Verb classes that license a secondary (object) predicatives

Resultative-licensing verbs

These verbs allow the object to be associated with a resulting state.

Verb	Example
leave	leave the door unlocked
keep	keep the door closed
make	make the room quiet
render	render the plan useless
paint	paint the wall green
wipe	wipe the table clean

Change-of-state/causative verbs

The event causes the object to acquire a new property.

Verb	Example
turn	turn the lights off
drive	drive him mad
push	push the door open
hammer	hammer the metal flat

Perception and discovery verbs

These license depictive secondary predicatives.

Verb	Example
find	find the door locked
see	see him drunk
catch	catch him sleeping
notice	notice the window open

Evaluation/judgment verbs

The predicative assigns a role, status, or evaluation to the object.

Verb	Example
consider	consider him competent
judge	judge the plan risky
elect	elect her president
appoint	appoint him chair

Key CGEL point

• These verbs license a complex complement structure:
  Object NP + secondary predicative

• The predicative is predicated of the object, not selected by the noun and not a free adjunct.

Comprehensive list

Verb	Type / Function	Example
appoint	Evaluation / object complement	appoint him chair
catch	Depictive / object-oriented adjunct	catch him sleeping
consider	Evaluation / object complement	consider him competent
cost	Resultative / object complement	That cost me dearly¹
drive	Change-of-state / resultative object complement	drive him mad
elect	Evaluation / object complement	elect her president
find	Depictive / object-oriented adjunct	find the door locked
get	Resultative / object complement	get the door open
hammer	Change-of-state / resultative object complement	hammer the metal flat
help	Depictive / object-oriented adjunct	help him ready (rare)
keep	Resultative-licensing / object complement	keep the door closed
leave	Resultative-licensing / object complement	leave the door unlocked
let	Resultative / object complement	let the water run cold
make	Resultative-licensing / object complement	make the room quiet
notice	Depictive / object-oriented adjunct	notice the window open
paint	Resultative-licensing / object complement	paint the wall green
push	Change-of-state / resultative object complement	push the door open
render	Resultative-licensing / object complement	render the plan useless
see	Depictive / object-oriented adjunct	see him drunk
watch	Depictive / object-oriented adjunct	watch him leave angry

📌 Resultative / object complement verbs: These verbs commonly allow a phrase after the object to indicate a resulting state of the object

get the door open

push the box aside

📌 Depictive verbs (secondary adjuncts) These verbs allow adjectives to describe the state of a participant during the action:

see him drunk

find the problem resolved

📌 Evaluation / judgment verbs Often used with object complements that assign roles, status, or qualities:

consider her capable

elect her president