An open clausal complement (xcomp) of a verb or an adjective is a
predicative or clausal complement without its own subject. The
reference of the subject is necessarily determined by an argument
external to the xcomp (normally by the subject of the next higher
clause). This is often referred to as obligatory control.
These complements are always non-finite, and they are
complements (arguments of the higher verb or adjective) rather than
adjuncts/modifiers, such as a purpose clause. The name xcomp is
borrowed from Lexical-Functional Grammar.
Note that the above condition “without its own subject” does not mean that a
clause is an xcomp just because its subject is not overt.
The subject must be necessarily inherited from a fixed position in the higher clause.
That is, there should be no available interpretation where the subject of the lower clause may be distinct
from the specified role of the upper clause.
In cases where the missing subject may or must be distinct from a fixed role in the higher clause,
ccomp should be used instead, as below. This includes cases of arbitrary subjects and anaphoric control.
Начальник приказал выкопать ров . \n Boss ordered to-dig ditch .
ccomp(приказал, выкопать)
ccomp(ordered, to-dig)
Pro-drop languages have clauses where the subject is not present as a separate word,
yet it is inherently present (and often deducible from the form of the verb)
and it does not depend on arguments from a higher clause.
Thus in neither of the following two Russian examples is there any overt subject,
yet only the second example contains an xcomp.
Пишу , потому что я это обещал . \n I-write , because that I-have it promised .
advcl(Пишу, обещал)
advcl(I-write, promised)
Я обещал писать . \n I have-promised to-write .
xcomp(обещал, писать)
xcomp(have-promised, to-write)
Treebank Statistics (UD_Russian)
This relation is universal.
581 nodes (1%) are attached to their parents as xcomp.
559 instances of xcomp (96%) are left-to-right (parent precedes child).
Average distance between parent and child is 1.73666092943201.
The following 8 pairs of parts of speech are connected with xcomp: VERB-VERB (496; 85% instances), ADJ-VERB (60; 10% instances), VERB-NOUN (9; 2% instances), VERB-ADJ (7; 1% instances), ADV-VERB (5; 1% instances), NOUN-VERB (2; 0% instances), ADJ-NOUN (1; 0% instances), AUX-VERB (1; 0% instances).
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1 Хозяин ХОЗЯИН NOUN NN Animacy=Anim|Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing 2 nsubj _ _
2 может МОЧЬ VERB VBC Aspect=Imp|Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _
3 устроить УСТРОИТЬ VERB VB Aspect=Perf|VerbForm=Inf 2 xcomp _ _
4 своего СВОЙ DET PRP$ Animacy=Anim|Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Reflex=Yes 5 det _ _
5 питомца ПИТОМЕЦ NOUN NN Animacy=Anim|Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing 3 obj _ _
6 на НА ADP IN _ 7 case _ _
7 работу РАБОТА NOUN NN Animacy=Inan|Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing 3 obl _ SpaceAfter=No
8 . . PUNCT . _ 2 punct _ _
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1 При ПРИ ADP IN _ 2 case _ _
2 этом ЭТО PRON DT Animacy=Inan|Case=Loc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing 5 nmod _ _
3 ягоды ЯГОДА NOUN NN Animacy=Inan|Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Plur 5 nsubj:pass _ _
4 всегда ВСЕГДА ADV RB _ 5 advmod _ _
5 должны ДОЛЖЕН ADJ JJH Animacy=Inan|Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Variant=Short 0 root _ _
6 быть БЫТЬ AUX VB Aspect=Imp|VerbForm=Inf 7 aux:pass _ _
7 покрыты ПОКРЫТЬ VERB VBNH Animacy=Inan|Aspect=Perf|Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Tense=Past|Variant=Short|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 5 xcomp _ _
8 жидкостью ЖИДКОСТЬ NOUN NN Animacy=Inan|Case=Ins|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing 7 iobj _ SpaceAfter=No
9 . . PUNCT . _ 5 punct _ _
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1 В В ADP IN _ 2 case _ _
2 сезоне СЕЗОН NOUN NN Animacy=Inan|Case=Loc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing 4 obl _ _
3 2001/02 2001/02 ADJ ORD Animacy=Inan|Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing 2 amod _ _
4 помог ПОМОЧЬ VERB VBC Aspect=Perf|Gender=Masc|Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _
5 норильчанам НОРИЛЬЧАНИН NOUN NN Animacy=Anim|Case=Dat|Gender=Masc|Number=Plur 4 iobj _ _
6 стать СТАТЬ AUX VB Aspect=Perf|VerbForm=Inf 7 cop _ _
7 чемпионами ЧЕМПИОН NOUN NN Animacy=Anim|Case=Ins|Gender=Masc|Number=Plur 4 xcomp _ _
8 России РОССИЯ PROPN NNP Animacy=Inan|Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing 7 nmod _ SpaceAfter=No
9 . . PUNCT . _ 4 punct _ _
Treebank Statistics (UD_Russian-SynTagRus)
This relation is universal.
7886 nodes (1%) are attached to their parents as xcomp.
7479 instances of xcomp (95%) are left-to-right (parent precedes child).
Average distance between parent and child is 1.78113111843774.
The following 14 pairs of parts of speech are connected with xcomp: VERB-VERB (7833; 99% instances), NOUN-VERB (12; 0% instances), PRON-VERB (7; 0% instances), VERB-ADV (6; 0% instances), PUNCT-VERB (5; 0% instances), VERB-NOUN (5; 0% instances), PART-VERB (4; 0% instances), CCONJ-VERB (3; 0% instances), VERB-NUM (3; 0% instances), PROPN-VERB (2; 0% instances), VERB-PRON (2; 0% instances), VERB-PROPN (2; 0% instances), NUM-VERB (1; 0% instances), SCONJ-VERB (1; 0% instances).
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1 Алгоритм алгоритм NOUN _ Animacy=Inan|Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing 2 nsubj 2:nsubj _
2 может мочь VERB _ Aspect=Imp|Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin|Voice=Act 0 root 0:root _
3 быть быть AUX _ Aspect=Imp|VerbForm=Inf|Voice=Act 4 aux:pass 4:aux:pass _
4 записан записывать VERB _ Aspect=Perf|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Tense=Past|Variant=Short|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 2 xcomp 2:xcomp _
5 словами слово NOUN _ Animacy=Inan|Case=Ins|Gender=Neut|Number=Plur 4 obl 4:obl _
6 и и CCONJ _ _ 7 cc 7:cc _
7 изображён изображать VERB _ Aspect=Perf|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Tense=Past|Variant=Short|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 4 conj 4:conj _
8 схематически схематически ADV _ Degree=Pos 7 advmod 7:advmod SpaceAfter=No
9 . . PUNCT _ _ 8 punct 8:punct _
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1 Некому некого NOUN _ Animacy=Anim|Case=Dat|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing 0 root 0:root _
2 было быть VERB _ Aspect=Imp|Gender=Neut|Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin|Voice=Act 1 cop 1:cop _
3 бы бы PART _ Mood=Cnd 1 aux 1:aux _
4 уничтожать уничтожать VERB _ Aspect=Imp|VerbForm=Inf|Voice=Act 1 xcomp 1:xcomp _
5 гниющие гнить VERB _ Animacy=Inan|Aspect=Imp|Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Act 6 amod 6:amod _
6 остатки остатки NOUN _ Animacy=Inan|Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Plur 4 obj 4:obj _
7 растений растение NOUN _ Animacy=Inan|Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Plur 6 nmod 6:nmod _
8 и и CCONJ _ _ 9 cc 9:cc _
9 животных животное NOUN _ Animacy=Anim|Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Plur 7 conj 7:conj SpaceAfter=No
10 , , PUNCT _ _ 9 punct 9:punct _
11 и и CCONJ _ _ 14 cc 14:cc _
12 мы мы PRON _ Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1 14 nsubj 14:nsubj _
13 бы бы PART _ Mood=Cnd 14 aux 14:aux _
14 утопали утопать VERB _ Aspect=Imp|Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin|Voice=Act 1 conj 1:conj _
15 в в ADP _ _ 16 case 16:case _
16 них они PRON _ Case=Loc|Number=Plur|Person=3 14 obl 14:obl SpaceAfter=No
17 . . PUNCT _ _ 16 punct 16:punct _
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1 Однако однако ADV _ Degree=Pos 4 advmod 4:advmod _
2 в в ADP _ _ 3 case 3:case _
3 геологии геология NOUN _ Animacy=Inan|Case=Loc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing 4 nmod 4:nmod _
4 известно известный ADJ _ Degree=Pos|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Variant=Short 0 root 0:root _
5 более более ADV _ Degree=Cmp 6 advmod 6:advmod _
6 точно точно ADV _ Degree=Pos 4 advmod 4:advmod SpaceAfter=No
7 , , PUNCT _ _ 6 punct 6:punct _
8 что что PRON _ Case=Nom 4 orphan 8.1:nsubj _
8.1 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4:nsubj _
9 и и CCONJ _ _ 11 cc 11:cc _
10 как как ADV _ Degree=Pos 11 advmod 11:advmod _
11 эволюционировало эволюционировать VERB _ Aspect=Imp|Gender=Neut|Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin|Voice=Act 4 orphan 8.1:conj SpaceAfter=No
12 , , PUNCT _ _ 11 punct 11:punct _
13 и и CCONJ _ _ 15 cc 15:cc _
14 мы мы PRON _ Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1 15 nsubj 15:nsubj _
15 умеем уметь VERB _ Aspect=Imp|Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin|Voice=Act 4 conj 4:conj _
16 датировать датировать VERB _ Aspect=Imp|VerbForm=Inf|Voice=Act 15 xcomp 15:xcomp _
17 события событие NOUN _ Animacy=Inan|Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Plur 16 obj 16:obj SpaceAfter=No
18 . . PUNCT _ _ 17 punct 17:punct _