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VII. THE OBJECTS: DIRECT, INDIRECTAND PREPOSITIONAL0.1' The objects are secondary parts of the sentence compreting the meaningof a verb or - much less frequently - of an adjective or noun. They are norinuiparts of the sentence and are therefore "*p."tt"d by much the same means as thesubjects:when I travelled I took a particurar detight in hearing the songs and fabresth-at are comefromfather to son and are mo_st in uogu" orirg the common peopreof the countries through which I passed. (Joseph Addiron, Vh" noilod ,f ch;r;Chase)I have always made yo_u my companions andfriends, andarowed you perfectfreedom to do and sly wharever you riked, ro iong as you riked what I courdapprove of. (Lady Britomart in G.B.Shaw,s Major naimrilNouns, gerunds, phiases and clauses have been used inthese senten eaning of a verb, either predicative or not. Manyof these ver ningful predicate if they are not followed py anobject (e.g.,0.2. There are also objects which may or must round off the meaning ofadjectives as well as nouns:He's not worth wrangring about. (c.B.Shaw, John Buil,s other Island)We are all confident of his success.We are dreadfully sorry for her.My surprise at seeing her was great.There is hardly any certainty oy'about his qrrival.There's no use specurating about it. (Arbert Martz, peace on Ectrth\0.3. In English we distinguish the following kinds of objects:a) Direct objects (in the accusative or object case) generaily corresponding tothe. Romanian compremente direcre - with the exceptr:on of ihe comprex oneswhich are usually rendered into Romanian by phrases or other means.I saw him in the street.b) Indirect objectslin the dative or object case), are in our opinion restrictedto utilisation after transitive verbs denoting the conveyence/transm'ission especiallyof some object or abstract notion, and usually expressed by a (+ human) noun orpronoun.

She wrote me aletler and asked meto send some money to her.c) Prepositional objects in the accusative including items that correspond tothe Romanian complements of agent, of reration, of-means, the sociative andinstrumental ones, as welr as any other cornprement formed of a noun or noun130

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,substitute preceded by a preposition - e.g., of relation - apart from the indirectobjects (and of course discrete from both adverbial modifiers and attributes).$icea dintii gcolarila a fost insdgi Smirandila popii, o zgitie de copildagera la minle gi aga de silitoare, de intrecea mai pe togibdieyii Si dincarte dar gi din nebunll. (l.Creanga)Other examples of "complemente de relafie":Lat in spate; strins la pungri; scump la vorbd; scump la vedere.Naturalfy, the Romanian complemente circuntslanliale correspond to the Englishrbial modifiers.

1.0. The direct object is the secondary part of the sentence indicating theperson, thing or abstract notion that directly receives, suffers or attracts the actionof a transitive verb (simple or complex) as well as of a transitive verbal phrase.The direct object always stands in the accusative case. It answers the questionswhom? or what? Here are a few examples from Mark Twain's Encounter with anInterviewer: "How did you happen to meet Aqron Burr?" "At his burial."I don't understand it ar all.

Some said he was dead, some said he wesn'|.What did you think?You buried him, without knowing whether he was dead or not?I never heard anything like this.The words Aaron Burr, it, what, him, anylhing, the clauses he was dead, he

wasn'|, whether he was dead or nol are placed in the accusative case, they answerthe question whom? or what? they follow close upon transitive verbs - they are thedirect object ofthese verbs.

1.1. Unlike certain authors or grammar and dictionaries, we do not share theview that transitive verbs may be used "absolutely", that is without being followedby a direct object. We adopt a strictly functional point of view, conceiving astransitive those verbs whose action is immediately directed towards a direct objectin the accusative and intransitive those which have no such object, Intransitiveverbs form the predicate by themselves, which transitive ones do not do. Forinstance, the verb to wrile is transitive in He is writing q letter and intransitive inHe writes - with the meaning of He is a wriler I an author. (Therefore not atransitive verb used absolutely or elliptically).

1.2. Further on, this is closely bound up with the interdependence betweenwords and their contexts to the effect that a transitive verb cannot exist as suchwithout a direct object - its very raison d' tre.1.3. As is the case of any two languages compared, the situation of the directobject is not identical in Romanian and English, because not all Romaniantransitive verbs are transitive in English as well. L-a visat asld-noapte is renderedin English by She dreamed of him last night. Ai ascultat concertul? - Did you listen

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,qito the concerl? On the other hand, Answer (him) his questions has an intransitivgequivalent in Romanian Rdspunde-i la intrebdri or Rdspunde Ia ce te intreab,i,And so has the sentence I enjoyed her retter - M-am buiurat de scrisoarea ei. \case in point, and very frequent too, is the pattern with the verb to /i/re which isrendered in Romanian by constructions with the dative case; LI/e alt liked it verymuch - Ne-a pldcut foarte mult la.toli. (cf . the final part of the chapter on thesubject).In both Romanian and English there are baffling expressions, which seem toinfringe the rule of constructing the direct object in the accusative case: Whosework do you like best? (apparent genitive) $i mdnincd fata la prdcint" lappu.entprepositional obj ect).As we have seen, however, unlike Romanian, English grammar records alsodirect objects such asferreting out (Th.Dr WParlour?); I th bout (AA tenden 3mporary English, of replacing ceftainintransitive verbs (for instance to dance, to cry) by a tiansitive construction (suchas to have a dance, lo have a watk) containing an almost meaningless transitiveverb followed by a direct object - a noun which iarries the actual semantic force orvalue of the idiom. \Difficulties in identifoing the direct object may occur in such sentences as: Hewiped the towel all over his face - shifted from: He wiped att his face with thetowel (and interpreted by some grammarians as a predicatr've adjunct).A puzzling situation, both in Romanian and English, arisei out of the ellipsisof prepositions in temporal phrases:They were only come now to stay a few weelcs = for a few weeks(Charlotte Brontd, Jane Eyre)I waited qn hour and a half and then I went away.The adverbial phrases afew weelcs, an hour and a half iould, at first sight, bemistaken for direct objects, but the question how tongi - which these p-hrasesanswer - will clear up the matter. Ll'ait a moment : asteaptd o clipd is entirelydifferent from wait for a (suirable, etc.) moment = Asteaptd clipa / o cliphpotrivitd, etc.All these elements of contrast insistently point to the necessity forobservation, reflection and anarysis in order to avoid mistakes in usage andtranslation.

2.0. Since its nature is similar to that of the subject, the direct object can beexpressed by similar grammatical elements. In fact the same will generally applyto the prepositional object as well. (Most examples are culled from John Bull'sOther Island by George Bernard Shaw):2.1. By a noun (common or verbal), by a proper name:We must close the public houses at allcosts.I don't see the ioke.

How will you persuade Cornelius Doyle?It saves thinking.It saves working.2.2.8y a pronoun;Mr.Doyle uses it as a paper-weight'Shall I fetch ftiz, Sir?I'lltell youwhat.

He didn't do anYthing.2.3. By a substantivized adjective or past participle: -He greatly helped the blind and the wounded'2.4.8y a numeral:I offered himfour, but he only took fwo.2.5.8y an infinitive or infinitivalphrase:I should like lo exPlain.Don't you want to see your country again?You Irish men certainly do know how Io drink.I'll show you how to do it.2.6.8y a gerundial Phrase:I like riding a bicYcle.2.7.8y any part of sPeech:

Say when.Say half-and-half.2.8. By a group of words (including such constructions as the accusative *infinitive etc. - cf. 3.2.5.):Try awhiskY and soda-lnd she sang this song of the shirt (Thomas Hood, The song of theShirt)I thought I'djust drop in and say how do you do?you won't be abli to adopt the l-didn't-know-anything-aboul-itattilude.2.9. By a subordinate object clause:What will I do if he decides to go down, I don't know'

I wish I could see him only once to know what I have against me.(E.Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea)'3.0. Like other parts of the sentence, direct objects can be classified in termsof semantic content / force / value and of composition / structure.3.1. (A) classification in point of Semantic content - division into:signifcant, impers onal, cognate'3,1.1. Significant I meaningful (the usual kind of direct objects)Students play a vital role in the democratic youth movement.The members heard the minutes and approved them'

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" 3.1.2. Impersonal / non-significant / meaningless / formalA formal direct object is generally expressed by the pronoun il.Suffice i/ to recall the Commonwealth Economic Conference of 1958.3.1.3, Cognate (Internal) - The cognate object accompanies verbs which arenormally intransitive (to sleep, to dress, to live, to die, to laugh, to sntile) andtherefore take no object. As a rule it is called cognate because the nouns whichexpress it are related (cognate) to the verb in meaning and, generally, also inetymology: Into the street the Piper steppedSmiling first a little smile. (Robeft Browning, The Pied Piper ofHamelin)I slept the sleep of the pure at heart. (Maugham, Smith)The ploughman homewards plods his weary way. (Thomas Gray,Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard)We notice that as often as not, the nouns forming the cognate object aremodified by attributes (l dreamed afontastic/horriblel or a rnost pleasant dream;he died a heroic/noble/terrible/quiet death, etc.) and so the semantic value of thecognate objects turns into that of an intensifier. For'instance in: He then laughedhis most horrible laugh (Oscar Wilde, The Canterville Ghost) the word laugh playsrather the role of an adverbial modifier with an emphatic force - greater than in: l/eIaughed most horuibly. Therefore the cognate object seems to be used as a stylisticdevice, even in everyday speech, by substituting a unique direct object of anintransitive verb for the more hackneyed adverbial modifiers.3.2. (B) Classification in point of structure/composition:division into simple, coordinated, compound, double and complex.3.2.1, Simple objects are expressed by a single word, possibly determined andmodified by attributes or even by a whole attributive clause:Read il to me.This old person tore lrs paper (rupse ziarul)... and broke severalthings with his cane.I accepted the terms he offered and took his place. (Mark Twain, HowI Edited an Agricultural Paper)3.2.2. Coordinated objects are two or several nouns or noun-equivalents in the

accusative (connected either by conjunctions or asyndentically) discharging anidentical syntactical function in relation to a transitive verb or verbal phrase. Theseobjects are homogeneous pafts of the sentence (therefore homogeneous directobjects): Wherefore, Bees, of England, forgeMany a weapon, chain and scourge,That these stingless drones may spoilThe forced produce of your toil?Have ye leisure, comfort, calm,Shelter, food, love's gentle balnfl (Shelley, Song to the Men of England)

3.2.3.Compoundobjects-similarinstructureandfunctiorrtoco-ordinaledoqrri, Vut dissimilar in that the two or several nouns refer to only one person'obiect or abstract notlon:vvr--' - Do you like my bedroom and working-room (c.ombined)?tro*"ti*",ttutemyfriendandadviserforbeingsofrankwithme'I resent your question and innuendo'Note:Suchobjectsareratherinfrequentandexamplesdonotaboundinliterature.

3.2.4.Doubleobjecls-designatingthedirectobjectsconnectedwiththesametransitive verb, yet answering Jifferent' separate questions - whom? and what?iif' uruuffy foilow a limitJd number of verbs such as to ask, to answer, toforgive' to envY.- Ask nre no questtons'I envied (hinr) his comPetence'Forgive (me) mY curiosiry'Note: Although the verb /o call issometimes included in this list' we prefer to treatsuch examPles asThey called me lhe Pied Piper (Browning) in terms of factitive verbstaking a complex object (cf' 3'2'5'5')

3.2.S.Complexobjects.Theseareobjectiveconstructionswhichcompletethemeaning of a very iong 'ungt of transitive verbs; what charaterizes these.onrrruE ions is the-fact th'at the-V include two insepara6le (though heterogeneous';parts - a nominal part - an object propel (a noun' proper name or pronoun in theaccusativecase)indisso|ub|ylinkedwitharrotherpu't*hi"h."omp|etesit(usuallyI n--irnit. form of the n"rb, but also an adjective' noun or adverb):As the sentence fell from 'ny fipt I could see the relief come' l couldsee |he drqwn ntuscles relax, and the araiety go out of the face, andrest and peace steql over rhe features"'

II tngs PerfectlY 'cerlain't 'Y oi obiect' (Mark Twain' HowI Edited an Agricultural PaPer)*ould b" a "predicative adjunct" - cf'Romanian elemenl icativ suplimentar'

InallcasestheanswertosuchaquestionasWhatdidlhear?wouldrequireboth parts of the compr".1il."a " man .and say, which could on the other hand beparaphrased by "l heard a man who spoke andie said"'" The separation of the twoparts of the complex "iiJ.i *o"iJ g:'"."t of the question - or at least would involvea total change of meaning, especially in such examples as "l hate you to go qway(obviously "l hate you" -expresses a contrary feeling) or "l wish you'd have /fte

l?s

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table cleared' or "Do you wish the case to be setlled here?" (these two sentencesbecome meaningless if we split the object), "l'd like you to relrain from sayingsuch things."certain sentences may be delusive when we have two objects answerinpdifferent questions asin"They envy (me) my happiness" (whom do they envy?lMe: and what do they envy - My happiness), therefore a double object, althoughme does not always occur. on the other hand, in "She permitted rs to sit uy i1,i(what did she permit? - To sit by it; and - at least hypothetically - (To) whom didshe permit it? - to us or us - therefore a direct and indiiect objectl.In fact we are far from enjoying a consensus of grammarians on this mafter(ma_ny preferring the notion of predicative adjinct (=element predicativsuplimentar) so these comments should be regarded as just one of tire severalpossible interpretations.

3.2.5.9. Complex objects are formed by means of various constructions, themost frequent of which are the accusative with the infinitive and the accusativewith the participle - indefinite and past. They are taken as objects especially bycertain categories of verbs, prominent . among them being verbs aenotingperception' mental or emotional activities, determination and coJrcion (cf. "nn"*"!o this chapter, under 5.1. and 5.2.).Roughly speaking there are two main situations: the second part,,of thecomyllx obiect designates either an action (through an infinitive or indefinitepafticiple) folowing a verb which denotes perceptive, mental or emotionalactivities' or the result of an action - colour, shape, siate, quality, position -(expressed through a noun, adjective, past participle or adverbj roilo*ing a verbwhich denotes order, request, coercion, determination.3.2.5.1. out of all constructions through which the complex object may beexpressed, the accusolive with the infinitive is the most important on account ofboth its frequency and the great number of verbs which can take this type ofcomplex object (in fact all categories of verbs ever accompanied by such an object- cf. 5.l. and 5.2.)3'2'5.r.1. Verbs of feeling or perception (in Latin called verba sentiendi) arefollowed by the short infinitive after the accusstive:At that moment she felt him stop.Exceptions are the verbs of observation: to notice, to note, to observe(possibly because they are rather "conscious" than merery "sensorial").We all noticed him to be rather out of sorts.He noted his crothes to be weil cut ... (Galsworthy, The Man ofProperty)3,2-5.1.2. The accusati-ve with the rong infinitive is taken as a complex objectby most other categories of verbs: the above-mentioned verbs of perception, thtsedenoting understanding, consideration, belief desire, affection and any othermental or emotional activities, permission (with the exception of to let) as well as

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request, order, persuasion, determination (with the exception of the verbs to have'lid ro ^o*, which are followed by the accusative + short infinitive)'Do you want il.t to go and support the strike?Hesentamessage...desiringhissontocometohimdirect|y.Never knew her to do such things before "'Although I am so anxious to learn because he wished me lo,I'm afraidI don't like it. (Examples from Dicke:r s, Hard Times)S,2,s.l.3,Tosummarize,mostverbstakirrgacomplexobjectcanbe

accompanied by an accusative with the long infinitive, the exceptions being someverbs of perception, the verbs lo make, to hqve and

to let:I saw him go (...) Let nte know at once ("')you shoui-d make him slop shouting (...) The trustees would ratherhave that haPPen.

3.2.5.2. The accusalive with lhe infinitive (or present) participle is also verycommon after verbs denoting perception, mental or emotional activities (amongthe last, esPeciallY desire):I saw him running.I can't stand a door banging. (Conrad, Typhoon)We don't want you coming here and spying on us' (John Galsworthy'Strife\

3,2.5.2.1. Analysing the difference between l) the accusative with the shortinfiniWe and 2) thi acJusative with the indefinite participle used as a complexfffit ut"r veibs of perception, we notice that the former merely states the fact,*fr"r"", the latter denotes the action viewed / followed / watched / perceived in itsprogress. The Romanian translations also differ: I saw him enter the house : lrnvdzlut cd a intrqt in casd; I watched him approaching the house : L'am vdzutapropiindu-sedecasd/L-amobservalcumseapropiadecasd,(Cf.thecontinuous / progressive aspect of various moods, expressed with the help of theindefi nite ParticiPle.)

3.2.5.3. The accusative with the past participle is used with a resultativemeaning after verbs expressing causal or causative relations, coercion, desire,order. ItTost frequently these constructions follow the verbs to have or to get withthe mening of making, asking, causing somebody to do something or meaning of tocause, to suffer, to see, to experience, to undergoI had a ne* pa'i, of shoes made. (to render Romanian sentences like

m-am |uns/coo7"tt,^, etc. ad |itteram makes no Sense in English).They had him brought before them at once'I have no desire to getmy head busted'I should but knock at the door to have iI shut in my face' (charlotteBront6' Jane EYre)

3.2.5.4.The accusative wilh an adiective is a construction that may often havea resultative force, when placed after causative verbs as well as after verbsdenoting mental activity and other verbs:137

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Why not try to make it as effective as possible.I suppose you think it brave,then. (J.dalsworthy, Strtfe)They think us dur, they think us dead. lernesi Jones, song of theWage_Slave)3.2.5.5. The accusative wirh a nolt)is a great success) follow causative anverbs. After verbs denoting mental activadjective) the attributive force derivinsa nominal predicate:

I think that il is ct grear success -> I think ir a greatsuccess.3.2.5.6. Two gerundiar constructions may arso express a comprex object:A) the genitive wilh the gerundI appreciate your coming over.B) the qccusative wirh the gerund, very often used coiloquiaily instead of theformer.I appreciate you coming over.

3,2.5.7. The accusative with an adverb:I ordered him qwavwhich seems to have resulted from the construction of the accusative wlth theinfinitive:I ordered him to go away.Other examples may indicate a resultative meaning:She cried her eyes out.(Again interpretationr jiff.. - cf. introduction to 1.5.5.).4.1. By analysing the various kindsprovide the greatest amount of differencethe direct object. A brief survey of the e>to the great frequency of simple and com;4.2. As regards the position of theremark that since the direct obiect is a n/re of transitive verbs (which 'are essentmay be said to live for arrd through their rthe verb and is seldom separatid from(non-prepositional) ind irect object.

Note: This does not apply to direct object clauses.4.3. By changes from the active to the passive voice, direct objects of a1 kindsmay beco e constructions (cf. .fr.pt*-"'. the Subject).Naturally, turn into complex subjects (nominative + longinfinitive, participle).5.0. The considerations and exemprification regarding the maniford aspects ofcompfex objects (3.2.5.) may be summarized graphiiaily ii tt " ioiio*ing tabres:

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aclvtowledgeadmiladviseallowaskdssumebelieveboilcqusechoosecommandcompelconcelveconsiderdeclaredenydesireelectexcuseexpeclfeelfrdforcegethatehavehearimagineinducekeephtowletlike

make

accusative + long infinitiveaccusative + long infinitiveaccusative + long infinitiveaccusative + long infinitiveaccusative + long infinitiveaccusative + lonB infinitiveaccusative + long infinitiveaccusative + adjectiveaccusative + long infinitiveaccusattve + nounaccusative + long infinitiveaccusative + long infinitiveaccusative + long infinitiveaccusative + long infinitive, or+ noun, or + adjectiveaccusative + long infinitive,or * noun, or *adjective, or + adverbaccusative + long infinitiveaccusative + long infinitiveaccusative * noungenitive + Gerund, accusative + Gerundaccusative + long infinitiveaccusative + short infinitiveaccusative + adjectiveaccusative + long infinitiveaccusative + long infinitive, 61 * pastparticipleaccusative *Gerundaccusative *participleaccusative + short infinitive, 6r + participlein -ing, s1 * past participleaccusative + long infinitiveaccusative + long infinitiveaccusative + adjective, or + adverbaccusative + lonB infinitiveaccusative + short infinitiveaccusative + long infinitive, 6r + participlein -ing, 61 * past participle, genitive +Gerundaccusative + short infinitive (exception,infinitive), or + adiecti

long infinitive, or genitive +short infinitive, or + past