Complex Object Exercises

English grammar exercises and activities for teaching Complex object to English language learners. Some exercises include answer keys.

Exercise 1 

Make up as many sentences as you can using the words and word-groups from each column of the substitution table. Pay attention that after verbs 'to see, to hear, to feel, to let, to make, etc...' the infinitive has no particle 'to' .

1) with the verb 'to see'

We He Everybody

see(s) saw

them a bricklayer my friend a boy the landlady

move to a summer cottage. lay a brick house. enter a two-storey house. draw a skyscraper. speak to her lodger. pull down a house.

Infinitive Worksheet

The forms and functions of the Infinitive: free exercises and answers to check your result.

Exercise  1
Define the forms of the Infinitive (Passive or Active; Indefinite, Continuous, Perfect or Perfect Continuous) in the following sentences.

1. I want to see your design.
2. It can be done.
3. The mistake must be found.
4. We knew him to be working in the room.
5. They are likely to be being served now.
6. I remember to have seen her somewhere.
7. We thought the mistake to have been found.
8. He must have been working all night.
9. She appeared to have been leading a very busy life before.
10. It’s nice to be sitting here with you.
11. It’s good to have finished work for the day.
12. I’m sorry not to have come on Friday.
13. I appear to have made a small mistake.
14. I didn’t expect to be invited.
15. There is a lot of work to do.
16. There is a lot of work to be done.

Modal Verb May Examples

There are examples of the use of modal verb MAY in proverbs, sayings and quotations.

Proverbs

I

Note the use of the verb 'may / might' in the following proverbs and sayings. Memorize them.

1. A cat may look at a king.
2. Cowards may die many times before their death.
3. A fair face may hide a foul heart.
4. Bitter pills may have blessed effects.
5. Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
6. Hares may pull dead lions by the beard.
7. The remedy may be worse than the disease.
8. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
9. When the oak is before the ash, then you will only get a splash; when the ash is before the oak, then you may expect a soak.
10. If you don’t like it you may lump it.
11. Between the cup and the lip a morsel may slip.

Infinitive Complex Subject

Complex Subject

Noun/Pronoun + Predicate + Infinitive

The combination of a noun in the common case (or a pronoun in the nominative case) and an infinitive forms a complex subject (1).
The predicate which is usually expressed by a verb in the passive voice  is placed between the noun and the infinitive. The relation between the noun and the infinitive is that of subject and predicate.

Note 1: - According to another interpretation the subject is expressed by a noun or pronoun and the infinitive is regarded as a part of the predicate.

Key examples:

• He is said to be a good teacher. 
• The boy is known to have passed his exams well. 

The predicate in sentences with a complex subject can be expressed by:

Infinitive Complex Object

Complex Object 

Subject + Predicate + Complex Object (Noun/Pronoun + Infinitive)

The combination of a noun in the common case or a pronoun in the objective case and an infinitive used after the predicate forms a complex object. The relation between the noun (pronoun) and the infinitive is that of subject and predicate.

Key examples:

• I saw the boy raise his hand. 
• I heard him call my name. 
• I want you to know that it doesn't matter. 

The Infinitive

The Forms of the Infinitive

	Active	Passive
Indefinite	to teach	to be taught
Continuous	to be teaching	to be being taught
Perfect	to have taught	to have been taught
Perfect Continuous	to have been teaching	---

The Indefinite Infinitive expresses an action simultaneous with that expressed by the finite verb.
E.g.: I shall be glad to see him.

The Continuous Infinitive denotes an action in progress simultaneous with that expressed by the finite verb.
E.g.: He seemed to be waiting for us.

The Perfect Infinitive denotes an action prior to that expressed by the finite verb.
E.g.: I am sorry to have troubled you.

The Perfect Continuous Infinitive denotes an action which lasted a certain time before the action of the finite verb.
E.g.: He proved to have been teaching English for ten years.

The Active Infinitive denotes that the subject is the doer of the action.
The Passive Infinitive denotes that the subject is acted upon.
E.g.: The man came to teach us English.
         The man came to be taught English.

Modal Phrases (Had Better and Would Rather)

Semi-modal multi-word constructions 'had better' and 'would rather' are followed by the infinitive without to.

Examples: 

• We had better go into the house because it is raining. 
• I can come today but I would rather come tomorrow.

Had Better

'Had better' expresses advice and means 'would find it wiser or more suitable'.
E.g.: You had better go now (=it would be good, wise or suitable for you to go now).

Synonyms: ought to do something / should do something.

In negative structures, better comes before not.
E.g.: You had better not go now.

Patterns. Read and memorize!

1. We had better take an umbrella. It may rain. (We’d (1) better…) 
2. He’d better stop and have a rest if he feels tired. 
3. You’d better go on the excursion. 
4. You had better not eat so much. (You’d better…) 
5. Hadn’t you better hurry if you want to catch the eight o’clock train? (2) 
6. What had I better put on for the party?

Note 1: - The contracted form ‘d is very common.
Note 2: - The negative form 'hadn't better' is used mainly in questions: Hadn't we better try again later?

►'Had' is sometimes dropped in very informal speech.
E. g. : You better go now. 
           I better try again later.