I agree with Linda that the infinitive phrase functions adverbially to
modify "conducted." An objective complement basically renames or
describes the direct object in the same way a subjective complement
renames or describes the subject. In fact, a good test for the OC is to
see if you can insert "to be" between the DO and what you might think is
an OC. If you can, and the sentence makes sense, then what you have is
a DO and OC. For example, "The governor appointed Jones chair of the
committee" or "The governor appointed Jones (to be) chair of the
committee."
Another indicator that the DO and OC have the same relationship as the
subject and the SC is that an OC will turn into an SC in a passive voice
construction. Compare "Jones was appointed chair of the committee by
the governor" and "Jones is chair of the committee." The OC in active
voice "completes" the idea of the DO. In the passive voice, the word
"chair" still completes the idea of "Jones," but now "Jones" has become
the subject of the sentence; thus "chair" becomes an SC.
Clinton Atchley, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English
Box 7652
1100 Henderson Street
Henderson State Univeristy
Arkadelphia, AR 71999
Phone: 870.230.5276
Email: [log in to unmask]
Web: http://www.hsu.edu/atchlec
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Alison Cochrane
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 5:30 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: explain object complement?
Linda
I would say that it is an infinitive phrase acting as an adverb of
reason, answering why the experiment was conducted.
Alison Cochrane
Queensborough Community College
New York, NY
"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up
where I needed to be. "
~ Kahlil Douglas Adams
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