University of Tuzla

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

English Language and Literature Department

Monotransitive Complementation by –ing Clause

with and without the Subject

Student:

Mersiha Jašarević
1. Monotransitive complementation
To understand monotransitive complementation of any kind, one has to learn what
complementation is. According to the glossary of linguistic terms, complementation is a
linguistic phenomenon in which a word, phrase, or clause is licensed by the syntactic head of
a phrasal category to complete its meaning. The complement completes the verb's action, and
thus can not be dropped off. Simply, complement is an obligatory part of a phrase or sentence.
Now that the term complementation is explained, we can move on to monotransitive
complementation.

Monotransitive verbs are the ones that have only a direct object that may be a noun phrase or
a clause, finite or nonfinite. Monotransitive complementation also requires the sentence types
SVO. Besides those categories, the verb may belong to a Type I prepositional verb or phrasal-
prepositional verb. However, this project aims to explain and exemplify monotransitive
complementation by –ing clauses. Also, this project aims to explore the extent to which this
type of complementation is used and whether journalists (because we use the BBC as our
source) follow the rules regarding this type of complementation.

2. Subjectless –ing clauses as direct objects

In this type of complementation, the subject of the non-finite verb is usually identical with the
subject of the preceding verb. E.g. I love eating pizza.

So, this type of complementation is subject-controlled.

However, some restrictions are explained by this rule. When a participle is followed by a
reflexive pronoun, the pronoun must usually agree with the subject of the superior clause in
number, person and gender.

She enjoys cooking for herself.

There is a small group of verbs that are not subject-controlled, but the emphasis is on the
object. The subject of the main clause is the subject of the subordinate clause.

This house needs cleaning. – a person would do this

This house needs to be cleaned.

For verbs such as recommend, forget, risk, save, etc., the subject of the participle is indefinite
and independent of the subject of the preceding verb. If we take He recommended presenting
the report for an example, we may notice that the person recommending is different from the
person that would present the report. The equivalent of this sentence is He recommended the
presentation of the report. This type is arbitrary-controlled.
There is a list of verbs that are used in monotransitive complementation and are categorized
as:

1. emotive verbs:

(can’t) bear, begrudge, detest1, dislike, dread, enjoy, not (fancy), hate, like, loathe, love, (not)
mind, miss, regret, relish, resent, (can’t) stand

2. aspectual verbs

admit, avoid, confess, consider, deny, deserve, discourage, envisage, escape, forget, (can’t)
help, imagine, involve, justify, need, permit, propose, recall, recommend, remember, repent,
require, risk, save, try, want

Besides that, there are some verbs (admit, avoid, confess, etc) that are used in a perfective
construction along with a non-perfective one. There is no difference in meaning:

He confessed having done it.

He confessed doing it.

This is usually used with dynamic predicated, whereas it is different in case of stative verbs:

They admit understanding the task.

*They admit having understood the task.

Some verbs, such as can’t bear, not mind cannot occur in assertive context since they have a
built-in negative bias:

She can’t bear wearing those high heels.

?*She can bear wearing those high heels.

However, these can occur in questions:

How can she bear wearing those high heels?

Finally, some multi-word verbs take –ing clauses as objects:

prepositional verbs:
bank on, decide on, play at, see about, count on, delight in, resort to, shrink from

phrasal verbs:

break off, give up, leave off, put off, take up

phrasal-prepositional verbs:

do away with, get around to, go in for, look forward to

He’s taken up playing guitar.

I’m looking forward to having a driving license.

2.1. Examples
1. But the 55-year-old Olympic silver medallist from 1988 doesn't mind having to wait the
extra year.

2. Mr. Birch-Machin added: "They do like to see us, it's just so sad we can't stand chatting like
we used to - you just daren't.

3. There is no time limit on these powers, and journalists could face jail if officials dislike
their reporting on the crisis.

4. People should avoid using the microwave at the same time as their wi-fi, media regulator
Ofcom has said, as part of advice to help improve internet speeds.

5. Mike and Alison consider selling Button House to a hotel chain.

6. Barcelona denies hiring firm to attack Lionel Messi on social media.

7. How can you justify selling T-shirts in your stores for as little as £2 or £3?

8. Online students can't help being sociable.

9. Why permit parking in South Norfolk?

10. Iran has now admitted shooting down a Ukrainian passenger jet ‘unintentionally’.

11. Ministers propose reducing the number of councils from 22 to ten.

12. Tyler and the YT risk being stuck on the desert island forever.

13. Climate change: Should you give up flying to save the planet?

14. A young couple takes up running to get fit into their wedding.

15. Donald Trump: 'I look forward to being with the people of India'
16. California school shooting: Students recall hearing shots.

17. Candidates put off applying for the vacant chief constable job at Gwent Police.

18. His side will "relish" facing Celtic after the two sides were drawn together in the Scottish
Cup semi-final.

19. Japan etiquette video discourages applying make-up on trains.

20. But in contrast to his warning, Mr. Trump suggested easing social-distancing guidelines
for Easter.

3. Monotransitive complementation by ing – participle clauses with subjects

Verbs that appear in the subjectless –ing clause are also present in this pattern. The genitive
form of these verbs is possible and formal in the English language but is sometimes
considered unacceptable.

We can say I dislike him/his singing that song; but in some cases, it does not sound natural,
especially when the object is not personal and animate as in this case:

Ana stopped machines working all day long.

? machines’ working all day long.

It is important to mention that negatives verbs such as prevent, stop and prohibit have
ditransitive structure. The preposition from precedes the –ing clause as the second object:

They tried to stop the car from crashing into the wall.

The from is optional.

Sometimes we may choose between –ing form and to-infinitive form, and there is a difference
in meaning:

I hate the children to fight. (I hate when/if they fight) – the emphasis is on the “potential” for
fighting

I hate the children fighting. (fighting all the time, and it annoys me) – the emphasis is on the
actual performance.
3.1. Examples
1. Ex-Trump aide: I can't imagine him doing the job.

2. I couldn't imagine him being outside with me cold and hungry.

3. Corbyn on Campbell: We look forward to us hearing what Alastair has to say.

4. He disliked them singing.

5. They justify them taking aim at, then killing individual men and women.

6. Central Bankers: Can we Bank on Them Being More Realistic?

7. Serious people who admit them using cannabis to feel better.

8. Justine Henin misses her attending US Open with an elbow injury.

9. I can imagine them parking up next to each other.

10. He disliked her looking like her father, a court heard.

11. But it’s hard to hate them making pop as gorgeous as this.

12. The US financial watchdog regrets his failing to detect the multi-billion dollar Madoff
fraud.

13. What are you most looking forward to him seeing, doing and being part of in 2020?

14. Scottish champions' squad would "look forward to them working with him".

15. We sincerely look forward to us inviting them to Cardiff City Stadium when the time is
right.

16. ... but who's going to back against him doing that?

17. I can't imagine myself being a doctor for five more years.

18. Why I can't stand them clapping?

19. Francis Lanigan trial: Witnesses recall it shooting.

20. Sport Relief: AP McCoy recalls him 'living the dream'.

4. Conclusion
During the research, it is noted that -ing clauses with and without the subject are not used
frequently. They are present to some extent but the infinitive is nevertheless more widely
used. As for the BBC, which is used as a source, the problem was to find adequate examples,
because, as said, reporters use to-infinitive clauses more. However, examples are found with
effort, which indicates that -ing clauses with and without the subject are not used often,
probably because they do not always look natural, which is why everyone plays safe with to-
infinitive clauses. Also, journalists generally follow the rules and there was no deviation.

Verbs such as be, imagine, believe, dislike, look forward are the most commonly used.
However, other verbs such as begrudge, dread, resent, and phrasal verbs like leave off, take
off, etc. are not found in this context.