Complex complex subject in English. Compound subject in English

In the process of learning English, many people encounter certain difficulties. This is due to the fact that the Russian language often lacks grammatical phenomena inherent in a foreign language. In English, examples of this include: auxiliary verbs, Complex Object, the rule of one negation in a sentence, 26 categories of tenses, passive voice, complex subject, etc.

Complex addition. Formulation formula and use

This grammatical phenomenon is a construction consisting of a noun in the general case (or a pronoun in the objective case) and In Russian, this language complex is translated by a subordinate clause, in which the noun is the subject, and the infinitive is the predicate:

My mother would like me to enter the Institute. - My mother would like me to go to college.

This construction has no analogues in the Russian language. And yet, many Russian schoolchildren easily master this grammatical phenomenon. And the design is actually convenient and compact in terms of linguistic form.

Complex Object. Verbs

The complex object in English is used with such groups of verbs.

Verbs expressing desire and need - to want, to wish, to desire, would like. For example:
My wife wishes me to get a promotion. - My wife dreams of me getting a promotion.
- My mum desires us to go to the sea as quickly as possible. - My mother really wants us all to go to the sea together as soon as possible.
Verbs expressing awareness, knowledge - to think, to know, to report. For example:
He thought me to have given back this thing. - He thought I returned the thing.
- Mike knows me to be a lazy bone. - Mike knows I'm lazy.
Verbs expressing expectation - to believe, to expect, to suppose. For example:
I expected her to the better results. “I expected her to have better results.”
- John always believed his wife to be the fairest woman in the world. - John always believed that his wife was the most honest woman in the world.
- Do you suppose her to have solved the problems? - Do you think she solved all the problems?
Verbs expressing order, coercion - to order (to order). For example:
The doctor ordered me to take a pill twice a day. - The doctor ordered me to take a pill twice a day.

Examples of using constructions without the particle to

In the case of using the phenomenon The Complex Object with verbs of perception (to see - to look, to hear - to hear, to notice - to notice, to watch - to observe, to observe - to explore), the to particle is omitted:

I see her go out. - I saw her leave the house.
I see her going out - I saw her leaving the house.

In the last example, the verb is used in the form of a gerund, which gives a different meaning to the sentence. If in the first case the person observed a one-time action (left the house), then in the second example a certain process is indicated, expressed using a verb ending in -ing.

For better understanding, it is best to compare the following pairs of examples:

I noticed her enter the room. - I noticed how she entered the room.
I noticed her entering the room. - I noticed how she entered the room.
He heard Fred go upstairs. - He heard Fred come up the stairs.
He heard Fred going upstairs. - He heard Fred coming up the stairs.

Thus, with the help of a complex addition, both a one-time action and a specific process can be expressed. Often, when translated into Russian, this connection is barely perceptible.

If the verbs to see, to hear are used in the meaning of “understand”, then in this case there is no need to use Complex Object. The rule for using a complex object does not apply in this case. The example must be translated using a subordinate clause.

I saw that she had a desire to go away. “I understood that she wanted to leave.”

Using a complex object with the verbs to cause, to make, to let

It is also necessary to remember a number of verbs denoting prohibition or permission ( to let - allow, to make - force, to have - dispose, to cause - cause, force), with which Complex Object is used without the to particle:

In my childhood my mum never let me walk until I did my homework. - As a child, my mother never allowed me to go for a walk until I did my homework.
Don’t make me do these terrible things! - Don't make me do these terrible things!
You cause her think as you do! - You are imposing your opinion on her! (You make her think the same way as you).

Complex complement and temporary category

In the Complex Object construction, the infinitive can be used in various tense forms, for example:

Active voice. When I was little, my mum never let me go alone. - When I was little, my mother did not let me go alone.
Passive voice. My father would like me to be taken in the region football team. - My dad wants me to be accepted into the regional football team. I have never known my sister have been punished. - I have never seen my sister punished.
Perfect forms. Only my friend knew me to have flunked. - Only my friend knew that I failed the exam.
Continuous forms. Ann watched the old lady walking around the house. - Ann watched the old woman walking around the house. I heard Alice speaking in a whisper. - I heard Alice talking to someone in a whisper.

Perfect forms of a complex object: when to use?

The Perfect group times are one of the biggest difficulties for Russian students. The confusing system of “present + past = complete” is not at all beneficial for those who study English: for some it is so difficult and incomprehensible that it is easier for them to abandon their studies than to move into the depths of grammar. And if we are also talking about a complex of perfect tenses and a complex complement, you should not put off studying this phenomenon for a long time. In fact, everything is very simple. In sentences of this type, the perfect expresses an action that occurred before the event in the main sentence, for example:

Alice expected me to have found a job. - Alice expected me to find a job.

The translation of this sentence takes into account the perfect (an action that occurred earlier than the main one), expressed by the formula: to have + Ved/3 (a verb with the ending -ed, if it belongs to the group of regular verbs, or in the 3rd form, if it is from the category of irregular ones) .

Special cases of using complex complement

This construction expresses an action performed at the request of another person.

Bill wants to have his hair cut. - Bill wants to get his hair cut. (In other words, at his request, the hairdresser will perform this procedure.)
Nick is going to have his car repaired. - Nick is going to fix the car. (That is, they will fix it for him at a car service.)
Nina has her grandmother taken care of while she works. - Nina’s grandmother is looked after while she works.
We want to have our furniture cleaned because it has become shabby.- We want to have our furniture cleaned because it is completely worn out.
I had my sweater knitted yesterday. - I knitted myself a sweater yesterday. (That is, it was made at the request of the girl herself.)
Mary wanted to have her dress made of wool. - Mary wants her dress to be made of wool.

Complex addition. Exercises aimed at training a skill

To develop the skill of competent use of Complex Object, the exercises given below are performed after studying the previous examples.

Translate into Russian.
I have never heard him speak French.
She wants him to marry her.
Did you expect me to have gone?
Marry had her baby looked after when she was ill.
I knew her to have graduated from the most prestigious University of our region.
Expand the brackets using the construction you have learned (Complex Object grammar rule).
Everybody considered (he, die).
Milly has never desired (her daughter, become) an actress.
She watched (he, water) the flowers.
Translate into English.
Everyone heard her arguing with her husband.
Mike thought I was already home.
Mom often makes me do homework.
Did you really expect him to leave her?
The doctor does not allow me to break bed rest.

To develop the skill of using Complex Object, the sentences and the above examples must be carefully worked out.

Complex subject

In English there is another construction similar to a complex object - Complex Subject. A syntactic phenomenon is a complex of a subject, expressed by a noun or pronoun, and an infinitive.

This old man was said to be seriously ill. - They say that this old man is seriously ill.

As can be seen from the example, the noun is connected to the infinitive by an additional link in the passive voice. This part of the syntax can be expressed like this:

to be supposed to - assume that;
to be heard to - hear that;
to be believed to - believe that;
to be known to - it is known that;
to be announced to - announce that;
to be expected - expect that.

Note: The linking verb to be changes according to the tense category of the sentence and the number of the noun.

Examples:

He is known as a world-famous dancer. - It is known that he is a world-famous dancer.
Ann was believed to pass English exams. - They believed that Anna would pass the exam in English.
The President is expected to make some political changes. - They expect the president to make some policy changes.
The Apocalypses was supposed to have been in 2012 according to Maya Calendar. - It was assumed that the end of the world would come in 2012 in accordance with the Mayan calendar.
Mary is heard to get married. - We heard that Mary is getting married.

Complex Subject and Temporal Forms

Complex Subject can use any of the infinitive forms, including active or passive voice, perfect forms or continuous forms.

The dog is said to be found in the forest. - They said that the dog was found in the forest.
Boys were announced to have won the sport competition. - They announced that the boys had won the sport competition.
She was supposed to have left the country. - It was assumed that she left the country.
The book was known to have been published several times. - It is known that the book was reprinted several times.

Complex subject in active voice form

In addition to the above constructions used in Passive Voice, Complex Subject can be used with the verbs to seem, to appear, to turn out, to happen in the Active Voice form:

This man seems to be a stealer. - It seems this man is a thief.
Ann didn’t seem to have realized anything. “Mary didn’t seem to understand anything.”
Did he happen to meet you? - Has he, by any chance, met you before?
This pompous woman appeared to be very conversable. - It turned out that this artsy woman is very sociable.
John appeared to have left for Moscow the day before. - It turned out that John left for Moscow yesterday.
The test turned out to be difficult for each person of my group. - It turned out that the test was difficult for everyone in my group.

To fully understand the rules for using Complex Subject, you need to familiarize yourself with the constructions to be sure to and to be likely to.

Dad is sure to repair the bike. - Dad will definitely fix the bike.
Ann is likely to miss the train. - Anya will probably be late for the train.

How to Master Complex Subject

Just as in the case of Complex Object, exercises for practicing the false subject are developed in a sequence from training to productive (i.e. translation).

Translate from English into Russian (translate from English into Russian):
Don’t try to argue with him: he is supposed to know everything.
The book is considered to have been lost. Fortunately, I found it.
Don’t criticize my appearance! I’m believed to become a model!
Arrange the sentence and translate into Russian (arrange the words in the sentence in the correct order and translate).
The girl, won, considered, is, in, competition, the.
Sure, Dad, to repair, is the bike.
You, did, he, to, happen, meet?
Translate from Russian into English (translate from Russian into English).
Mary seemed to be in love.
It became known that Bart had gone missing yesterday evening.
Mom will definitely help you with your homework.
The baby is expected to be born in winter.
He's counting on me to give in.
Your hair is sloppy. You need to get your hair cut.

Complex Object - conversational trait

When starting to learn a language for the purpose of using it for everyday communication, many people believe that knowledge of grammatical basics is completely useless. But mastery of lexical units is not the same as the ability to speak. Rather, such a person performs the function of a “walking dictionary”, finding the translation of a lexeme at the right moment. Communication in English is the ability to connect your thoughts together and express them in a foreign language. And grammar is precisely the link that allows you to correctly and logically present your ideas. This applies to both small footnote rules and entire grammatical systems. In this case, the need to study such phenomena as complex object and subject arises naturally. These grammatical forms are used both in newspaper periodicals, literary publications, and in colloquial speech. This is especially true for the use of Complex Object in English. The laconicism and brevity of its form allows the idea to be expressed most accurately and understandably for the recipient (the one who listens to the speaker). Complex Object is actively used in the lyrics of foreign songs, films, programs, etc.

Are complex subject and passive voice the same thing?

Those who are more or less familiar with English grammar were able to discern the similarity between these two constructions. Indeed, to form the form of a complex subject, excellent knowledge of the algorithm for forming the passive is required. is a grammatical phenomenon that is used to indicate the impact on the subject in a sentence, for example:

The house is fired. - The house is on fire.

As can be seen from this sentence, the home is exposed to fire. This is the passive voice. In this grammatical phenomenon, animate nouns can also act as subjects, for example:

The girl is punished. - The girl was punished.

The form of the passive voice coincides with the “framing” of the complex subject:

The girl is said to quit the country. - They say that the girl left the country.

Attention! The passive voice and the complex subject coincide only in their external form! The translation of these structures will be different!

Then why is this comparison necessary? This is necessary for Complex Subject to be actively absorbed in speech. Knowing the basics of forming the passive, you can easily create forms of a complex subject in oral speech, without resorting to the help of a pen and a piece of paper.

Thus, Complex Subject, Complex Object are linguistic phenomena that are not inherent in the Russian language. It seems that the many nuances and foreignness of the design complicate the process of mastering the rule. There's really nothing complicated about it. The main thing is to be sure to practice primary skills by completing training exercises, and then move on to the direct use of these complexes in speech.

Complex Subject Construction- is considered one of the advanced constructions and, if you know it and use it in your speech, this already indicates your good knowledge of the English language. Here is an example of a sentence with this construction - complex subject. Which translation will you choose?

But, it doesn’t matter whether you answered correctly or not, you should still repeat this construction. This is what we will do now.

Complex Subject (table No. 1)

Table No. 2 contains 12 Common Expressions in Complex Subject into Russian. These 12 expressions must be learned.

The table, as well as the exercises below, are taken from a wonderful grammar book. Author Yu. Golitsynsky.

Exercises on Complex Subject (for advanced students, difficulty level 3)

Exercise 1. Rework 12 expressions from table No. 2 so that they are in the present tense.

Exercise 2. Translate into Russian, paying attention to the complex subject.

1. Not said to know all about it. 2. He was said to have known the whole truth about it. 3. Juri Gagarin is known to be the first man in the world to travel into space on the 12th of April, 1961. 4. He is supposed to be a very good film actor. 5. He believed to be innocent of the crime. 6. Innocent people were announced to have been murdered by terrorists. 7. The terrorist was announced to have been killed by his own bomb. 8. The exhibition of 19th century French painting is expected to open by the end of next week. 9. Monet’s painting is reported to be on exhibition until the end of the month. 10. The President of Russia was reported to speak to the nation on television tonight. 11. The American astronaut Neil Armstrong is known to be the first man to walk on the moon. 12. He was said to be one of the most promising nuclear physicists. 13. He is said to be a good translator. 14. Roberta was known to be an honest and hard-working girl. 15. Clyde was expected to arrive at the weekend.

Exercise 3. Rephrase the following sentences using a compound subject.

EXAMPLE. People consider the climate there to be very healthy. = The climate there is considered to be very healthy (complex subject).

1. People consider the climate there to be very healthy. 2. It was announced that the Chinese dancers were arriving next week. 3. It is expected that the performance will be a success. 4. It is said that the book is popular with both old and young. 5. It is believed that the poem was written by an unknown soldier. 6. It is supposed that the playwright is working at a new comedy. 7. It is reported that the flood has caused much damage to the crops. 8. It was supposed that the crops would be rich that year. 9. It has been found that this mineral water is very good for the liver. 10. Scientists consider that electricity exists throughout space. 11. It is said that the weather in Europe was exceedingly hot last summer. 12. It was reported that five ships were missing after the battle.

Exercise 4. Translate into English using the Complex Subject construction.

It is said that this building was built in the 15th century.
The meeting is expected to end at 10 o'clock.
We never expected the cold weather to arrive so early.
Of the three Brontë sisters, Charlotte is considered the most talented.
As you know, the English writer Voynich lived for several years in St. Petersburg and studied Russian literature.
Russian literature is believed to have influenced her work.
It is known that the Romans built good roads in the British Isles.
The poem Beowulf is believed to have been written in the 15th century.
Walter Scott is considered the creator of the historical novel.
It is reported that the expedition has reached its destination.
They believe they know more about it than they want to let on.
They say that he has been working on his invention for several years.
They say that this article has been translated into all languages of the world.
They are expected to win this match.

, “Complex Subject” is one of the infinitive phrases in the English language that allows you to make a complex sentence less cumbersome.

If you have tried to search for something about “Complex Subject” in the Russian-speaking or English-speaking sector of the Internet, then you know that this construction has many names: “The Nominative-with-the-infinitive Construction”, “The Subjective Infinitive Construction”, Complex Subject , Subjective infinitive phrase. Don't miss out on useful information because of this! Here's a live example of a sentence using "Complex Subject":

They are told to invest in the project (They say they are investing in this project).

The “Complex Object” design consists of the following elements.

1. The subject, in our example “They”, can be expressed either by a personal pronoun in the nominative case or by a noun in the general case.

2. Predicate. Pay attention to the example. In it it is “are told”, in addition to , in “Complex Subject” the role of the predicate can be taken on by an adjective with forms of the verb “to be”, as in the sentence “The bag is not likely to have been stolen” (It is unlikely that the bag was stolen , – ed.). It is also possible to use a verb in “Active Voice” – active voice.

3. The infinitive construction closes. In the first example it is “to invest”. It is necessary to say about it here that after the predicate in “Complex Subject” it can be used, if appropriate in accordance with other rules, any of the six types of infinitives existing in the English language: to invest, to have been invested, to be invested, to be investing , to have been investing. For example, if the meaning of “invested” was earlier than they started talking about it, then nothing prevents us from remaking our example in “Complex Subject” into a sentence of the following form:

They are told to have invested in the project (They say they invested in this project).

But let's talk a little more about the predicate. Specific groups of verbs are identified with which “Complex Subject” is used in one form or another. Their grammatical tense can be any, but if you come across a verb from these groups, then you need to use it in “Passive Voice”.

1. Verbs expressing knowledge/ignorance or awareness, indicating a statement.

These are such as: “to say” (to speak, – ed.), “to report” (to report, – ed.), “to think” (to know, – ed.), “to announce” (to report, – ed. .), “to know” (to know, – ed.).

Example: He is reported to know much about that difficult case (They say that he knows a lot about that case).

2. Verbs expressing assumption and reasoning.

This group includes the following: to suppose (to assume, - ed.), to consider (to believe, - ed.), to expect (to expect, - ed.), to ask (to ask a question, - ed.), to believe (believe - ed.).

Example: They were expected to come in the evening (They were expected to arrive in the evening).

3. Verbs of sensory perception.

This group is formed by the verbs: “to see” (to see, – ed.), “to hear” (to hear, – ed.), “to notice” (to note, – ed.), to watch (to watch, to observe, – ed. .), “to hear” (to hear – ed.).

Example: John was heard to lough friendly.

We have just talked about groups of verbs used in “Complex Subject” with “Passive Voice”, but there are verbs that, in construction with a Complex Subject, on the contrary, usually appear in the active voice: “to prove/to turn out (to turn out - ed.), “to happen” (to happen, – ed.), “to seem” (to seem, – ed.), “to appear” (to appear, – ed.).

Example: She seems to be reading (She seems to be reading).

In conclusion, it is necessary to say a few words about the translation into Russian of English sentences that have a complex subject. The problem here is that there is no direct analogue of this grammatical category in our language.

It is customary to make do with an impersonal subordinate clause: “They say he is at home,” “It is believed that birds descended from dinosaurs.” And one more thing: the elements of the “Complex Subject” construction do not form a single member of the sentence. In this sense, it is correct to talk about several members of a sentence included in one grammatical structure; in certain contexts this can be important.

Complex object and infinitive with particle To

I want you to help me. - I want you to help me.

Mother wants me to get good marks at school.– Mom wants me to get good grades at school.

We know him to speak Spanish well.– We know that he speaks Spanish well.

Would you like me to help you with Math?– Would you like me to help you with math?

The teacher expected the students to hand in the tests at once.– The teacher expected the students to pass the tests immediately.

I'd like you to smile. - I would like you to smile.

I would prefer you to return home by taxi. It's late– I would prefer that you return home by taxi. It's already late.

+ Advise, allow, beg, cause, command, compel, encourage, expect, forbid, force, get, hate, help, instruct, intend, invite, leave, love, mean, need, oblige, order, permit, prefer, recommend , remind, request, teach, tempt, trouble, want, warn, wish

Complex object + infinitive without particle to

to let - allow, to make - force, to have - dispose of, to cause - cause, force Important: in conjunction with these verbs, the particle to before the infinitive is omitted.

Don’t make me drink milk, I hate it!– Don’t make me drink milk, I hate it!

In my childhood my parents made me study to play the piano- As a child, my parents forced me to learn to play the piano.

Let the children play in the park, the weather is wonderful.– Let the children play in the park, the weather is great.

Don’t let her go there alone, she may get lost.“Don’t let her go there alone, she might get lost.”

You cause her think as you do!- You are imposing your opinion on her! (You make her think the same way as you).

Complex object after verbs of perception

Important: when used with verbs of perception, the particle to before the infinitive is omitted.

Jim saw her enter the train. - Jim saw her get on the train.

After verbs of perception, either the infinitive is used without the particle to,

or ing form of the verbThe difference is as follows:

If the object started and finished the action, that is, the action is completely completed,then the infinitive is used without the particle to (do),
If the object was in the process of action and the action is not completed,then the ing form is used (doing)

Let's compare two sentences:

I saw him open the window– action completed: window open. I saw him open the window

I saw how he opened the window - that is, I saw how the process itself took place: the window opened. The imperfect verb is used here: opened - what did you do? Therefore, in English the ing form of the verb will be used here: I saw him opening the window.

We saw her crossing the river - We saw her crossing the river.

I felt somebody touch my shoulder.“I felt someone touch me on the shoulder.

I didn’t notice him put the letter on the table.“I didn’t notice how he put the letter on the table.”

At the zoo we often watched monkeys playing in their cage.– At the zoo we often watched monkeys playing in their cage.

I often hear him playing the violin in his room.- I often hear him playing the violin in his room.

Verbs of assumption

The objective case with an infinitive is used after verbs expressing assumption, for example:

Think - to think, Believe - to believe, believe, Suppose - to believe, Know - to know, Consider - to consider, Find - to find, Expect - to expect.

In most cases, the infinitive in this version of the phrase is expressed as to be:

I consider my niece to be an intelligent girl.- I think my niece is a smart girl.

I suppose him to be much more capable than the previous candidate.“I believe he is much more capable than the previous candidate.”

I know Mr. Hill to be a pretty authoritarian figure.- I know that Mr. Hill is a very authoritarian figure.

Subjective infinitive phrase.

In the Russian language there is a type of impersonal sentences beginning with the words “they say”, “it is considered”, “they report”, for example: “They say that you play chess well.” In English, they correspond to sentences with Complex Subject. As in the phrase with a similar name Complex Object (complex object), the infinitive plays an important role in this construction.

The construction “nominative with infinitive” - Complex Subject - consists of a subject, an “introducing” verb and an infinitive.

Variants of sentences with Complex Subject can be divided into several groups depending on which verb is used as the predicate.

1. Verbs of knowledge and speech

know - to know, say - to speak, think - to think, state - to declare, report - to report, to report announce - to report

You are said to play chess very well.- They say that you play chess very well.

He is said to live abroad. - They say that he lives abroad.

New Orleans is known to be a fabulous city.- New Orleans is known as a delightful city.

He is reported to have a serious death.- It is reported that he has a serious illness.

The plan is announced not to be reliable.- It has been announced that the plan is unreliable.

2. Verbs expressing assumption, expectation

expect - to expect,believe - to believe, to believe, consider - to consider,suppose - to believe

The bank is believed to be robbed by its employee.- It is believed that the bank was robbed by its employee.

Your students are expected to pass the exam.- Your students are expected to pass the exam.

That photo is believed to be an evidence.- This photo is believed to be evidence.

The species are considered to co-exist.- It is believed that these individuals coexist.

Sentences with to suppose are a separate case, since there is a connotation of obligation; the phrase is discussed separately in the article “The phrase to be supposed to”.

3. Verbs of perception

hear - to hear, see - to see, notice - to notice

The ghost was seen to walk around the castle.- We saw a ghost walking around the castle

My cat was seen to chase a dog.- We saw my cat running after the dog.

The stag was heard to run away.- We heard the deer run away.

The player was noticed to cheat.- It was noticed that the player was cheating.

4. Collocations with adjectives

The complex subject is used with combinations “to be + adjective”, such as: be likely - likely, be unlikely - unlikely, be certain - definitely, undoubted, be sure - necessarily, for sure.

Lily is unlikely to win the party.- Lily is unlikely to win the game.

Bobby is likely to lose the match.- Bobby will most likely lose the match.

Aliens are unlikely to make contact with us. - It is unlikely that aliens will contact us.

The company is certain to make more money next year.- The company will definitely earn more money next year.

This car is sure to be expensive.- Surely this car is expensive.

With the combination to be sure there is a stable expression: Make (be) sure + infinitive.

Make sure can be translated as “be sure of something” or “be sure to do something.”

Make sure to take a plenty of water.- Be sure to take plenty of water.

Be sure to turn off the stove before you leave.- Be sure to turn off the stove before leaving.

In this turnover, a subordinate clause (underlined) can be used instead of an infinitive:

Make sure that nobody is watching.- Make sure no one is watching.

Make sure that you tried everything.- Convince that you tried everything.

5. Complex Subject and active verbs

In most cases, the predicate is expressed by a verb in the passive voice.

The exception is the verbs: seem - to appear, appear - to appear, look, appear, happen - to happen, to appear, prove - to appear, turn out - to appear. These verbs are used in the active voice.

The dress seems to be expensive.- The dress looks expensive.

She seems to be a nice person.- She seems like a good person.

The study appears to show a good result.- It seems that the study showed a good result.

A boy happened to witness the robbery.“It so happened that the boy witnessed the robbery.

Their fears proved to be founded.“It turned out that their fears were justified.

The player turned out to be a cheater.- The player turned out to be a fraudster.

Compex Subject and infinitive in different forms

The Complex Subject phrase can be combined with an infinitive in any form, although it is most often found with a simple infinitive in the active or passive voice. Let me remind you that there are six forms in total.

Complex object versus complex subject

(Complex Object vs Complex Subject)

In sentences with the construction [subject + verb + object + infinitive], with the same verbs and in the same form, the infinitive can be either part of the object or part of the subject:

I need you to help them.- I need you to help them. ( – complex addition)

I need you to help them.“I need you to help them.” ( – complex subject)

In the second case, the proposal can be presented as:

To help them, I need you - To help them, I need you.

Infinitive with the preposition forRevolution

“For + Noun (Pronoun) + Infinitive”

It consists of the preposition for, a noun in the general case or a pronoun in the objective case, and an infinitive.

In this construction, the verb in the infinitive form denotes an action that is performed by the noun (pronoun) that comes after for. Such phrases are translated into Russian by an infinitive or subordinate clause. This turnover represents one member of the sentence and can serve as:

1 Subject:

For him to take this decision was not easy.“It wasn’t easy for him to make this decision.”

Typically, such sentences begin with the introductory it:

It’s necessary for me to know her new address. - I need to know her new address.

It is necessary for him to call home at once.-He needs to call home immediately.

2 Nominal part of a compound predicate:

That's for you to think on. - You need to think about this.

3 Addition:

He waited for me to come.

We waited for the rain to stop.

4 Definition:

Here is a book for you to read.- Here's a book for you to read.

There's nobody here for him to play with.“There’s no one here for him to play with.”

5 Circumstance of purpose or consequence:

I have closed the window for you not to catch cold.- I closed the window so you wouldn’t catch a cold.

It was too dark for her to see him.- It was too dark for her to see him.

We saw that the student was making an experiment in the laboratory.
We saw a student conducting an experiment in the laboratory.

Those who were present there heard the girl singing the beautiful song by E. Grieg.
Those who were present there heard how the girl was singing the beautiful song by E. Grieg.
Those who were present there heard the girl singing a beautiful song by E. Grieg.

We saw that (how) Soviet films were shown in many Bombay cinemas.
We saw that (how) Soviet films were shown in many cinemas in Bombay.

What is Complex Subject in English?

An article by Kerry Maxwell and Lindsay Clandfield on the complex issue of teaching subjects and subjects in English. There are several verbs in English that describe an action or event that involves only one person or thing. This person or thing is referred to as the subject, e.g.

Yesterday something terrible happened. However, many English verbs include a second person or thing that is affected or created by the action described by the verb. This second person or thing is referred to as the direct object, e.g. Less typical examples of direct objects are those associated with more abstract concepts that are not necessarily affected or created by the action described by the verb, but relate to it in some other way, e.g.

Causative phrase
Complex additions also include a construction called “causative phrase”.
It consists of the verb to have + direct object + Participle II and means that the action expressed by the predicate, i.e., the verb to have and Participle II is performed not by the person himself (the subject), but by someone else for him or for him.
The phrase can be translated into Russian in the same way as a verb in the perfect form, for example, I have had my watch mended - I repaired the watch (someone else repaired the watch at my request).
This form existed in Old English and from it the perfect tenses of modern English developed.
If you say I have mended my watch, it will mean: I repaired the watch myself.

I think she was telling the truth. There are several verbs in English which, as well as those related to subject and direct object, can also allow the speaker to mention a third party, usually someone who benefits from the action described by the verb or receives something as a result of it. This person is referred to as an indirect object, e.g.

Complex Subject and Temporal Forms

Dad promised Tom a new bike. Show me what you are drawing? If a clause or sentence has more than one object, that is, both a direct and an indirect object, then the general rule is that the indirect object is placed before the direct object immediately after the verb. This is shown in the example table below.

Causative expression is often found in technical literature.

Formula No. 1.

Subject + have + Object (addition) + V3

Subject (at the right time) inanimate noun. past participle

1. In a causative construction the subject is not the doer (does not perform the action itself) but! organizes it or asks a professional to perform the action.

She designs clothes ( active verb ). -She has clothes designed. (They will design clothes for her)

She wants to design clothes ( active infinitive). - She wants to have clothes designed. (She wants clothes designed for her.)

She likes design clothes ( -ing form). - She likes having clothes designed. (She loves having clothes designed for her).

ActiveCausative Construction
Present Simple He paints the wall has the wall painted
Present Continuous He is painting the wall is having the wall painted
Past Simple He painted the wallHe had the wall painted
Past Continuous He was painting the wallHe was having the wall painted
Future Simple He will paint the wallHe will have the wall painted
Future Continuous He will be painting the wall will be having the wall painted
Present Perfect He has painted the wallHe has had the wall painted
Present Perfect Continuous He has been painting the wall has been having the wall painted
Past Perfect He had painted the wall had had the wall painted
Past Perfect Continuous He had been painting the wall had been having the wall painted
Infinitive He wants to paint the wall wants to have the wall painted
ing-form He likes painting the wall likes having the wall painted

We can think of the indirect object as the central element of a sentence, always closest to the verb, so an example like the one below. Never possible and should be read. There are several verbs that can occur with either a direct object or a direct object and an indirect object. When an indirect object is introduced, the position of the direct object is affected; it no longer comes immediately after the verb. Compare the sentences below that emphasize the direct object.

Indirect objects and propositional phrases

Instead of placing the indirect object before the direct object, like e.g. It is possible to place an indirect object in a prepositional phrase that comes after the direct object, for example. Because indirect objects usually denote the "receivers" or "beneficiaries" of the action of a verb, they are often paraphrased in prepositional phrases introduced by the prepositions for and, for example.

2. To ask a question or form a negative form, add auxiliary verb with particle not depending on the tense in the sentence. For example, we add don"t/doesn"t for Present Simple or didn"t for Past Simple.

Jack hasn't (hasn't) had his jeans washed. (Jack's jeans were not washed).

Present Perfect

3. In colloquial speech it is usually used get instead of have.

Did Mary have/get her hair dyed? (Did Mary dye her hair?)

4. Causative constructions are often used instead of passive voice when we speak about accidents or failures.

Adam had his phone stolen. (instead of Adam's phone was stolen)

Formula No. 2.

Subject + have + person (object) + bare infinitive

Subject (at the right time) animate noun. infinitive without particle to

If in the formula there is a person in place of the complement, then the causative phrase means “to assign responsibility to someone to do something.”

Please, have your secretary make a copy of the last project.

Dr.Brainard had the nurse make an injection.

1. If instead of the verb have the verb make can be used with the meaning " force someone to do something"

My mother made me apologize for what I had said.

Who made you wear this ugly shirt?

My grandmother makes me do homework every day.

2. Instead of have, the verb get can also be used, which has a more colloquial connotation and means " convince, draw someone into something "

Mary got her daughter to get the medicine.

How can teachers get pupils to read more?

The government tries to get people to stop smoking.

Note!!! After the verb get in the causative phrase, the infinitive is used with the particle to!!!

Compare the value:

He got the mechanic to check the brakes.- He convinced the mechanic to check the brakes.

He had the mechanic check the brakes. - He asked the mechanic to check the brakes.

based on materials: http://eduenglishirina.ucoz.com/index/kauzativnyj_oborot_v_anglijskom_jazyke/0-86

There is no fundamental difference in meaning between using a preposition phrase or an indirect object alone, so the following sentences have the same meaning. We'll send Shirley a postcard. We'll send a card to Shirley. However, the use of a prepositional phrase to introduce an indirect object is more common in certain circumstances, viz.

A prepositional phrase is used when you want to give more attention to an indirect object by placing it at the end of a sentence. Tom didn't have that kind of chocolate. In the first example the emphasis is on the "last" while in the second example the emphasis is on the recipient "Sam".

Complex Object

This is a construction consisting of a noun in a common case or a pronoun in an objective case and an infinitive. Let us recall what pronouns look like in the objective case:

I-me
you - you
he-him
she-her
it - it
we - us
they - them

Here's how it works in practice complex object in English:

We noticed the woman enter the house through the back door. - We noticed a woman enter through the back door.

I saw them walk along the road. - I saw them walking along the road.

I did not hear her say this because she spoke in a soft voice. - I didn't hear her say it because she spoke quietly.

As can be seen from these sentences, complex object in English is translated by an additional clause introduced by the conjunctions “how”, “that”, “so that”. The noun or pronoun in this complex object corresponds to the subject, and the infinitive corresponds to the predicate of the subordinate clause.

Complex object in English has its own rules of use that are worth considering. Basically, the compound object in English is used after some verbs, which can be grouped into certain categories. So, complex object in English is used with verbs:

Expressing physical perception and sensation - (to see - to see, to watch - to watch, to notice - to notice, to observe - to observe, to feel - to feel, to hear - to hear and others).

I have never heard you sing. - I've never heard you sing.

We saw the postman slip a thick envelope into the box. - We saw the postman put a thick envelope in the mailbox.

In addition to the infinitive, the present participle (Participle I) can also be used with verbs of perception. If we use an infinitive in a complex object in English, we emphasize the one-time nature of the action being performed, but if we take the participle, we demonstrate the process of the action taking place.

I saw her run into the house. - I saw her run into the house.

I saw her running along the road. - I saw her running along the road.

In addition, if the verbs see and hear are used to mean “know” and “understand” respectively, we do not refer to a complex object in English, but take a subordinate clause:

I see that you are in low spirits. - I see that you are not in the mood.

Expressing motivation, coercion: (to let - allow, to make - force, to have - dispose, to cause - cause, force). The infinitive is also without to.

Never let him go. - Never let him go.

They had the man do what they wanted. - They forced this man to do what they wanted.

Expressing desire and need (to want - to want, to wish / to desire - to desire, to like - to like, should / would like - would like).

The inspector would like you to explain everything to him. - The inspector would like you to explain everything to him.

Expressing an assumption (to expect - to expect, to count; to suppose - to believe, to believe - to consider, to believe; to consider / to find - to consider).

We believe it to be the best way out of this situation. - We believe that this will be the best solution in this situation.

Expressing knowledge, awareness, statement (to know, to think, to state, to note, to report, and others).

She thought him to be a qualified specialist. - She thought he was a qualified specialist.

Expressing coercion, order, permission or request (to order - to order, to allow - to allow, to forbid - to prohibit and others).

He ordered him to stop this conversation. - He ordered him to stop this conversation.

As was clear from the last four paragraphs, in all cases the infinitive is used with the particle to.

Basically, this is complete information that concerns a complex object in English. There is one more nuance. This language is characterized by the use of a complex object with the past participle (Participle II). This construction indicates that it is not the subject himself who performs the action, but someone else who does it for him. It looks like this: to have one’s hair cut, to have one’s eyes tested, to have one's watch repaired(give the watch for repair), etc.

The infinitive in Complex Subject in English can be in all six forms.

For example:

To have written

To be written

To have been written

To be writing

To have been writing

In sentences with the Complex Subject construction, another main element is the predicate, especially the verb with which it is expressed. Since it will depend on the verb whether the predicate will be in the active (active) or passive (passive) voice.

Sentences with the Complex Subject construction in English are usually translated into Russian using phrases such as “they say, they report, they think, they saw, they heard, it turned out, it happened,” etc.

Complex Subject, The Nominative with the Infinitive Construction aka Complex Subject, Nominative with the Infinitive

A prepositional phrase is also used when the indirect object is significantly longer than the direct object, so. Third, a prepositional phrase is more common when the direct object is a pronoun, such as it or them, for example. This is because the pronoun usually refers to something that has already been mentioned, and that new information, in this case the recipient of the book, will most likely come at the end of the sentence.

However, in informal English, the propositional phrase is not always used when the direct and indirect objects are pronouns. And in informal spoken English, for example, such as. It is also quite common where, in exceptional cases, the direct object it was placed before the indirect object me.

As already noted, the Complex Subject construction in English is used with certain verbs. These verbs can be divided into several groups.

So, as a predicate in a sentence there can be verbs expressing:

1) Awareness, knowledge, statement: to know, to think, to state, to report, to say, to announce.

She is known to live in France. - It is known that she lives in France.

The film festival was reported to take place in July this year. - It was reported that the film festival will be held in July this year.

He was thought to study here. - We thought he was studying here.

Complex Object - conversational trait

There are some basic verbs in English where the indirect object usually comes immediately after the verb, before the direct object, rather than being placed at the end of the sentence in a prepositional phrase. Some examples are verb query, for example. I need to ask John a question.

Dad promised me a new bike. For example, sentences like: Are ungrammatical, indirect objects, children and me, must be placed in prepositional phrases, e.g. Helen said goodbye to the children. The verb explains also behaves this way.

2) Assumption: to expect, to suppose, to believe, to consider, to ask. The student is expected to become a famous writer.

This student is expected to become a famous writer.

The tickets were supposed to be sold in the afternoon. - They assumed that the tickets would be sold by lunchtime.

3) Perception: to see (see), to hear (hear), to notice (notice). The car was seen to disappear. - We saw the car disappear.

She was seen to enter. - We saw her come in.

4)) Complex Subject is also used in English after such phrases as to be likely, to be unlikely, to be certain, to be sure. She is likely to succeed. - She will probably be successful.

The bag is not likely to have been stolen. - It is unlikely that the bag was stolen.

All of the listed verbs, being predicates, can appear in any tense, but only in the passive voice (passive voice).

There is also a group of verbs that are used with the Complex Subject construction in English, but in the active (Active voice) voice.

These are the following verbs: to appear - to appear, to appear; to seem - to seem; to happen - to happen; to prove / to turn out - turn out.

The second part of the movie appeared to be less interesting. - It turned out that the second part of the film is not so interesting.

He seems to be sleeping. - It seems that he is sleeping.

Can you explain this problem to me? However, a verb can be used with an indirect object, directly following the verb, e.g. Matthew told the boys an interesting story. But it is also sometimes directly accompanied by a direct object with an indirect object in a prepositional phrase, depending on what the actor chooses to emphasize.

She told the police the whole story. She told the whole story to the police. The subject complements a noun, pronoun, adjective, or other construction of the following verbs of being or binding verb and serves to explain or refer to the subject of a sentence.

The Complex Object and Complex Subject constructions do not present any complexity, but, on the contrary, make our speech easier, making it more similar to English, and not to the speech of our native language. They are very popular and used everywhere, so try not to ignore them, but pay attention to them.

Syntax is a very important section of language, no less important than morphology. That is why it is necessary to become familiar with the rules of English syntax.

The subject complement is divided into three, namely: predicate adjective, predicate noun and predicate pronoun. To determine the subject of a sentence, first identify the verb and then ask a question by prefixing it with “who?” Or “what?” Having identified the Subject, we see that the rest of the sentence tells us what the Subject does or does. We call this string the "predicate" of the sentence.

Subjects can be "simple", "complex" or "complex". Consists of one pronoun, noun or noun. A compound item consists of a noun phrase and any words, phrases, or clauses that modify it. A compound subject consists of two or more noun phrases joined together with a coordinating conjunction.

Our lesson today is dedicated to a very interesting syntactic construction - Complex Subject. This is a complex subject, which is a combination of a noun or personal pronoun with an infinitive, that is, with an indefinite form of a verb.

This syntactic construction is used to translate, for example, the following sentences:

The phrase answers the question: “What did the wealthy audience like?” A verb is a function word indicating the action of the subject, showing events or circumstances. A verb is one of the eight parts of speech. English verbs are not always the simple form, but can be the result of combining phrases into phrasal verbs with a particle.

It says that the subject of "we", that is, the person who performs the action of the verb, is "buying some books." The tense of a verb shows the time of an action or state. An aspect shows whether an action or state is completed or not. Voice is used to show the relationship between an action and the people affected by it. Mood shows the speaker's attitude about the verb, whether it is a declaration or an order. Persons and number can be affected by verbs to show agreement with the subject.

It is known that he is a good and talented poet.
They say that this young man knows Finnish
It was announced that she had gone to Paris

Such phrases are necessary and often found in English speech. We would like to introduce you to them.

How to build a Complex Subject structure correctly?

So, dear readers, there is nothing complicated here. The formation scheme of the Complex Subject construction is as follows:

Most statements in speech and writing have a main verb. These verbs are expressed in "tenses" which place everything at a specific point in time. Verbs are conjugated to reflect how they are used. There are two general areas in which coupling occurs; for the person and for the tension.

Pairing for time. Tense conjugation is performed on all verbs. All conjugations begin with the infinitive form of the verb. An infinitive is simply a form of a verb. For example, for starters. The present participle form is formed by adding to the bare infinitive. For example, start - start. There are two other forms that a verb can take depending on the type and tense of tense, the simplest form of the past and the past participle.

Noun (PersonalPronoun) +VerbinPassiveVoice +Infinitive; that is, noun (or personal pronoun) passive verb + infinitive

Pay attention to the following sentences and their translation. Sentences using the Complex Subject construction cannot be translated literally:

Mr Anders is known to be a good writer. - MisterAndersfamous, Howgoodwriter.
This girl is told to know many foreign languages. - They say that this girl knows many foreign languages.
Mary was announced to have gone to Canada. - Announced, WhatMaryleftVCanada.
Mr Smith is told to be a very good specialist in medicine. - They say, WhatMisterSmithgoodspecialistVmedicine.
Amanda is known to be a good tailor. - Everyone knows that Amanda is a good dressmaker.

In the Complex Subject construction, any form of the infinitive can be used (Active, Passive, Simple, Continuous, Perfect).

The form of a verb or its tense can indicate when events occur. Pairing for humans. A human conjugation occurs when the verb changes form depending on whether it is controlled by a first, second, or third person subject. This gives three conjugations for any verb depending on who acts as the subject of the verb. For example: we start, you start, and he starts. Note that only the third conjunction actually shows the difference.

Using a complex object with the verbs to cause, to make, to let

In English we distinguish between regular and irregular verbs. Listed below are the most important types of additions used in English. Indicates the time, place or manner of action. Very often this is a phrase for saying. A pre-phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun. Note. The time modifier usually comes last if more than one modifier is present. Example of prepositions: in the morning, at the university, on the table. The modifier can also be an adverb or an adverbial phrase.

Pay attention to a number of phrases that will help us translate sentences containing a complex subject:

...was (were) said to... - they said that...
...was (were) seen to... - saw that...
...was (were) heard to... - heard that...
...was (were) supposed to... - assumed that...
...was (were) believed to... - believed, believed that...
…was (were) expected to… - expected that…
…was (were) reported to… - reported that…
...was (were) considered to... - believed that...
...was (were) thought to... - thought that...
...was (were) found to... - discovered that...
...was (were) announced to... - announced, reported that...
...was (were) known to... - learned (was known) that...

Examples of sentences with Complex Subject In order to better understand the use of Complex Subject and understand it well, pay attention to the following examples:

Last night, in a hurry, next year, on the street, yesterday. Example: John bought a book at a bookstore. Yesterday Jill swam in the pool. The modifier usually follows the complement, but not always. However, the modifier, especially when it is a propositional phrase, usually cannot separate the verb and the object. Example.

She drove the car down the street.

George is preparing dinner tonight.
Henry and Marcia visited the President.

Subject Verb phrase.

Today we can have lunch at this restaurant.
Pat had to buy gasoline yesterday.

Verbatim phrase tense modifier. It was raining at seven o'clock today. . Temporal verb phrase modifier.

Sue is said to speak French fluently. - They say that Sue speaks French fluently.
A lot of people were reported to have become homeless after the inundation. - It was reported that many people were left homeless after the flood.
Our company is expected to make profit this month. - Our company is expected to make a profit this month.
The students of our University are supposed to come on time for the lessons. - Students at our university are expected to come to class on time.
The construction company is believed to have concluded three big and important contracts. - It is believed that the construction company has entered into three large and important contracts.
My cousin Ann is known to have won the singers contest. - It is known that my cousin Anna won a singing competition.
Mike is said to have borrowed money but not bothered to return it on time. - They say that Mike borrowed money, but was not particularly worried about paying it back on time.
The letter was believed to have been lost - It was believed that the letter was lost.
These pictures are considered to have been painted by a great artist. - It is believed that these paintings were painted by a great artist.
That newspaper is said to have been sold out already - They say that the newspaper has already been sold out.
The French dancers are announced to be arriving next month. - It is reported that the French dancers will arrive next week.
The girl is expected to be wearing a green jacket and yellow skirt. - The girl is expected to wear a green jacket and a yellow skirt.
I was supposed to meet Andrew at the station at 8.15, but I was late - I was supposed to meet Andrew at the station, but I was late. (Supposed to - sometimes means that something is planned, agreed upon, should happen, but does not always actually happen).
You were supposed to do your home duties. Why are you still sleeping? “You were supposed to attend to your household duties.” So why are you still sleeping?

Complex Subject and active verb

Some verbs in sentences containing the Complex Subject construction are used in the active voice. These are verbs such as:

Modifier for modifying the place of a noun of a tense verb of time.

Harry was currently washing the dishes.
Paul, William and Mary were watching TV a few minutes ago.

If the verb expresses an action, such as sneezing, jumping, barking, or exploring, the subject is who or what the verb is doing.

During his biology lab, Tommy danced on the table. A high-speed hot rod crashed into a telephone pole. Hot rod is what happened. Not all verbs are action verbs. Linking verbs connects the subject with what is said about the subject. Connects the subject to something that says that the bathroom is a disaster.

happen (to happen, to happen, to happen by chance)
turn out (turn out)
seem (seem)
appear

Please note the following examples:

He doesn't seem to be excited. What has happened? - He seems excited. What happened?
My sister’s mood seems to have changed for the worse. “It seems my sister’s mood has changed for the worse.”
Ben doesn’t seem to have lost his weight.- It seems Ben never lost weight.
My father happened to be out of town at that time. “It happened that at that moment my father was not in the city.
One day Julia happened to meet Paul. - One day it happened that Julia met Paul.
Do they happen to know Mr. Anders? - They don't happen to know Mr. Anders?
The new film of this actor appeared to be very interesting. - This actor’s new film turned out to be very interesting.
Jane appeared to have moved in a new apartment. - It turned out that Jane had moved to a new apartment.
Our prediction turned out to be correct. - Our assumption turned out to be correct.
The language of the novel turned out to be quite easy. - It turned out that the novel was written in quite simple language.

In addition to the rule above, the active voice is used with the adjectives sure (required, for sure) and likely (likely, most likely):

Michael is sure to come to the party - Michael will definitely come to the party.
If he continues arguing, they are sure to fight - If he continues to argue, they will definitely fight.
This movie is sure to be a great success. - This film will definitely be a great success.
John is likely to be appointed to this function. - John will most likely be appointed to this position.
Julia is not likely to come on time tomorrow. - It looks like Julia won't come on time tomorrow.

That's all, friends. Nothing complicated, but a very important construction in English that is worth remembering.