Lesson 3b

Complementation of verbs and adjectives - Introduction

 

Complementation = the grammatical patterns that follow a verb or adjective and complete the meaning that these words (verbs or adjectives) imply

 

Multi-word verbs

= generally speaking, they consist of a lexical verb + a particle

- particle = either an adverb or a preposition used in ‘multi-word verbs’

- three main subgroups can be distinguished (depending on the type of particle):

1. phrasal verbs = the particle is an adverb (e.g. find out, set up)

2. prepositional verbs = the particle is a preposition (e.g. look at, deal with)

3. phrasal-prepositional verbs = there are two particles, an adverb followed by a preposition (e.g. put up with, get away with)

 x

We have to distinguish between multi-word verbs and free combinations. In free combinations, the individual parts have separate meanings and are loosely connected.

 

Intransitive phrasal verbs

= verb + adverb particle, e.g.: 

The plane has just taken off.

She showed up unexpectedly.

Sheila and her sister often fall out.

 

In phrasal verbs such as fall out = quarrel, we cannot predict the meaning of the idiomatic combination from the meaning of verb and adverb particle in isolation.

X

In free combinations (e.g. walk past), we can do so + the semantic separability of the two parts is shown by possible substitutions: for walk we can substitute, for example, run, trot, swim, fly, etc. and for past, e.g. in, through, by, over, etc.; to add, the adverb in a free combination can have an intensifying force (e.g. chatter away) or an aspectual force (e.g. eat up).

 

Another difference between phrasal verbs and free combinations is of syntactic nature:

The particle of a phrasal verb cannot be separated from the lexical verb, e.g.:

She showed right up.

They fall often out.

and cannot be fronted, e.g.:

Up she showed. 

Out they fell.

X

The particle of a free combination can be separated from the lexical verb, e.g.:

Go straight on.

and can be fronted, e.g.:

Out came the sun.

 

Transitive phrasal verbs

= phrasal verbs which take a direct object, e.g.:

Someone turned off the light.

They’re bringing up three children.

 

- the particle (an adverb) can either precede or follow the direct object, e.g.:

She turned off the light.    OR    She turned the light off.

 

- however, when the object is a personal pronoun, the particle must usually follow the object, e.g.:

She turned it off. (NOT She turned off it.)

 

- the particle will normally precede the object if the object is long, or if the object should receive end-focus, e.g.:

She turned off the new lamp placed in the corner.

 

Like intransitive phrasal verbs, transitive phrasal verbs are also distinguished semantically from free combinations, e.g.:

He took in his parents. = He deceived his parents. = phrasal verb

He took in the box. = He brought the box inside. = free combination

 

Prepositional verbs – Type I

= these verbs consist of a lexical verb followed by a preposition with which it is semantically and/or syntactically associated, e.g.:

Look at these paintings.

I have to deal with this problem.

 

The noun phrase following the preposition is a prepositional object, and can be compared to direct object; thus, for instance, the passive can be used with prepositional verbs, when the prepositional object becomes the passive subject, e.g.:

These paintings were looked at by many people.

This problem has to be dealt with.

- it is possible to insert an adverbial between the lexical verb and the preposition, e.g.:

They looked disdainfully at the paintings.

- we can also isolate the whole prepositional phrase from the verb in other ways, e.g.:

At what or at whom did they look?

They looked at the paintings and at the furniture.

 

The distinction between prepositional verbs and free combinations

1. One way in which we can distinguish prepositional verbs, e.g.

He called on Katherine last night.

from free combinations of verb + preposition, e.g.

He called after breakfast.

is the possibility of making the prepositional object (in the construction ‘prepositional verbs’) the subject of a corresponding passive clause. Compare:

Katherine was called on last night.

X

Breakfast was called after.

 

2. wh- questions eliciting the prepositional object (in ‘prepositional verbs’) are formed with the pronouns who(m) and what (as with direct objects), whereas in free combinations adverbial questions are used. Compare:

Jack called on her. – Who(m) did Jack call on? = prepositional verb

Tim looked for it. – What did Tim look for? = prepositional verb

X

Jack called from the office. – Where did Jack call from? = free combination

Tim called after lunch. – When did Tim call? = free combination

 

The distinction between prepositional verbs and phrasal verbs

1. the particle of a prepositional verb (i.e. a preposition) must precede the prepositional object, but the particle of a phrasal verb (i.e. an adverb) can generally precede or follow the direct object:

prepositional verb: She looked at the picture. (NOT possible: She looked the picture at.)

x

phrasal verb: She looked up that word in a dictionary. OR She looked that word up in a dictionary.

 

2. when the object is a personal pronoun, the pronoun follows the particle of a prepositional verb but precedes the particle of a phrasal verb:

prepositional verb: She looked at it. (NOT possible: She looked it at.)

x

phrasal verb: She looked it up in a dictionary. (NOT possible: She looked up it in a dictionary.)

 

3. an adverb (functioning as adjunct) can often be inserted between verb and particle in prepositional verbs, but not in phrasal verbs:

prepositional verb: She looked angrily at the picture.

x

phrasal verb: NOT possible: She looked angrily up that word in a dictionary.

 

4. the particle of a phrasal verb cannot precede a relative pronoun or wh- interrogative:

prepositional verb: The picture at which she looked.

                              At which picture did she look?

x

phrasal verb: NOT possible: The word up which she looked in a dictionary.

                                            Up which word did she look in a dictionary?

 

5. the particle of a phrasal verb is normally stressed X the particle of a prepositional verb is normally unstressed:

prepositional verb: Which picture did she LOOK at? X phrasal verb: Which word did she look UP?

 

Prepositional verbs – Type II

= ditransitive verbs, followed by two noun phrases, normally separated by the preposition: the second noun phrase is the prepositional object, e.g.:

Tom thanked me for the gift.

They have provided us with a map of the area.

The direct object becomes the subject in the corresponding passive clause:

They have provided us with a map of the area.

-> We were provided with a map of the area.

 

Phrasal-prepositional verbs

= in addition to the lexical verb, they have both an adverb and a preposition as particles

Type I:

- these have only a prepositional object:

I’m looking forward to your party next Sunday.

I’m too tired to put up with any nonsense.

Type II:

- these are ditransitive verbs = they require two objects, the second of which is the prepositional object:

I’ll let you in on a secret.

Don’t take it out on me!

 

Other multi-word verb constructions

= idiomatic verb constructions such as:

1. verb – adjective combinations:

- similar to phrasal verbs, e.g.:

She put the cloth straight.

Lucy put the cat out.

Other examples: break even, plead guilty, lie low

2. verb – verb combinations:

- the second verb is nonfinite, and may be either:

a) an infinitive:

She will have to make do with an old car.

b) a participle, with or without a following preposition:

I’d better get going. You should get rid of him.

3. verbs with two prepositions:

= a further variant on prepositional verbs:

It developed from a small club into a mass organization.

Similarly: struggle with N for N, compete with N for N, talk to N about N. – normally, either one or both prepositional phrases can be omitted.

 

References:

Greenbaum, S., & Quirk, R. (1990) A Student’s Grammar of the English Language. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited, pp. 336-343.

Chalker, S. (1992) A Student’s English Grammar Workbook. Harlow: Addison Wesley Longman Limited, exercises 157 - 159.