Resultative
A resultative is a phrase that indicates the state of a noun resulting from the completion of the verb. In the English examples below, the resultative phrase is shown in bold and the affected noun is in italics:
- John licked his plate clean.
- Mary painted the fence blue.
- The cold weather froze the lake solid.
Subjects of passive and unaccusative verbs may also participate in resulative constructions:
- Passive: The well was drained dry.
- Unaccusative: The door swung open.
Subjects of unergative verbs may also participate in resultative constructions, but a "dummy object", that is, an otherwise absent reflexive pronoun must be inserted:
- Gordon laughed himself helpless.
- The child screamed itself hoarse.
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