Subjective predicative constructions with non-verbal (nominal) second parts

These constructions structurally belong to the same type of subjective predicative constructions, but semantically they are different from those with verbal parts, because the second part of the predicate being a noun or an adjective denotes anew quality or state acquired as a result of the action or denote judgement, opinion of the quality. Because of its meaning the nominal part is sometimes called a subjective predicative.

The door was paintedgreen.

Suddenlythe door was flungopen.

Some verbs require the second part of the predicate with the preposition as.

The plan was declaredas ridiculous and absurd.

The list of verbs used in these constructions partly coincides with verbs mentioned above as preceding the infinitive. Their number is limited.

The following verbs are used in the passive voice:

1.Verbs of mental perception (to accept, to believe, to think, to consider, to expect, to presume, to estimate, to regard, to suppose, etc.); also verbs ofsaying andreporting (to declare, to describe, to call, to say, to report).

Heis believed as honest as anyone here.

The girlwas thought clever.

The planis considered impractical.

Hewas called ‘rising’, ‘promising’ before.

2.Verbs implying that the result of the action will be a new quality, state, orreaction. These verbs are rather numerous and fall into several subclasses:

A. Verbs withcausative meaning (to make, to render)

The roomwas made comfortable for the child.

He was made a knight.

The audiencewere rendered speechless by these words.

B.Verbs denoting an action resulting in the change of colour

(to paint, to tinge, to dye, to stain, to dust, etc.).

The wallswere painted light pink.

Her hairwas dyed red.

After staying on the beach an hour his skinwas tinged pink.

His carhad been dusted grey by the journey over bad roads.

С.Verbs 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) to mark, etc.); also to train, to bring up, which acquire the meaning of “the change of social status” only in this construction.

He was appointed secretary of the state.

The childwas christened Fernando.

The road to the estatewas marked private.

The boyhad been brought up as a Catholic.

D.Verbs implying movement to a different position or state (to bring, to fling, to set, to tear, etc.).

All the windowswere flung open.

The little birdwas set free.

The envelopewas torn open.

The objective predicative constructions*

* This construction is often called the complex object.

§ 124. The objective predicative construction functions asa complex object. It consists of a nominal part and a part which stands in subject-predicate relations to the first part. The nominal part is a noun or a noun-pronoun in the common case or a personal pronoun in the objective case. The second element of the construction is a verbal (an infinitive, participle I, participle II) or non-verbal (an adjective or a noun). Accordingly the following objective construction can be distinguished:

I. The objective with the infinitive construction:

I sawNick take your book.

We hatehim to go away.

II. The objective with participle I (or participle II) construction:

They heardsomebody knocking at the door.

We foundhim murdered in his own house.

III. The objective with a non-verbal part construction:

I never thoughther clever.

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