Factitive Verb – Everything You Need to Know

A factitive verb is a special type of verb in English that takes both an object and an object complement. In simpler terms, it “creates” or “makes” something new about the object. For example, in the sentence “They named the baby Rima,” the verb named is a factitive verb because it assigns a new name (object complement) to the object (the baby).

এই পৃষ্ঠায় আমরা Factitive Verb সংক্রান্ত বিভিন্ন দিক নিয়ে আলোচনা করব।

A Factitive Verb is a special transformational verb that assigns a new identity, role, or state to the direct object through an object complement.

অর্থাৎ, factitive verbs হলো এমন ক্রিয়া যা object-কে একটি নতুন অবস্থা বা পরিচয় দেয়। অনেক সময়, এগুলোকে resultative verbs হিসেবেও উল্লেখ করা হয়।

তাহলে আমরা প্রশ্ন করতে পারি: কখন একটি Verb বা ক্রিয়া 'Factitive Verb' হবে বা 'Factitive Verb' হিসেবে কাজ করবে?

একটি Verb তখনই Factitive Verb হবে, যখন তা দুটি Object নেবে:

• Direct Object (যে ব্যক্তি/বস্তু ক্রিয়ার দ্বারা প্রভাবিত হয়)
• Object Complement (যেটা Direct Object-এর নতুন পরিচয় বা অবস্থা প্রকাশ করে)

Factitive Verb বুঝতে হলে একটা সহজ টেস্ট আছে:

নিচের দুটো উদাহরণ লক্ষ্য করুন:

Factitive verbs assign a new identity, role, or state to an object in a sentence. Below is a list of commonly used factitive verbs, their Bangla meanings, and examples for better understanding.

1. Make (বানানো, তৈরি করা)
   We made him captain.
   আমরা তাকে ক্যাপ্টেন বানিয়েছে।


2. Name (নামকরণ করা)
   They named the baby Rima.
   তারা শিশুটির নাম রিমা রেখেছে।


3. Appoint (নিয়োগ করা)
   They appointed her manager.
   তারা তাকে ম্যানেজার হিসেবে নিয়োগ দিয়েছে।


4. Select (নির্বাচন করা)
   The committee selected her the leader.
   কমিটি তাকে নেতা হিসেবে নির্বাচিত করেছে।


5. Elect (নির্বাচিত করা)
   The team elected John captain.
   দল জনকে ক্যাপ্টেন হিসেবে নির্বাচিত করেছে।


6. Call (ডাকা, অভিহিত করা)
   They called him a genius.
   তারা তাকে প্রতিভাবান বলে ডাকল।


7. Consider (বিবেচনা করা, মনে করা)
   She considers him a good friend.
   সে তাকে একজন ভালো বন্ধু মনে করে।


8. Label (লেবেল লাগানো, চিহ্নিত করা)
   They labeled him a fraud.
   তারা তাকে প্রতারক বলে চিহ্নিত করেছে।


9. Render (পরিণত করা, বানিয়ে ফেলা)
   The decision rendered him powerless.
   সিদ্ধান্তটি তাকে ক্ষমতাহীন করে তুলেছে।


10. Declare (ঘোষণা করা)
    They declared the project a success.
    তারা প্রকল্পটিকে সফল বলে ঘোষণা করেছে।


11. Deem (বিবেচনা করা, গণ্য করা)
    We deem this policy ineffective.
    আমরা এই নীতিকে অকার্যকর বলে মনে করি।


12. Brand (অভিহিত করা, অপবাদ দেওয়া)
    They branded him a traitor.
    তারা তাকে দেশদ্রোহী বলে অভিহিত করেছে।

The following examples of factitive verbs in a sentence, with a detailed breakdown and Bangla meanings, will help you understand the concept of factitive verbs more effectively.

1. They made him leader.
   - Factitive verb: made
   - Object: him
   - Object complement: leader
   - বাংলা অর্থ: “তারা তাকে নেতা বানাল।”


2. We elected her president.
   - Factitive verb: elected
   - Object: her
   - Object complement: president
   - বাংলা অর্থ: “আমরা তাকে সভাপতি নির্বাচন করেছি।”


3. The club named the baby tiger “Sheru.”
   - Factitive verb: named
   - Object: the baby tiger
   - Object complement: Sheru
   - বাংলা অর্থ: “ক্লাবটি বাচ্চা বাঘটির নাম রাখল ‘Sheru’।”


4. They consider the plan a success.
   - Factitive verb: consider
   - Object: the plan
   - Object complement: a success
   - বাংলা অর্থ: “তারা পরিকল্পনাটিকে সাফল্য বলে মনে করে।”

Factitive verbs are unique because they assign a new identity, role, or state to the object. They follow a specific structure, where the object undergoes a transformation. Below, you'll find active-passive transformations of factitive verbs, helping you understand how they function in different sentence structures. Practice these examples to solidify your grasp of factitive verbs in both active and passive voice!

In factitive sentences, the factitive verb is followed by an object and an object complement (either a noun or an adjective). When a factitive verb is used in the passive voice, the object complement or factitive adjective still follows the factitive verb, maintaining the transformation of the object. The examples below illustrate how factitive verbs and their complements behave in both active and passive constructions.

✅ Active: They elected him president.

✅ Passive: He was elected president by them.

✅ Active: The school appointed Sarah the captain.

✅ Passive: Sarah was appointed captain by the school.

✅ Active: The manager named John the employee of the month.

✅ Passive: John was named the employee of the month by the manager.

✅ Active: The board declared the project a success.

✅ Passive: The project was declared a success by the board.

✅ Active: They considered the plan a failure.

✅ Passive: The plan was considered a failure by them.

✅ Active: The news made him happy.

✅ Passive: He was made happy by the news.

✅ Active: The team called her a genius.

✅ Passive: She was called a genius by the team.

✅ Active: The government rendered the policy ineffective.

✅ Passive: The policy was rendered ineffective by the government.

✅ Active: They labeled him a traitor.

✅ Passive: He was labeled a traitor by them.

✅ Active: The principal found the decision unacceptable.

✅ Passive: The decision was found unacceptable by the principal.

Just like Factitive Verbs assign a new identity, role, or state to an object, Factitive Adjectives describe the new state or condition of an object after an action.

In these cases, the adjective acts as an Object Complement, describing the new state of the object.

The following examples of factitive adjectives in a sentence, with a detailed breakdown and Bangla meanings, will help you understand the concept of factitive adjectives more effectively.

1. They made him angry.
   - Factitive verb: made
   - Object: him
   - Object complement (Factitive Adjective): angry
   - বাংলা অর্থ: “তারা তাকে রাগান্বিত করেছিল।”


2. The news rendered her speechless.
   - Factitive verb: rendered
   - Object: her
   - Object complement (Factitive Adjective): speechless
   - বাংলা অর্থ: “সংবাদটি তাকে নির্বাক করে দিয়েছে।”


3. The joke made us happy.
   - Factitive verb: made
   - Object: us
   - Object complement (Factitive Adjective): happy
   - বাংলা অর্থ: “রসিকতাটি আমাদের আনন্দিত করেছিল।”


4. The teacher found the explanation confusing.
   - Factitive verb: found
   - Object: the explanation
   - Object complement (Factitive Adjective): confusing
   - বাংলা অর্থ: “শিক্ষক ব্যাখ্যাটিকে বিভ্রান্তিকর বলে মনে করলেন।”

A Factitive Adjective exists in a sentence only when there is a Factitive Verb. This means that without a factitive verb, there is no Factitive Adjective. Factitive Verbs assign a new identity, role, or state to an object, and the Factitive Adjective acts as an object complement that describes the resulting state of the object.

The table below illustrates the subtle differences using a few examples. In both cases, a factitive verb is present, but only one column includes a factitive adjective. This means a factitive verb can take either a noun (noun phrase) or an adjective as its object complement.

Factitive Verbs সাধারণত নির্দিষ্ট কিছু ক্রিয়া যা Object-এর নতুন পরিচয় বা অবস্থা নির্দেশ করে। নীচের টেবিলটিতে আমরা মূল কয়েকটি factitive verb-কে (যেমন make, call, name, elect, consider) তুলনা করে দেখাবো কীভাবে এগুলো কখনও simple action হিসাবে, আবার কখনও factitive verb হিসাবে ব্যবহার হতে পারে।

এভাবে আপনি সহজেই বুঝতে পারবেন factitive verbs কি কি, কোথায় এগুলো সাধারণ ক্রিয়া হিসেবে আসে এবং কোথায় এগুলো বাক্যের object-কে নতুন কোনো পরিচয় বা বর্ণনা দেয়।

Many learners often confuse Factitive Verbs with Linking Verbs. However, their functions are quite different. Factitive verbs assign a new identity, role, or state to an object, whereas linking verbs simply describe or connect the subject to additional information. The table below highlights the key differences with examples.

As you can see, linking verbs describe an existing condition, while factitive verbs actively bring about a change in the object. If a verb assigns a new identity, title, or state to an object, it is a factitive verb.

Many learners often misuse factitive verbs by adding unnecessary words or misplacing object complements. Below are some common mistakes and their corrections:

• Factitive verbs take two objects—a Direct Object and an Object Complement.
• They do not require 'to be' or 'as' before the object complement.

Here are some common errors and how to correct them:

1. Factitive Verbs take two objects – A Direct Object + an Object Complement
2. They indicate a change in identity – Example: "They made her captain."
3. Common Factitive Verbs: Make, Call, Name, Elect, Consider, Appoint
4. Factitive ≠ Causative – Causative Verbs force an action instead.
5. Quick Test: If the object gets a new identity, it's a Factitive Verb!