xcomp: open clausal complement
An open clausal complement (xcomp) of a verb or an adjective is a predicative or clausal complement without its own subject. The reference of the subject is necessarily determined by an argument external to the xcomp (normally by the subject of the next higher clause). This is often referred to as obligatory control.
These complements are always non-finite, and they are complements (arguments of the higher verb or adjective) rather than adjuncts/modifiers, such as a purpose clause.
The name xcomp is borrowed from Lexical-Functional Grammar.
# visual-style 4 9 xcomp color:blue
1 Քրիստոսի Քրիստոս PROPN _ Animacy=Hum|Case=Dat|Definite=Ind|NameType=Prs|Number=Sing 2 nmod:poss _ _
2 դատաստանին դատաստան NOUN _ Animacy=Nhum|Case=Dat|Definite=Def|Number=Sing 3 nmod:poss _ _
3 աւրինակովն աւրինակ NOUN _ Animacy=Nhum|Case=Ins|Definite=Def|Number=Sing|Style=Var 4 obl _ _
4 պարտի պարտել VERB _ Aspect=Imp|Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Polarity=Pos|Style=Arch|Subcat=Tran|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin|Voice=Act 0 root _ _
5 թագաւորն թագաւոր NOUN _ Animacy=Hum|Case=Nom|Definite=Def|Number=Sing 4 nsubj _ _
6-7 զիր _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
6 զ զ ADP _ AdpType=Prep 8 case _ _
7 իր իր DET _ Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Poss|Reflex=Yes 8 det:poss _ _
8 իրաւունքն իրաւունք NOUN _ Animacy=Nhum|Case=Acc|Definite=Def|Number=Sing 9 obj _ _
9 տանել տանել VERB _ Polarity=Pos|Subcat=Tran|VerbForm=Inf|Voice=Act 4 xcomp _ _
10 ըղորդ ըղորդ ADV _ _ 9 advmod _ _
# visual-style 32 34 xcomp color:blue
1 Գրաստ գրաստ NOUN _ Case=Nom|Definite=Ind|Number=Sing 13 dislocated _ SpaceAfter=No|Translit=Grast|LTranslit=grast
2 , , PUNCT _ _ 4 punct _ Translit=,|LTranslit=,
3 որու որ PRON _ Case=Dat|Number=Sing|PronType=Rel 4 iobj _ Translit=orow|LTranslit=or
4 լինի լինել VERB _ Aspect=Imp|Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Style=Arch|Subcat=Intr|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin|Voice=Mid 1 acl:relcl _ Translit=lini|LTranslit=linel
5 ու ու CCONJ _ _ 6 cc _ Translit=ow|LTranslit=ow
6 բնակի բնակիլ VERB _ Aspect=Imp|Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Style=Arch|Subcat=Intr|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin|Voice=Mid 4 conj _ Translit=bnaki|LTranslit=bnakil
7 յ ի ADP _ AdpType=Prep 8 case _ SpaceAfter=No|Translit=y|LTranslit=i
8 ինք ինք PRON _ Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 6 obl _ Translit=ink’|LTranslit=ink’
9 այս այս DET _ Deixis=Prox|PronType=Dem 10 det _ Translit=ays|LTranslit=ays
10 ցաւս ցաւ NOUN _ Case=Nom|Deixis[psor]=Prox|Number=Sing 4 nsubj _ SpaceAfter=No|Translit=c’aws|LTranslit=c’aw
11 , , PUNCT _ _ 13 punct _ Translit=,|LTranslit=,
12 նա նա SCONJ _ _ 13 mark _ Translit=na|LTranslit=na
13 առնէին առնել VERB _ Aspect=Imp|Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Style=Arch|Subcat=Tran|Tense=Imp|VerbForm=Fin|Voice=Act 0 root _ Translit=aṙnēin|LTranslit=aṙnel
14 և և CCONJ _ _ 15 cc _ Translit=ew|LTranslit=ew
15 թաղէին թաղել VERB _ Aspect=Imp|Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Style=Arch|Subcat=Tran|Tense=Imp|VerbForm=Fin|Voice=Act 13 conj _ Translit=t’aġēin|LTranslit=t’aġel
16 զ զ ADP _ AdpType=Prep 17 case _ SpaceAfter=No|Translit=z|LTranslit=z
17 ինք ինք PRON _ Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 15 obj _ Translit=ink’|LTranslit=ink’
18 ի ի ADP _ AdpType=Prep 20 case _ Translit=i|LTranslit=i
19 յ ի ADP _ AdpType=Prep 20 case _ SpaceAfter=No|Translit=y|LTranslit=i
20 աղբն աղբ NOUN _ Case=Nom|Definite=Def|Number=Sing 15 obl _ Translit=aġbn|LTranslit=aġb
21 ու ու CCONJ _ ExtPos=SCONJ 23 mark _ Translit=ow|LTranslit=ow
22 զ զ ADP _ AdpType=Prep 23 case _ SpaceAfter=No|Translit=z|LTranslit=z
23 գլուխն գլուխ NOUN _ Case=Nom|Definite=Def|Number=Sing 13 advcl _ Translit=glowxn|LTranslit=glowx
24 ի ի ADP _ AdpType=Prep 25 case _ Translit=i|LTranslit=i
25 դուրս դուրս NOUN _ Case=Nom|Definite=Ind|Number=Sing 23 nmod:npmod _ SpaceAfter=No|Translit=dowrs|LTranslit=dowrs
26 , , PUNCT _ _ 29 punct _ Translit=,|LTranslit=,
27 որ որ SCONJ _ _ 29 mark _ Translit=or|LTranslit=or
28 շունչն շունչ NOUN _ Case=Nom|Definite=Def|Number=Sing 29 nsubj _ Translit=šownč’n|LTranslit=šownč’
29 ելնէր ելնել VERB _ Aspect=Prosp|Mood=Sub|Number=Sing|Person=3|Polarity=Pos|Subcat=Intr|Tense=Imp|VerbForm=Fin|Voice=Mid 23 advcl _ SpaceAfter=No|Translit=elnēr|LTranslit=elnel
30 , , PUNCT _ _ 32 punct _ Translit=,|LTranslit=,
31 մինչև մինչև SCONJ _ _ 32 mark _ Translit=minč’ew|LTranslit=minč’ew
32 գայր գալ VERB _ Aspect=Prosp|Mood=Sub|Number=Sing|Person=3|Polarity=Pos|Subcat=Intr|Tense=Imp|VerbForm=Fin|Voice=Mid 13 advcl _ Translit=gayr|LTranslit=gal
33 և և CCONJ _ _ 34 cc _ Translit=ew|LTranslit=ew
34 քրտնէր քրտնիլ VERB _ Aspect=Prosp|Mood=Sub|Number=Sing|Person=3|Polarity=Pos|Subcat=Intr|Tense=Imp|VerbForm=Fin|Voice=Mid 32 xcomp _ SpaceAfter=No|Translit=k’rtnēr|LTranslit=k’rtnil
35 ։ ։ PUNCT _ _ 13 punct _ Translit=.|LTranslit=.
Note that the above condition “without its own subject” does not mean that a clause is an xcomp just because its subject is not overt.
The subject must be necessarily inherited from a fixed position in the higher clause. That is, there should be no available interpretation where the subject of the lower clause may be distinct from the specified role of the upper clause. In cases where the missing subject may or must be distinct from a fixed role in the higher clause, ccomp should be used instead. This includes cases of arbitrary subjects and anaphoric control.
Secondary Predicates
The xcomp relation is also used in constructions that are known as secondary predicates or predicatives.
Remember that xcomp is used for core arguments of clausal predicates so it will not be used for other instances of secondary predication.
xcomp in other languages: [axm] [bg] [bm] [cop] [cs] [de] [el] [en] [es] [eu] [fi] [fr] [fro] [ga] [gsw] [hy] [it] [ka] [kk] [la] [lt] [ml] [naq] [no] [oge] [pa] [pal] [pcm] [pt] [qpm] [ru] [sl] [ssp] [sv] [swl] [tr] [u] [vi] [xcl] [yue] [zh]