TransWikia.com

With object adjective

English Language & Usage Asked on March 12, 2021

I just watched a movie in which someone more or less says “Oh yeah, with him dead, you want me hacking the computer”
My question: to what extent can I use this construction? Is it grammatically right to say “with them mad at me, I wanna do it”

One Answer

This is a verbless clause as complement to with where with is followed by subject + predicate, but with no verb in the predicate (CaGEL p1267). It is also possible to use without as head of the PP:

They were wandering around [without any clothes on]

With and without do not license finite complements, but non-finites are found in addition to verbless forms:

Without her realising it, Fabia's thoughts drifted back to the Gloucestershire home

Without anything said, Tuathal turned in the saddle and held up a flat palm for silence

The predicate could be a gerund-participial, a past participial, NP, PP or AdjP.

Answered by DW256 on March 12, 2021

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question

Get help from others!

© 2024 TransWikia.com. All rights reserved. Sites we Love: PCI Database, UKBizDB, Menu Kuliner, Sharing RPP