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Difficulty: MediumNouns and Noun Phrases

In the sentence, 'The board of directors named the lead researcher the most outstanding innovator of the decade for her groundbreaking work in renewable energy,' what is the syntactic function of the bolded noun phrase?

  1. Object complementAnswer
  2. B
    Appositive to the direct object
  3. C
    Direct object of the verb
  4. D
    Subject complement

Answer

Object complement
The option specifying 'Object complement' is correct because the verb 'named' is a complex transitive verb that takes 'the lead researcher' as its direct object and 'the most outstanding innovator of the decade' as an object complement that renames and completes the sense of the direct object.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the clause structure and primary verb of the sentence.
The subject is 'The board of directors', the verb is 'named', and the direct object receiving the action is 'the lead researcher'.
Determining the core grammatical elements establishes how subsequent constituents function relative to the verb and object.
2
Analyze the relationship between the verb, the direct object, and the target bolded noun phrase.
The verb 'named' is a complex transitive verb that requires both a direct object ('the lead researcher') and a secondary phrase to define or complete the title/identity assigned to that object.
Complex transitive verbs (such as name, call, elect, consider, make, appoint) take an object complement to complete their meaning.
3
Classify the syntactic role of the bolded noun phrase.
The phrase 'the most outstanding innovator of the decade' characterizes and completes the direct object, functioning specifically as an object complement.
A noun phrase that follows a direct object and renames or modifies that object under the governing verb is syntactically an object complement.

Key Concept

Syntactic functions of noun phrases: Object complementation
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Nouns and Noun Phrases

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