sentence patterns - Object or Complement


The professor wants to retire. Here 'to retire' is used as object or complement?
Also, in "The man gave Amy some good advice" Is 'some good advice' an object or complement?



Answer



In The professor wants to retire, to retire is the verb in an Infinitive Object Complement Clause. That means that it is a clause, with an infinitive verb, that functions as the Direct Object of the verb wants.


Complement clauses are noun clauses that can be either subjects or objects; there are four kinds in English: infinitives, gerunds, embedded questions, or tensed That-clauses. This is the only way I ever use the term.


Other than this use, complement is a term that is used with a wide variety of meanings. Since most of these meanings add no more information than "something that completes a phrase or clause", they're mostly unhelpful and are best avoided.


The subject of the complement clause is deleted because it's identical with the subject of want (The professor), and want is a verb that governs A-Equi.


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