Grammatical Functions(60) a we all saw Wendy
b Wendy was seen –
This process is restricted to object and does not happen to other kinds of complements:
(61) a [DP the bike] was put [PP in the shed]
b [DP the voucher] was given [PP to the attendant]
a [PP in the shed] was put [DP the bike]
c [PP to the attendant] was given [DP the voucher]
We have also seen that the object is a more limited complement in some ways. For
example, Verbs and Prepositions have objects, but nouns and adjectives do not:
(62) a see [DP the sights]
b to [DP the castle]
c a picture [DP his mother]
d regretful [DP his deeds]
The object following the preposition is called a prepositional object.
In the same way that subjects tend to have a Case form associated with them, so
too do objects. The object, when it sits in object position and is not moved to the
subject position as in (60), always appears in its accusative Case:
(63) a I saw him/her/them/etc.
b *I saw he/she/they/etc.
The prepositional object also must appear in the accusative form:(64) a I looked at him/her/them/etc.
b * I looked at he/she/they/etc.
Prepositional objects also sometimes undergo the same movements that verbal objects
do, for example in passive structures:
(65) a the doctor looked at her
b she was looked at – by the doctor
However, this phenomenon is complex and not all objects of prepositions can undergo
this movement:
(66) *the doctor was stood near by the patient
(cf. the patient stood near the doctor)
Quite what determines when a prepositional object may undergo this movement and
when it may not is not well understood. It seems to have something to do with the
relationship between the verb that is passivised and the preposition whose object moves:
the closer the relationship, the more likely the object will be able to move. Thus the at
preposition in (65) is closely related to the verb, heading the PP complement of this
verb. The near preposition in (66) does not head a PP complement, but a PP that
modifies the verb. Modification is not such a close relationship as it is not indicated in
a head’s lexical entry, but can be fairly freely be added to any appropriate head.