retained object

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Definition

Noun: In grammar, a retained object is a grammatical object that remains in the object position after its verb has been changed from the active voice to the passive voice. It is the object of a preposition (usually 'to' or 'for') in the active sentence that is kept when the sentence becomes passive.

Usage

The term is used specifically in the analysis of English sentence structure. A retained object occurs when a verb that takes two objects (a direct object and an indirect object) in the active voice is put into the passive voice. The direct object typically becomes the subject of the passive sentence, and the indirect object remains, becoming the retained object.

Examples
  • In the active sentence "The teacher gave the student a book," 'a book' is the direct object and 'the student' is the indirect object.
  • In the corresponding passive sentence "A book was given to the student by the teacher," 'a book' is now the subject. The phrase 'to the student' contains the retained object ('the student').
  • Active: "She baked him a cake." (Direct object: 'a cake', Indirect object: 'him')
  • Passive: "A cake was baked for him by her." Here, 'him' within the prepositional phrase 'for him' is the retained object.
Advanced Usage
  • The concept of a retained object highlights that not all elements are "promoted" to subject in a passive transformation. Some arguments of the verb are "retained" in their object-like function, though they usually appear inside a prepositional phrase.
  • Some grammarians analyze this structure as a prepositional object or an oblique object rather than a retained object, but the term is standard in traditional and pedagogical grammar.
Variants and Related Words
  • Direct Object: The primary object that receives the direct action of the verb (e.g., 'a book' in "gave a book").
  • Indirect Object: The secondary object that is the recipient or beneficiary of the action (e.g., 'the student' in "gave the student a book").
  • Passive Voice: A grammatical construction where the subject of the sentence is the recipient of the action, formed with a form of 'be' + past participle.
Synonyms
  • Oblique Object (in some grammatical frameworks)
Related Phrases / Constructions
  • Passive of Ditransitive Verb: This is the grammatical construction where a retained object appears. A ditransitive verb (like ) can take both a direct and an indirect object, allowing for this passive transformation.
Noun
  1. an object in a passive construction