The predicate

The predicate denotes the action, state or property of the thing designated (indicated) by the subject. It’s grammatically dependent opon the subhect.

The predicate us classified into simple and compound. The simple predicate can be:

1. Simple verbal (expressed by a verb)
2. simple nominal: “He clever!?” (Adjective) He a general?! (Noun)

3. Infinitival: Mr Dinby to divorce his wife! (invinitive)

4. Phraseological predicate: He was probably loosing his marbles = going crazy (to have a smoke, to give a laugh – of the 1st type; to get rid, to make fun – of the 2nd type)

 

Compound predicate:

1. nominal predicate (СИС): link verb (a verb of incomplete predication) + predicative (the nominal part of the predicate). ‘He aws going mad. He grew more cheerful. He got(link) nervous(predicative).

2. Verbal: modal and aspect. ‘He came running’ (глаголы связки У Коушанской)

The compound Verbal Modal predicate can be expressed by:

1) modal verbs: must, etc;

2) modal expressions: to be/to have + infinitive; to be able, to be obliged, to be bound, to be willing, to be capable, to be going + the infinitive;

3) A verb with a modal meaning + the infinitive or Gerund (hope, expect, intend, try, endeavour);

4) The subjective Infinitive Counstrutcion(to be reported to, to be believed to, to appear not to, happen to know, seem to be)

The compound Verbal Aspectpredicate can be expressed by:

1)begin, cease, start, fall, go on, keep on, continue, stop or Gerund;

2)would, used to + the infinitive (repeated actions in the past)

3. The double predicate: He married young (He married and he was young). It consists of two parts, which can be revealed transformationally.

4. The predicate of double orientation: He is said to have done it(Говорят, он сделал это). The practical grammar analyses it as an expression of the nominative with the infinitive construction. According to this point of view, He is a subject, is said t have done is a predicate of double orientation. One part is oriented upon the subject (to have done)l the other refers to the subject beyond the limits of the sentence (is said)

5. Mixed types of the predicate:

5.1 The compound modal nominal predicate (… was to be the means…,… longed to be the next heir.,. mean to be unkind..)

5.2 The compound Aspect Nominal predicate (..had ceased to be a house…, began to feel hungry…)

5.3 The compound Modal Aspect Predicate (…had to keep on resisting…, had to begin living…)

The Secondary Parts. (are facultative)

1. object is a secondary part of the sentence which completes or resctricts the meaning of a verb or sometimes an adjective, a word denoting state, or a noun, which depends upon the predicate.

a) direct (give me a pen)

b) indirect (give me a pen)

c) prepositional (Come with me)

d) Cognate (родственный): he smiled a winner’s smile

e) complex – expressed by predicative constructions with the infinitive, participle and Gerund: I remember my mother singing song to me.

f) Formal: I find it strange to go there (expressed by an introductory it; to go – an infinitival phrase)

According to semantic roles objects are divided into (Бурлакова, Иванова, Почепцов):

The object of the object (I read the book)

The object of the addressee: He gives it to me

The object of the subject: I was blackmailed (шантажирован) by him

2. The attributeis a secondary part of the sentence which qualifies a noun, a pronoun, or any other part of speech that has a nominal character, it’s a noun – oriented, secondary or tertiary part of a sentence. It doesn’t enter the structural scheme of the sentence.

It’s very often facultative and can be easily omitted: A (beautiful) girl entered the (spacious room)

It can be complex – expressed by a predicative construction: This is a book for you to read.

O. Jespersen distinguishes secondary parts into secondaries and tertiaries.

3. An adverbial modifier (обстоятельство) is a secondary or tertiary part of the sentence, which modifies a verb, an adjective or an advoeb, We distinguish adverbial modifiers of: Time, frequency, place and direction, manner (образа действия), degree and measure, attendant circumstances, case, result of consequence, condition, comparison, purpose, concession)

Lecture #5.

Plan

1. The composite sentence

2. The compound sentence: types of coordination

3. The complex sentence

4. Classifications of subordinate clauses

The composite sentence

The composite sentence is a polypredicative structure based on coordination (parataxis), subordination (xypertaxis) or specification (explication)

Composite sentences based on coordination are called compound and sentences based on subordination are complex ones.

Composite sentences based on explication carry two parts based on the independent syntactic devices; the second part specifies the first, which is separated by the colon. ‘Real grief is ugly: the business of an actor is to represent it not only with truth but also with beauty”

The compound sentence is based on coordination (parataxis) and it consists in syntactical equality of two or more parts (clauses), which can be joined to each other syndetically (союзное) by means of coordinating conjunction conjunctions (an, or, else, but) or conjunctive adverbs (otherwise, however, nevertheless, yet, still, therefore), asyndetically (without a conjunction or a conjunctive adverb) or in a mixed way.

‘The birds sprang up in front your feet; the air was full of butterflies, the sweat fragrance rose from the wild grasses.” – asyndetically.

Types of coordination: (типы связи) (only compound)

1. copulative (соединит.) – conj. And, nor, neither…nor, not only…but(also)

2. disjunctive (разделит.) – or, else, or else, either…or, conj, adverb – otherwise

3. adversative (противит.) – conj: but, while (sometimes while m/b a subordinating conjunction introducing adverbial clauses of time)whereas; conj. Adverbs: nevertheless, still, yet

4. causative-consecutive (причинно-следств.) – conj: for, so, conj:adverbs: therefore, accordingly, consequently, hence (отсюда, следовательно)

Copulative coordination expresses simultaneous (DAFAK?) parallel actions. ‘I came home and my brother was there’

Adversative coordination denotes contrast. The second part contradicts what is expressed in the first part. For example: ‘Sorrow knocked at my door still I was afraid’

Disjunctive coordination expresses choice: ‘Did he not give her everything or was she not everything to him?

In a sentence with a causative-consecutive coordination one clause expresses the cause of the consequence which is to be found in another clause. ‘Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind’