Lesson 12: The 把 sentence (1): 把 + object + verb + 在/到/给/成

The 把 sentence is a verbal-predicate sentence in which the preposition “把” and its object function as an adverbial. The function of “把” is “提宾” — moving the object forward.

In Chinese, the verb serving as the predicate and its resultative complement are always closely joined, and nothing else can be inserted between them. When the predicate verb takes 在, 到, 给, or 成 as a resultative complement, the object of those words must follow right after them. And if the predicate verb itself has an object, that object cannot go after the verb, cannot go after the resultative complement, and certainly cannot go after the structure "verb + 在/到/给/成". So “把” is needed to move the object of the predicate verb in front of the verb, forming a 把 sentence.

The purpose of moving the object forward is to keep the sentence balanced: in a Chinese verbal-predicate sentence, what follows the verb must not be too long or too complex, whereas the adverbial before the verb can be very long and can be very complex.

This kind of 把 sentence expresses the idea that an action causes some definite thing (the object of “把”) to undergo a change or to produce a certain result. This change or result is usually a change of form, a change of relationship (possession), or a change of position...