xcomp: open clausal complement
An open clausal complement (xcomp) of a verb or an adjective is a core argument of the verb, which is without its own subject and for which the reference of the subject is necessarily determined by an argument external to the xcomp. The third requirement is often referred to as obligatory control.
An xcomp can also be described as a predicative complement. The subject of the xcomp is normally, but not always, controlled by the object of the next higher clause, if there is one, or else by the subject of the next higher clause. These clauses tend to be non-finite in many languages, but they can be finite as well.
Aš pradėjau čia dirbti vakar . \n I started working here yesterday .
xcomp(pradėjau, dirbti)
xcomp(started, working)
In Lithuanian, the relation xcomp is used to annotate infinitival complements in complex verbal predicates (including secondary infinitives) when they occur with modal verbs such as galėti (can), sugebėti (be able), pajėgti (be capable), pavykti (succeed), privalėti (must), turėti (have to), reikia (need), tenka (have to), norėti (want), geisti (desire), trokšti (long for), ketinti (intend), vertėti (be worth), as well as with aspectual (phase) verbs such as pradėti (start), baigti (finish), imti (begin), and mesti (stop).
Mes norime susitikti . \n We want to-meet .
xcomp(norime, susitikti)
xcomp(want, to-meet)
Jie pradėjo juoktis . \n They started laughing .
xcomp(pradėjo, juoktis)
xcomp(started, laughing)
Senelis nori pajėgti dirbti . \n Grandfather wants to-be-able to-work .
xcomp(nori, pajėgti)
xcomp(pajėgti, dirbti)
xcomp(wants, to-be-able)
xcomp(to-be-able, to-work)
When a modal verb combines with a nominal predicate linked by the copula būti (“to be”), the nominal element is annotated as xcomp.
Mama gali būti gera draugė . \n Mother can be a-good friend .
xcomp(gali, draugė)
cop(draugė, būti)
xcomp(can, friend)
cop(friend, be)
In Lithuanian, the xcomp relation is also used to annotate participles in complex verbal predicates when both the participial predicate and the matrix verb share the same subject.
Ji sakė suprantanti . \n She said she-understands .
xcomp(sakė, suprantanti)
xcomp(said, she-understands)
The xcomp relation is also used to annotate obligatory secondary predicatives (i.e. predicative complements) of the main predicate. This includes the nominal or adjectival complement of a complex predicate with a “non-canonical” copular-like construction, such as verbs meaning pretend, seem, become, act, feel, etc. (e.g. apsimesti “pretend”, atrodyti “seem”, darytis “become”, dėtis “act as if”, jaustis “feel”, (iš)likti “remain”, daryti / padaryti “make”, pasidaryti “become”, pasijusti “feel oneself”, pasirodyti / rodytis “appear/seem”, tapti “become”).
Mergaitė atrodė linksma . \n The-girl seemed cheerful .
xcomp(atrodė, linksma)
xcomp(seemed, cheerful)
Katinas apsimeta miegąs . \n The-cat pretends to-be-sleeping .
xcomp(apsimeta, miegąs)
xcomp(pretends, to-be-sleeping)
Jis pasijuto nejaukiai . \n He felt uncomfortable .
xcomp(pasijuto, nejaukiai)
xcomp(felt, uncomfortable)
The xcomp relation is also used to annotate nominal predicates in the instrumental case when they occur with the above-mentioned “non-canonical” copular-like verbs and with the verb būti (“to be”).
Jie apsimetė herojais . \n They pretended to-be-heores .
xcomp(apsimetė, herojais)
xcomp(pretended, to-be-heores)
Tikintieji būdavo stebėtojais . \n The-believers used-to-be observers .
xcomp(būdavo, stebėtojais)
xcomp(used-to-be, observers)
The xcomp relation is also used with certain other verbs such as (pa)skelbti (“declare”), (pa)skirti (“appoint”), and įvardinti (“name”), when they take an obligatory secondary predicative complement.
Skelbiu šį sąrašą baigtą . \n I-declare this list finished .
xcomp(Skelbiu, baigtą)
xcomp(I-declare, finished)
Atsakingas paskiriamas tas padalinys . \n That department is-appointed as-responsible .
xcomp(paskiriamas, Atsakingas)
xcomp(is-appointed, as-responsible)
However, when the secondary predicative is expressed in the instrumental case, it is annotated as obl:arg (oblique argument) rather than xcomp.
Skelbiu šį sąrašą baigtu . \n I-declare this list finished .
obl:arg(Skelbiu, baigtu)
obl:arg(I-declare, finished)
Darbuotojai skiriami darbų vadovais . \n Employees are-appointed-as work supervisors .
obl:arg(skiriami, vadovais)
obl:arg(are-appointed-as, supervisors)
The xcomp relation is also used to annotate nominal predicates in the instrumental case when they occur with certain transitive verbs such as (pri)versti (“force”), įpareigoti (“oblige”), prašyti (“ask”), raginti (“urge”), skatinti (“encourage”), kviesti (“invite”), as well as with the verb būti (“to be”).
Aš raginu visus būti supratingais . \n I urge everyone to-be understanding .
ccomp(raginu, būti)
xcomp(būti, supratingais)
ccomp(urge, to-be)
xcomp(to-be, understanding)
Contrast xcomp with other complement clauses where there is an overt subject or no obligatory control, which use ccomp:
Jis sakė , kad tu mėgsti plaukioti . \n He said you like swimming .
ccomp(sakė, mėgsti)
xcomp(mėgsti, plaukioti)
ccomp(said, like)
xcomp(like, swimming)
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]