167
11
Multiple Verb Complements
A complement is any grammatical structure or structures required by a verb to make a valid sen-
tence. In this chapter we will examine nine different verb complements that contain two compo-
nents. Since it is easy to get all the complements and terms confused, we will briefl y list and label
them all (with an example) before going into any detailed descriptions:
1. Indirect object ϩ direct object
IO DO
Jane gave the boss her report.
2. Object ϩ noun phrase complement
Obj NP Comp
Ralph considers his boss a fool.
3. Object ϩ adjective complement
Obj Adj Comp
Ralph considers his boss foolish.
4. Object ϩ adverb of place
Obj Adv of Pl
I put the box on the table.
5. Object ϩ that clause
Obj that clause
I told him that his plan was very risky.
6. To phrase ϩ that clause
to phrase that clause
I mentioned to him that we needed to leave soon.
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168 Verb Phrases
7. Object ϩ infi nitive
Obj Inf
Ralph expected the office to be empty on a Sunday morning.
8. Object ϩ base form

8. Let’s fi x her a nice dinner for her birthday.
9. Last year we sold the Johnston company about a thousand laser-jet printers.
10. Her great uncle left me a small bequest in his will.
11. We saved you a piece of birthday cake.
12. The car dealership loaned us a car while ours is in the shop.
13. We should write them a nice thank-you note for their gift.
14. Please get me all the current invoices.
15. We should show the visitors the new art gallery.
Nearly all complements that have an indirect object ϩ direct object complement have an
alternative form that functions as a paraphrase of the original form. We can imagine this para-
phrase taking place as a two-step process: (1) the indirect object is turned into a prepositional
phrase using to or for, and (2) the direct object is then moved in front of the prepositional phrase.
Here are examples of how this to/for paraphrase transforms the original IO ϩ DO complements:
Prep
IO DO DO phrase
Jane gave the boss her report. ⇒ Jane gave her report to the boss.
Prep
IO DO DO phrase
John got the kids a pizza. ⇒ John got a pizza for the kids.
It is reasonably easy to predict which verbs take to and which take for. In general, to is
used to describe something being transferred from one person to another, either physically or
metaphorically.
Here are some examples of a physical transfer:
Prep
IO DO DO Phrase
I gave them the books. ⇒ I gave the books to them.
Prep
IO DO DO Phrase
We loaned the neighbors our truck. ⇒ We loaned our truck to the neighbors.
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for selecting to or for.
IO DO DO Prep Phrase
Jane sent her boss an e-mail at work. ⇒ Jane sent an e-mail to her boss at work.
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Multiple Verb Complements 171
1. My brother teaches college-prep high school seniors advanced calculus.
2. Please order me a toasted bagel with cream cheese.
3. I offered a friend a lift to the train station.
4. Could you read the kids a bedtime story before it gets too late?
5. I did him a big favor once.
6. Pass us some plates and silverware, will you?
7. We should give the people working at the desk a short break.
8. Let’s fi x her a nice dinner for her birthday.
9. Last year we sold the Johnston company about a thousand laser-jet printers.
10. Her great uncle left me a small bequest in his will.
11. We saved you a piece of birthday cake.
12. The car dealership loaned us a car while ours is in the shop.
13. We should write them a nice thank-you note for their gift.
14. Please get me all the current invoices.
15. We should show the visitors the new art gallery.
If both the indirect object and the direct objects are pronouns, then the to/for paraphrase is
obligatory in American English (but not in all dialects of British English). For example:
Prep
IO DO DO phrase
X The company gave them it. ⇒ The company gave it to them.
Prep
IO DO DO phrase
X My parents got them it. ⇒ My parents got it for them.
Exercise 11.3
Replace both the indirect and direction objects with pronouns, and then apply the to/for para-

Adj
Obj Comp
Ralph considers his boss foolish.
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Multiple Verb Complements 173
In both sentences, the object complement refers back to the object:
his boss ϭ a fool (noun phrase complement)
his boss ϭ foolish (adjective complement)
Here are some more examples of noun phrase complements:
Obj ϭ NP Comp
The Supreme Count declared George Bush president.
Obj ϭ NP Comp
I pronounce you husband and wife.
Obj ϭ NP Comp
Politicians always believe themselves great natural leaders.
One of the problems with object complements is that they look so much like the more com-
mon indirect objects in an indirect object ϩ direct object complement construction. Both object
complements and direct objects follow other noun phrases. How can we tell them apart?
We can easily tell them apart because in an object complement sentence, the person or object
in the object complement must be the same person or object as the preceding noun (the object).
In an indirect object ϩ direct object sentence, they are never the same person or object. Compare
the following two sentences:
Obj NP Comp
Object ϩ noun phrase complement: The outcome made John a happy man.
John ϭ a happy man
IO DO
Indirect object ϩ direct object: The kids made John a birthday present.
John  a birthday present
A second way to tell them apart is to use the to/for paraphrase. This paraphrase will work for
indirect object ϩ direct object complements, but it will never work for object ϩ object comple-