I prefer the window open. I consider this picture a master­piece of art.

Sometimes the predicative to the object is closely connected with the predicate verb — as a result of the action performed by the subject the object assumes the state denoted by the predicative: They painted the wall white (= the wall became white). The close connection of the predicative to the object with the predicate verb is seen from the fact that the predicative is often placed immediately after the verb:¹

Kate knelt and burst open the sideboard... (Mansfield.) She swept the floor clean. They elected him chairman. They appointed him secretary of the commission. They boiled the eggs hard.

“I’ve made you unhappy.” (Maurier.) At last the day turned her waning candle pale, and she fell asleep. (Dickens.) They called the baby Arthur. (Lawrence.) “Get the coffee ready.” (Вгоп1ё.)

1. The pronoun it is used to point back to a preceding subor­dinate clause or to an independent sentence:

If he gets home by eight o’clock, I call it good luck. So we decided to have a special celebration of Mother’s Day. We thought it a fine idea. (Leacock.)

Note. — Frequently, however, the adverb so is used instead of it referring to the contents of the preceding statement, especially after verbs of saying, thinking, hearing, fearing, hoping, doing:

Did he receive your letter? — I think so. Will he keep his promise?—1 hope so. I shall send it to-morrow, if I can do so.

2. Peculiar is the use of it as an object with vague meaning after intransitive verbs:

We can walk it perfectly well. He never comes a moment too soon, and at the theatre often runs it even closer than that.

Here belong also verbs, converted from adjectives or nouns, which are always used with the indefinite it. Such verbs often impart a peculiar liveliness to the description:

The meeting ended late, so we had to foot it home. Pioneers and research parties generally have to rough it.

We will battle it together. (Dickens.) When the ship is decked out in all her canvas... how she seems to lord it over the deep. (Irving.) We therefore decided that we would sleep out on fine nights; and hotel it, and inn it, and pub it, like respectable folks, when it was wet. (Jerome.) I’ll train it as far as the twopence will take me and I’ll tramp the rest. (Shaw.)

3. Some verbs (such as to find, to think, to consider, etc.) may be followed by a complex object with an objective predicative the nominal part of which is expressed by an infinitive or a gerund (often forming a complex). In this construction the introductory pronoun it is used to represent the nominal part which follows the objective predicative:

I think it impossible to go there to-day (ср. I think this task impossible).

“I take it as very kind of you,” he said, “to have spoken to me.” (Galsworthy.) He was gradually making it possible to earn a livelihood by his art. (Lawrence.) ...his long legs made it difficult for anyone to get in. (Galsworthy.) Com­ing out of the theatre, we found it utterly impossible to get

a taxicab... (Galsworthy.) He found it very hard rowing against the current.

The nominal part of the complex object after the verbs to think, to find, etc. may also be expressed by a subordinate clause:

Maggie found it probable that the small fish would come to her hook, and the large ones to Tom’s. (Eliot.)