Bare-infinitival clauses


1. Bare infinitival clauses functioning as the complement of a lexical verb

She made the boys stay after school.

  • subject: she
  • predicate:
    • head: made
    • direct object: the boys
    • complement(bare infinitival clause): stay after school
      • predicand: the boys
      • head: stay
      • adjunct(PP): after school

I didn’t see you come in.

  • predicate:
    • head: didn’t
    • complement(VP): see you come in
      • head: see
      • direct object: you
      • complement(bare infinitival clause): come in
        • predicand: you
        • predicate: come in

2. Bare infinitival clauses functioning as the complement of a auxiliary verb

For Mike to succeed, he must improve his study habit.

  • subject: he
  • predicate(VP): must improve his study habit
    • head(VP): must
      • head(auxiliary verb): must
    • complement(bare infinitival clause): improve his study habit
      • predicand: he
      • predicate(VP): improve his study habit
        • head(V): improve
        • direct object(NP): his study habit
          • determiner(genitive NP): his
          • head(nominal): study habit
            • modifier(NP): study
            • head(N): habit