discover, to welcome, etc.) expressing the same meaning. Occasionally a non-verbal element is introduced by the prepositions as or for.

 

He judged her young and pleasing.

The girl condemned herself as stupid.

They saw him as the greatest man in Europe.

The town esteemed him as a successful man.

I figured you for a good guy.

 

These constructions may be transformed into object clauses:

 

I thought it a wonderful opportunity —— > I thought that it was a wonderful opportunity.

 

He found his life dull ——> He found that his life was dull.

 

Several verbs of this group (to consider, to deem, to feel, to find, to regard, to suppose, to think, and some others) may take a complex object with the nominal part expressed by a verbal (an infinitive, a gerund) or by a clause. In this case the formal introductory object it is used:

Не thought it useless going to Paris.—— > He thought that going to Paris was useless.

I consider it possible to talk to him now.

They will think it strange that you should be frightened.

II. Verbs implying that the result of the action will be a new quality, state, social standing, or attitude to the action. These verbs are rather numerous and form several semantic subclasses.

 

A. Verbs with causative meaning (to make, to render, to hit, to have, to worry, to scare, etc.) implying

change of state or impression, as in:

 

This blow made him crazy.

The sight of the animal scared the boy stiff.

His sudden appearance rendered us speechless.

B. Verbs denoting the action resulting in the change of colour (topaint, to dye, to stain, to tinge, to

dust)

 

They painted the door green.

She has dyed her hair blonde.

The storm dusted everything grey.

C. Verb denoting actions resulting in the change of social rank, status, function of, or giving

identification to, a person (to appoint, to call, to christen, to elect, to raise, to select, etc.) as in:

 

They elected him President.

They appointed him chief in the office.

I’ll raise my kid a Catholic.

The parents christened the boy Paul.

They deliberately selected Elizabeth as an ideal mother-substitute.

D. Verbs denoting motion, movement to a different position or state (to bring, to carry, to deliver, to

fing, to kick, to march, to pick, to put, to send, to tear, to toss, etc.).

She pulled the drawer open.

I tore the letter open.

Christin kicked the door open.

The girl clicked her bag shut.

 

Most of the verbs in group II have a very general vague meaning, they are often incomplete without the adjective or noun denoting the result of the action. Therefore they are very closely connected with it, forming a set expression:

 

to make

somebody   something

crazy (mad, happy, important, famous, an eager listener, restless, stunned)   invisible (concrete, interesting, handy, certain, clear)

 

to make oneself agreable (comfortable, cosy)

 

to set

somebody something

free straight

 

to drive mad (crazy, desperate)

 

to leave somebody stunned (doubtful, weak, indifferent, blind, crippled)

to keep

somebody something

busy clean (handy)

to consider

somebody something

responsible (famous, big, great, unique, a master, charming, pleasing, awful) as possible (extreme, ridiculous, dreadful, a nuisance)

 

to render

somebody something

spellbound (speechless, motionless, blind, dumb.) useless (hopeless, unimportant)

 

to have

somebody something

as a teacher clear (right, definite)

to count

somebody something

an enemy (a friend, as the greatest man) as useless (as ugly, as most attractive)