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retained object
noun
, Grammar.
- an object in a passive construction identical with the direct or indirect object in the active construction from which it is derived, as the picture in I was shown the picture, which is also the direct object in the active construction ( They ) showed me the picture.
retained object
noun
- grammar a direct or indirect object of a passive verb. The phrase the drawings in the sentence Harry was given the drawings is a retained object
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Word History and Origins
Origin of retained object1
First recorded in 1930–35
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Example Sentences
The direct object after a passive verb is often called the retained object.
From Project Gutenberg
A noun clause may be used as the retained object of a passive verb ( 253).
From Project Gutenberg
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