MORPHOLOGY-SYNTAX

CHAPTER 12: SOME SYNTACTIC DETAILS

COMPLEMENT
1.1 Complement of Adjectives

I fear that they are lost. NC/ DO/ Nal

I am fearful that they are lost. NC/Complement of Adj/ Nal
He was hopeful of a change. PP/ Complement of Adj/ Nal
He was hesitant to see her. Inf.P/ Complement of Adj./ Nal
I am happy that you are here. NC/Complement of Adj/ Nal
1.2 Complement of Noun

Clause as a complement of the noun

I fear that they are lost. NC/DO/Nal
My fear that they are lost came true.
NC/Comp of noun/Nal
 Infinitive Phrase as a complement of the noun
Her decision to tell the truth.
Some nouns that take a complement: refusal, desire, intention, promise, hope
Complement of noun: His refusal to submit without a fight was courageous.
Postnominal modifier: He was not a man to submit without a fight.

Complement of noun : His desire to consider the motion was thwarted

Postnominal modifier: The next thing to consider is the stage set.
Notes:
The noun complement clauses give us central information about the head
noun (what exactly the noun is), while the relative clauses tell something
else about it, something more peripheral.
1.3 Complement in –ing and to

• He wanted to stop trying to postpone working.

THE EXPLETIVE IT

The expletive it: “dummy’. It takes the place of the real subject,
which follows later in the sentence as in
It is nice that you could come.
It is hard to see the difference.