Basic Sentence Pattern 6

Pattern 6: SVOC (Subject + Verb + Direct Object + Objective Complement]

1] We considered Salvatore noteworthy. 2] The coach made their sister a manager.

Pattern 6 is much like pattern 2 except that in this case the complement describes or completes the direct object rather than the subject of the sentence. As with pattern 2, the complement may involve either an adjective or a noun (or pronoun).

Thus the adjective complement in the sentence "We considered Salvatore noteworthy" function like the predicate adjective complement in subpattern 2A ("The food is good').
And the noun complement in the sentence "The coach made their sister a manager" functions like the predicate nominative complement in subpattern 28 ("Our friend is a senator").

And even though the main verb of pattern 6, unlike the main verb of pattern 2, is a transitive rather than a linking verb, a linking verb is at least implied between the object and its complement.

This is suggested by the way many SVOC sentences,t hough not all, can be changed i n form to use a linking verb while preserving the same meaning. In the three sets o f sentences b elow, note how the SVOC sentence represented by each sentence A can be altered to render the B and C versions:

l. A. The voters elected him president. B. The voters elected him to be president.
2. A. He considered her brilliant. B. He considered her to be brilliant. C. He considered that she was brilliant.
3. A. I thought the caller you. B. I thought the caller to be you. C. I thought that the caller was you.

As pattern 6 is most commonly exemplified by an NP in the final position, we will restrict our attention to this form ofthe pattern. Pattern 6, like its predecessor pattern 5, has two NPs following the verb, as in the sentence "The basketball team chose Charlotte captain." But it differs from pattern 5 in three respects:

1. In pattern 6 the first of the two NPs is the direct object. In some sentences. If we eliminate the second NP, we are left with pattern 4, which contains only the direct object after the verb:
The basketball team chose Charlotte.
The second NP is called the objective complement, because it completes the direct object.

2. In pattern 6 both NPs following the verb have the same referent; that is, both Charlotte and captain refer to the same person.

3. In pattern 6, only the direct object can be made the subject of a passive verb. We can transform the pattern sentence into Charlotte was chosen captain but we cannot make the objective complement such a subject, for *Captain was chosen Charlotte makes no sense.

In the passive of pattern 6 the subject comes from the direct object of the active.
Example: Active: He appointed [DO]Ruth [OC]secretary. Passive: Ruth was appointed secretary.

Only a very small group of verbs can be used for pattern 6. Among them are name, choose, elect, appoint, designate, select, vote, make, declare, nominate
call, fancy, consider, imagine, think, believe, feel, keep, suppose, fnd, prove, label, judge.

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