IV. The elements after the predicate verb

 

The predicate verb, except for some disyllabic verbs with built-in resultative components such as qǔxiāo取消(to cancel) and suōxiǎo缩小 (to reduce), must take a complementary element such as a complement, a locative phrase, an indirect object, and so on. The following shows what elements usually follow the verb.

 

1. RESULTATIVE

+ resultative complement (+ le了)

Stating what result has been accomplished or is anticipated

 

1.1       Wǒmen bǎ Zhōngwén zuòyè zuòwán le. 

  我们把中文作业做完了。

  We have finished our Chinese homework.

 

1.2       Qǐng bǎ mén dǎkāi.  

  请把门打开。

  Please open the door.

 

1.3       Zhèi liǎng tiān kě bǎ wǒmen mánghuài le. 

  这两天可把我们忙坏了。

  We were terribly busy the last few days.

 

Note 1: Though stative verbs such as huài坏, tòu透, sǐ死show degree when placed after a stative verb or verb of mental activity, they are considered complements of result due to the structure.)

 

Note 2: Since the function of the bǎ把 sentence is to show what has happened to the direct object as a result of the action, the predicate verb and its complement must comment on the direct object, not on the subject or any other element. There is still a verb-object relationship even though the object has been displaced to a position before the verb. Such a relationship can be seen in Sentences 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 above.

 

VERB + COMPLEMENT + OBJECT

 

Zuòwán做完             Zhōngwén zuòyè中文作业

Dǎkāi打开                     mén门

Mánghuài忙坏               wǒ我

 

1A.      Wǒ bǎ fàn chīwán le. (Grammatical)   

            我把饭吃完了。

            I finished the meal/food.

This sentence shows what has happened to the food---it has been finished.

 

1B.       Wǒ bǎ fàn chībǎo le. (Ungrammatical)

            我把饭吃饱了。 (doesn’t make sense)

 

The verb takes a resultative complement bǎo 饱 ‘full’, which comments on the subject, wǒ我 ‘I’, instead of the object fàn饭 ‘food’. Since ‘full’ is not what has happened to the ‘food’ but rather how ‘I’ has been affected as a result of ‘eating’, this sentence is not grammatical. It should be changed to ‘Wǒ chībǎo le.我吃饱了’---I’m full.