- •The predicate
- •§ 46. The predicate is the second main part of the sentence and its organizing centre, as the object and nearly all adverbial modifiers are connected with, and dependent on, it.
- •Structural classification of the predicate
- •The simple predicate The simple verbal predicate
- •§ 48. The simple verbal predicate is expressed by:
- •The compound predicate
- •§ 50. The compound predicate consists of two parts: the notional and the structural. The structural part comes first and is followed by the notional part.
- •§ 55. Among the class of link verbs we may distinguish:
- •§ 56. The predicative can be expressed by:
- •§ 57. The three most typical semantic characteristics of a predicative are: identification, classification and characterisation.
- •§ 59. Compound predicates can combine elements of different types. Thus we have:
§ 57. The three most typical semantic characteristics of a predicative are: identification, classification and characterisation.
1. An identifying predicative expresses equality between the notion expressed by the predicative and by the subject, or means that they are of the same rank or value. In this case the predicative and the subject are positionally interchangeable. Such predicatives are expressed by a noun with the definite article.
London is the capital of Britain. = The capital of Britain is London.
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. = The highest mountain in the world is Mount
Everest.
2. A classifying predicative names a class of persons or non-persons to which that denoted by the subject belongs. The predicative in this case is expressed by a noun with the indefinite article.
John is a student.
My father is a teacher.
This is a book.
3. A characterizing predicative denotes a state or quality of a person or non-person and is expressed by an adjective or a stative.
The room is dark.
The sky was blue.
The patient fell asleep.
The house was aflame.
A characterizing predicative may also be a noun which in this case has no article.
He turned traitor.
He was elected president.
The compound nominal double predicate
§ 58. The compound nominal double predicate combines, as its name suggests, the features of two different types of predicate. It has the features of the simple verbal predicate and those of the compound nominal predicate. It consists of two parts, both of which are notional. The first one is verbal and is expressed by a notional verb denoting an action or process performed by the person/non-person expressed by the subject. From this point of view it resembles the simple verbal predicate. But at the same time the verbal part of this predicate performs a linking function, as it links its second part (which is a predicative) to the subject.
The second part of the compound nominal double predicate is expressed by a noun or an adjective which denotes the properties of the subject in the same way as the predicative of the compound nominal predicate proper does.
The moon was shining cold and bright.
The predicate here denotes two separate notions:
1) The moon was shining, and at the same time
2) The moon was cold and bright.
There are a number of verbs that often occur in this type of predicate, performing the double function of denoting a process and serving as link verbs at the same time. They are: to die, to leave, to lie, to marry, to return, to rise, to sit, to stand, to shine, etc. As in Modern English there is a growing tendency to use this type of predicate, the verbs occurring in it are not limited by any particular lexical class.
My daughter sat silent.
He died a hero.
She married young.
The light came gray and pale.
The men stood silent and motionless,
They met friends and parted enemies.
The moon rose round and yellow.
Mixed types of compound predicate