Obj. constr. with verbals

The obj. with the Inf. constr.

is much more widely used than the constr. with Participle I and Part. II, for it may combine with a wider range of verbs. It' usually used as a direct to verbs ( I did not want him to see me there). However, it may also occur in the function of an indirect non-recipient object, in which case it's introduced by the preposition generally used with this particular verb ( I was relying on him to put things right with father)

The Use of the Objective with the Inf. Constr. as a Direct Object

Verbs which may take the objective with the inf. constr. as a direct obj. are of two kinds:

1) Those that require the inf. with the particle TO

2) Those that require the bare inf.

Verbs of the first kind belong to the following semantic groups:

1. Verbs of wish and intention (to wish, to want, to desire, to choose, to prefer, should/would like, to intend, to mean). Owing to the meaningofthese verbs, the infinitive in the construction can be only non-perfect (He would like you to see him in his office)

2. Verbs of attitude (to like, to dislike, to love, to hate, cannot/could not bear). Those too can be followed only by non-perfect forms of the infin­itive (I can't bear people to be unhappy or upset)

3. Verbs of mental activity (to think, to suppose, to consider, to believe, to know, to find, to expect, to imagine, to understand, to assume, to acknowl­edge, to feel, to trust, etc.). After these verbs the infinitive may be used in any form, depending on the time relation between the two actions, although non-perfect forms are much more frequent. The majority of the verbs are usually followed by constructions with the verb to be (He believed Jennie to be playing in the garden)Note. If the action of the infinitive refers to the person denoted by the subject, the corresponding reflexive pronoun is used (I know myself to be rather slow)

4.Verbs of declaring (to declare, to report, to pronounce). With these all forms of the infinitive are possible, although here, too, non-perfect forms are most frequent (Everybody pronounced him to be a complete failure)

5. Verbs of inducement (to order, to command, to ask, to allow,etc.). With these verbs the obj. with the infinitive constructioncan have only the passive infinitive (She would not allow the life of the child to be risked)

The verbs of the second group, that is, those that are followed by a bare infinitive, belong to one semantic group only, namely that of sense perception (to see, to hear, to feel, to observe, to notice). Here onlynon-perfect active forms of the infinitive are used (We saw planes zoom into the air)

Note. After these verbs structures with the link verb TO BE are not used. Where the need arises, a subordinate clause is used (I saw that she was pretty)

The use of the Obj. with the Inf.Constr. as an Indirect Non-perfect Object

the objective with the infinitive construction may be used with a few verbs as their indirect non-recipient object. These verbs are to wait (for), to rely (on), to listen (to), to look (for), to count (upon). All of them except the verb to listen take the infinitive with the particle to. With the verb to listen a bare infinitive is used (Can I really count upon him to undertake the job?)

The Objective with Participle 1 ConstructionThe objective with participle I construction can be used with verbs of three semantic groups, although with two of them it occurs very seldom. In all cases only non-perfect forms of participle I can be used. These groups are as follows:

1.Verbs of sense perception (the most important group)- There we saw the crocodiles swimming about.

2.Verbs of wish.These verbs combine with the construction only occa­sionally (Nobody wanted him going there alone)

3. The causative verbs to have and to get(He got them running his errands every day)The Objective with Participle II Construction

The objective with participle II construction can be attached to verbs of four semantic groups:

1. Verbs of sense perception (I heard my name echoed in the distance)

2. A few verbs of mental activity (to think, to believe, to consider, to remember) -At first she thought Johnny killed

3. Verbs of wish (Nobody wanted it done in such a way)

4. The causative verbs TO HAVE and TO GET.With these verbs the con­struction means that the action of participle II is done for the benefit of the person expressed by the subject.

How do you think the men vould have their wounds dressed, get themselves washed, have their beds made if nobody worked on a Sun­day?

The objective with participle construction attached to the verbs of this group cannot be transformed into object clauses because these verbs do not allow of object that-clause.

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 952