Structure and Ways of Expressing

From the point of view of its structure, the object may be simple, phrasal, complex or clausal.

1. The simple object is expressed by a single word-form (a noun in the common case, a pronoun, a substantivised adjective or participle, a numeral, a gerund, an infinitive): I’ve never seen him. He decided to stop.

2. The phrasal object is expressed by a phrase (a nominal phrase, a gerundial phrase, an infinitive phrase): She was looking at the distant hills. A man hates being run after.

3. The complex object is expressed by a predicative construction (a gerundial construction, a for-to-infinitive construction, an objective infinitive construction, an objective construction with Participle I, an objective construction with Participle II, an objective construction with non-verbals): I’ve never seen her crying. I want it done at once.

4. The clausal object is expressed by a clause (an object clause): I don’t know what it was.