Types of the Complex Object.

In Modern English there are four basic types of the Complex Objects:

Complex Object after the verbs expressing wish/desire : to want, to hate, to like.

I like people to tell the truth. Я люблю, когда люди говорят правду.

She wants me to go to Paris with them. Она хочет, чтобы я поехал в Париж с ними.

We would like him to be invited to the party. Нам бы хотелось, чтобы его пригласили на этот вечер.

Nobody wanted the evening to be put off. Никто не хотел, чтобы встречу откладывали.

Notice: Passive and Perfect Infinitive forms expressing action made by person or object (expressed by subject) are usually translated on Russian by Subordinate Clause.

He wants to be invited there. Он хотел, чтобы его пригласили туда.

He doesn’t like to be asked such questions. Он не любит, чтобы ему задавали такие вопросы.

The children like to be taken notice of. Дети любят, когда на них обращают внимание.

He is sorry to have missed this lecture. Он жалеет, что пропустил эту лекцию.

They are happy to have been invited there. Они счастливы, что их пригласили туда.

Complex Object after the verbs expressing physical perception: to see, to hear, to feel etc.

I heard somebody sing in the next room. Я слышал, как кто-то поёт в соседней комнате.

Nobody noticed Petrov (him) enter the room. Никто не заметил, как Петров (он) вошёл в комнату.

Notice: In this construction Infinitive in Passive Voice after the verbs of physical perception isn’t used instead we use Complex Object with Participle.

I heard this question (being) discussed at Я слышал, как этот вопрос обсуждали

the meeting. на собрании.

After verbs to hear (in meaning of to know) and to see (in meaning of to understand) we use Subordinate Clause but not construction Objective with the Infinitive.

Complex Object after the verbs expressing order, demand, permission, request : to order, to allow, to let, to cause=to force=to make

The director ordered these documents to Директор приказал, чтобы эти документы be sent off at once. были немедленно отправлены.

Circumstances caused him to spend Обстоятельства заставили его провести (made him spend) the rest of his leave остаток отпуска дома. at home.

In Complex Object the infinitive is used without to after the verbs to make and to let.

The teacher made him rewrite the exercise. Учитель заставил его переписать упражнение.

The teacher let him go home. Учитель позволил ему пойти домой.

Notice, that Complex Object with Infinitive Active after the verbs of this group are usually translated in Russian by pronoun with infinitive. (but not Subordinate Clause)

Complex Object after the verbs expressing mental activity: to believe=to suppose, to know, to find, to consider.

We knew him to be right. Мы знали, что он прав. I didn’t know them to have taken part in Я не знал, что они принимали участие в that expedition. экспедиции. Do you consider him (to be) the Вы считаете, что он лучший студент в best student in our group? нашей группе?

OBJECTIVE WITH THE INFINITIVE

to finish this work tomorrow. to be finishing this work now. to have finished this work(already). We believe him (believed) to be sent to the conference. to have been sent to the conference as our representative.

ОБЪЕКТНЫЙ ПАДЕЖ С ИНФИНИТИВОМ

закончит работу сейчас. он заканчивает сейчас работу. закончил эту работу (уже). Мы полагаем, что (полагали) его пошлют на эту конференцию. послали на эту конференцию в качестве нашего представителя.

Another classification is offered by Kobrina N. A. in her book “An English Grammar. Morphology”. She divides eight types of Complex Object:

1. After the verbs of sense perception (to see, to hear, to feel, to watch, to observe, to notice, etc). “In this case the only possible form of infinitive is the non-perfect common aspect active voice form, used without the particle to: No one had ever heard her cry. I paused a moment and watched the tram-car stop.” [Kobrina N. A., An English Grammar. Morphology, 126]

2. After the verbs of mental activity (to think, to believe, to consider, to understand, to expect, to suppose, to find, etc) The author suggests, that infinitive here is used in any form though the non-perfect form are the most frequent. I know him to be an honest man.

3. After verbs of emotion (to like, to love, to hate, to dislike, etc). Most usual are non-perfect, common aspect forms of the infinitive. I always liked him to sing. I hate him to have been sent away.

4. After the verbs of wish and intension (to want, to wish, to desire, to intend, to mean, etc).

5. After verbs of declaring (to declare, to pronounce). I declare You to be out of your mind.

6.After verbs of inducement(to have, to let, to make, to get), of which three take the infinitive without to: She made Me obey her.

7. After the other verbs of inducement followed by a noun or a pronoun denoting the bearer of the state or the action denoted by infinitive, if the state or the action are imposed upon the bearer by the some other person.

Compare:

The noun and the infinitive used as two objects: The mother ordered Mary to be ready for the departure. (to depart) The teacher asked Mary to bring the books.

The objective with the infinitive forming complex object: The doctor ordered the patient to be ready for the operation. (to be prepared) The teacher asked the books to be brought.

8. The objective with the infinitive construction also occurs after certain verbs requiring a prepositional object, e.g. to count (upon/on), to rely (upon/on), to look for, to listen to, to wait for, etc. I rely on You to come in time. [Kobrina N. A., An English Grammar. Morphology, 126-127]

The Complex Subject.

The complex subject is a syntactic construction which is lexically dependent and found with a limited number of verbs in the Passive Voice. It consists of a noun in the common case, and indefinite pronoun or a personal pronoun in the nominative case serving as the subject of the sentence and a (subjective) predicative which may be expressed by noun, an adjective, an adverb, an -ing-form and a participle.

Sentences that contain complex subject are uniting several base units, overlapping round by the common subject, e.g.:

“He is known to go to work to Siberia” is built from two sentences: He is going to work to Siberia + We know that he is going to work to Siberia.

Complex Subject as well as Complex Object is translated on Russian as Subordinate Clause, introduced by that, when, how, etc after principal impersonal or indefinite-personal sentences.

We expect her to come tomorrow. (complex object). Мы ожидаем, что она приедет завтра.

She is expected to come tomorrow. (complex subject). Ожидается, что она приедет завтра.

Types of Complex Subject.

1. Complex Subject with predicates in Passive Voice, expressed by the verbs: to see, to hear, to order, to cause, to allow, to expect, to know, to suppose.

They were seen to go home together. Видели, как они вместе шли домой.

All the books were ordered to be returned within five days. Было приказано, чтобы все книги были возвращены в пятидневный срок.

The expedition is believed to have reached its destination. Полагают, что экспедиция добралась до места назначения.

This article is expected to be published next month. Полагают, что статья будет напечатана в следующем месяце.

He was said to be writing a new play. Говорили, что он пишет новую пьесу.

Notice: a) when using verbs: see, hear, order, allow in Complex Subject (as well as in Complex Object) are used Indefinite Infinitives (Active or Passive). b) To be (inf) in Complex Subject (and also in Complex Object) in certain cases can be omitted.

2. With predicates in Active Voice, declared by the verbs: to seem/to appear, to prove/to turn out, to happen/to chance.

He seems to know this student well. (It seems that he knows…) Он, по-видимому, (кажется), хорошо знает этого студента.

This child seem to be sleeping. (It seemed that the child was sleeping). Казалось, что ребенок спит.

The doctor happened to be at home. Случилось так, что доктор был дома. (Доктор случайно оказался дома).

He proved to be a good musician. Он оказался прекрасным музыкантом. (Оказалось, что он прекрасный музыкант).

The house seems to have been damaged by the earthquake. Этот дом был, по-видимому, поврежден землетрясением.

3. When using Personal Compound Predicate, such as:

likely is liable ВЕРОЯТНО apt

is unlikely – маловероятно, вряд ли

sure несомненно, конечно is certain безусловно, непременно bound наверно

They are likely to return on Sunday. (It is likely that they will return…). Вероятно, они вернутся в воскресенье.

We are all liable to make mistakes occasionally. Все мы, вероятно, делаем иногда ошибки.

Their team is certain (bound) to win. Их команда, несомненно, выиграет.

He is sure to miss this train. Он наверняка опоздает на поезд.

This house is likely to have been built many centuries ago. Вероятно, это здание было построено много столетий назад.

Some peculiarities of translating Complex Subject.

1. Sentences with Complex Subject, that are containing in Subject modal verb or negative particle not, can by translated on Russian in two ways, depending of context.

This may be considered to be result of overheating. a) Можно считать, что это результат перегрева. b) Считается, что это может быть результатом перегрева.

He doesn’t seem to have returned. (It seems that he hasn’t returned). Он, по-видимому, не вернулся (кажется, он не вернулся).

This work may prove to be difficult for him. Может оказаться, что эта работа трудна для него. (Эта работа может оказаться трудной для него).

2. Sentences with inserted Complex Subject are able to be translated into base (simple) unit – base sentence with included parenthesis (as told, as expected, as declared…), accorded to Subject of English (original) sentence.

This discovery is known to have been made in Russia. a) Известно, что это открытие было сделано в России. b) Это открытие, как известно, было сделано в России.

3. Case of Complex Subject in Attributive Subordinate Clauses, starting with which, who, that, only one translation option is available – translation with parenthesis (is said, is known, etc.).

The ship which is said to be loaded with timber has arrived in Glasgow. Пароход, который, как говорят, нагружен лесом, прибыл в Глазго.

The same option remains, if Attributive Subordinate Clause is shorten by Attributive or Adjective such as likely, certain.

The ship said to be loaded with timber has arrived in Glasgow. (said = which is said). Пароход, который, как говорят, нагружен лесом, прибыл в Глазго.

The invention known to be of great importance for agriculture has been made by our scientists. (Known = which is known). Изобретение, которое, как известно, представляет большую важность для сельского хозяйства, было сделано нашими учеными.

He spoke about the difficulties likely (which are likely) to arise in carrying out this experiment. Он говорил о трудностях, которые, вероятно, возникнут при проведении этого опыта.

4. Adverb there can be placed before the predicate in sentences in Complex Subject.

There are said to be a few oil fields in that region (It is said that there are a few oil fields…). Говорят, в этом районе есть несколько нефтяных месторождений.

There seem to have bee many mistakes in his work. (It seems that there were many mistakes…). По-видимому, в его работе было много ошибок.

There is likely to be a meeting at our office next week. На следующей неделе, вероятно, будет собрание в нашей конторе.