Michael Kischner wrote:

>In my original inquiry, I used "complement" to designate all of the
>verb-completers named in most traditional grammars, including direct
>objects and indirect objects as well as complements with "complement" in
>their names.  Surely direct objects and indirect objects do not "specify a
>trait of some entity."  So, given that "complement" is widely used as an
>umbrella term for different kinds of verb-completer, I am asking if
>adverbs of time/place used with BE cannot also crowd under the embrella.
>


Having hung out in linguistics halls, I'm personally not familiar with
calling "all of the verb completers named in most traditional grammars,
including direct objects and indirect objects as complements. "

Back on the valence type approach, I'm accustomed to referring to a verb as
an n-ary argument structure -- that is, a verb takes 1, 2, 3 arguments. And
that these arguments (1 NP subject argument for intransitive verbs -- like
in "Dakota sleeps"; 1 NP subject and 1 NP object as in garden variety
transitives -- "Jami planted 400 tulips"; or 3 arguments as in "Jami
painted the door aubergine".

In this latter, 'paint' could simply be a 2 argument verb (Jami painted the
door), but is used as a three argument verb (J. painted the door aubergine).

Well, like obviously.

I guess I'm concerned about calling NP subjects, NP Direct objects, and all
that stuff 'complements', even if it is traditionally done so. In that the
term 'complement' has become more specifically relativized to the final
term in "paint the barn teal" or "We made Jami president".

Seems to me that if we call all those things complements, then we've gutted
the more useful (in my book), constrastive, specific meaning of the term,
complement.

So, back on Michael's question, "can the post verbal elements of BE be
called complements" -- seems reasonable. But even so, I just would NOT call
Direct Objects, or Indirect objects complements.

and now, I'M OFFLINE FOR A WEEK, TRIP TO VIRGINIA to buy a house.
Back Marh 18th.


:)
rebecca


>On Tue, 9 Mar 1999, rebecca s. wheeler wrote:
>
>> Johanna brings up good examples, pointing out that Nouns can perform
>> the function of adverbs or adverbials.
>>
>>
>> Max Morenberg (Doing Grammar, 1997 Oxford U. Press) might render this
>> as follows:
>>
>>
>> NP:S BE NP:Advplace
>>
>>
>> which might be translated as an Noun Phrase performing the work of
>> subject + a form of the verb BE + a Noun Phrase performing the work of
>> an adverb of place.
>>
>>
>>
>> John Kirchner wrote regarding the following:
>>
>>
>> >John is here.
>>
>> >John is in the kitchen.
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> >Would I be drummed out of the profession if I called that adverb a
>>
>> >complement because it completes its verb  as much as  subject
>> complements
>>
>> >or direct objects complete their verbs?
>>
>> >When is the exam?
>>
>> >The exam is Thursday.
>>
>> >The exam is next week.
>>
>>
>> Alternatively, and again, quoting Morenberg, he notes that "some
>> grammarians classify the adjectives, nouns and adverbs that follow BE
>> as SUBJECTIVE COMPLEMENT." (p. 14).
>>
>>
>> So, I would agree with Michael that one might call "thursday" or "in
>> June" a  complement, but for a reason different than he suggests.
>>
>>
>> I think the "complement" classification comes not because it "completes
>> the verb", but because it specifies a trait of some entity, itself, or
>> renames that entity as in
>>
>>
>> I consider my dog very smart
>>
>>
>> Thus,  'my dog' is Noun Phrase functioning as Object. and "very smart"
>> is an adjective phrase functioning as Object complement.  Thus "very
>> smart" is a trait of the dog itself.
>>
>>
>> If you think of it, <italic>most</italic>  post verbal nouns "complete
>> the verb" in some sense, so that wouldn't distinguish NPs functioning
>> as Direct Objects, from NPs functioning as Complements (as in I
>> consider my dog the best dog on the block) (where 'the best dog on the
>> block' is a NP functioning as Object complement).
>>
>>
>> So, I'd agree with the 'complement' possibility but suggest a different
>> 'why'.
>>
>>
>>
>> :)
>>
>>
>> rebecca
>>
>


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