Clause Pattern: Subject – Verb – Direct Object – Object Predicative
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Understanding the construction and use of the subject – verb – direct object - object predicative clause pattern

This pattern consists of a subjectA noun phrase (a person or a thing) or a nominal clause normally placed before a verb phrase and which acts as the performer of the verb., a complex transitive verbA verb which requires a direct object and an object complement (also known as an object predicative) in the form of a noun phrase or adjective, or an obligatory adverbial., a direct objectA direct object is the 'thing' which is directly affected by a transitive verb. It may be a noun, noun phrase, nominal clause, an ing-clause, a to-cause, or a pronoun. and an object predicativeAn object predicative complements an object and occurs with complex transitive verbs. It may be a noun phrase or an adjective phrase.. (Mouse over the sentences to see information about the syntax.)

The object predicative gives information about the object and may be a noun phraseA noun phrase consists of a head (a noun, an indefinite pronoun or a demonstrative pronoun and optionally a determiner, pre-modification (e.g. adjectives) and/or post-modification., an adjective phraseAn adjective phrase consists of a head (an adjective) and optionally pre-modification in the form of an adverb and/or post-modification in the form of an adjective complement., or (rarely) a wh-clauseA clause which begins with a wh-word (who, what, which, where, when, why, how, whether, whatever, whichever ) and acts either as a dependent interrogative clause or a nominal relative clause..

• Theysubject findcomplex transitive verb such explanationsdirect object excitingobject predicative (adjective). (Satterley 2020)
• Today wesubject callditransitive verb itindirect object a country’s gross domestic product (GDP)object predicative (noun phrase). (Messac 2018)
• Grains like rice, wheat and cornsubject makecomplex transitive verb civilisationdirect object possibleobject predicative (adjective). (Bohra and Varshney 2023)
• It is important to keepcomplex transitive verb the wounddirect object clean, damp and coveredobject predicative (adjective phrase) to help it heal quicker . (Parker, Edwards, and Finlayson 2019)
• This is another adaptation to keepcomplex transitive verb themdirect object warmobject predicative (adjective). (Younger 2019)
• In a nutshell, musicsubject putscomplex transitive verb usdirect object in a better moodprepositional object which makescomplex transitive verb usdirect object better at studyingobject predicative (adjective phrase) – but it also distracts us, which makescomplex transitive verb usdirect object worse at studyingobject predicative (adjective phrase). (Byron 2019) (info)There are three examples in this sentence.
• When we’re sleeping, our bodies and brains are still working to keepcomplex transitive verb usdirect object healthy and happyobject predicative (adjective phrase). (Agostini 2019)
• Over 75% of participantssubject considercomplex transitive verb itdirect object good or very goodobject predicative (adjective phrase). (Rosell-Aguilar 2018)
• We need to remember that Nauru wasn’t always like this. Wesubject helped makecomplex transitive verb itdirect object what it is todayobject predicative (wh-clause). (Kanngieser 2018)