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in line 5. Here, we see 且 linking to simple SVs, but it may elsewhere link more complex
V-O phrases, such as:

駭獸且害人
hài shòu qǐe hài rén: “. . . frightens animals and harms people.”

(駭 hài: [V] to frighten; 獸 shòu: [N] wild animals; 害 hài: [V] to harm)

7.3 Pre-pivotal verbs

The phrase:
令人老

illustrates the function of what are known as pre-pivotal verbs. Here, 令 functions as such
a verb. Pre-pivotal verbs are verbs that take an object which becomes the subject of a
second verb.
V 1 O/S V 2

The object/subject word is called the “pivot” of the phrase, because the phrase turns on its
shift from object to subject. In this phrase, the pivot is 人 (which in this particular
context actually refers to the speaker, and functions as “I”); it is the object of 令 and the
subject of 老.

There are a set of verbs that commonly function as pre-pivotal verbs. These include:

令 lìng: to order or cause someone [to do something]
命 mìng: to order someone [to do something]
使 shǐ: to cause someone [to do something]

Other verbs with meanings such as “force,” “compel,” and so forth can function in this
way as well.

7.4 Poetic parallelism

Perfect parallelism is a feature of Chinese poetic composition and frequently
characterizes prose as well. We have earlier examined false parallelism. Lines 7 and 8 of
this poem exemplify the perfect parallelism that was highly prized in all sorts of
composition. Lines 9 and 10 show a more common and entirely acceptable rough
parallelism.