The predicate

The simple verbal predicate

The simple nominal predicate

The simple verbal predicate can be expressed by:

1. a verb in its synthetic or analytical form:

His words frightened me.

I shouldn’t think the idea so unreasonable.

2. a verb phrase:

1. denoting single actions: to have a look, to have a smoke, to give a cry, to make a move, to have a talk, to make a remark, to pay a visit, etc:

I took a walk as far as the river.

2. denoting various kinds of actions: to change one’s mind, to get hold(of), to take care (of), to lose sight (of), to make fun (of), to make up one’s mind, etc:

They have been taking care of your children long enough.

The simple nominal predicate can be expressed by:

1. a noun:

Me, a liar!

2. an adjective:

You sad!

3. an infinitive or an infinitive phrase:

My boy insult a gentleman at my table!

4. Participle I or a participial phrase:

She spying!

The simple nominal predicate doesn’t contain a link verb. In the meaning of the simple nominal predicate there is an implied negation. Sentences with this type of predicate are always exclamatory and are used in colloquial English, although not frequently.

The compound verbal phasal predicate

The compound verbal modal predicate

The compound verbal predicate of double orientation

The compound verbal phasal predicate denotes the beginning, duration, repetition or cessation of the action expressed by an infinitive or a gerund. It consists of a phasal verb and an infinitive or a gerund. The phasal verb can be a verb of:

1. beginning: to begin, to start, to commence, to set about, etc:

The man began to play a lively tune.

2. duration: to go on, to keep, to proceed, to continue, etc:

Royce continued to work quietly as the other two talked.

3. repetition: would, used to (denoting a repeated action in the past):

He would go there every afternoon just for pleasure.

4. cessation: to stop, to finish, to cease, to give up, etc:

I gave up smoking.

The compound verbal modal predicate consists of a modal part and an infinitive (or a gerund). The modal part may be expressed by:

1. a modal verb:

You will have to do as you were told.

2. a modal expression of nominal nature: to be able, to be allowed, to be going, to be anxious, etc:

We were anxious to cooperate.

The compound verbal predicate of double orientation consists of two parts. The first part is the finite verb which denotes the attitude to, evaluation of or comment on the content of the sentence. The second part denotes the action performed by the person / non-person expressed by the subject. The first part of this type of predicate can be expressed by:

1. intransitive verbs of seeming and happening: to seem, to appear, to prove, to turn out, etc:

He seemed to have heard the news.

2. some verbs in the passive voice:

1. verbs of saying: to say, to declare, to state, etc:

The delegation is said to have arrived.

2. verbs of mental activity: to believe, to consider, to find, to think, to understand, etc:

He has never been known to lose his temper.

3. verbs of perception: to feel, to hear, to see, to watch, etc:

The lady was seen to leave the house.

3. phrases with some modal meaning: to be likely, to be sure, to be certain, etc:

The weather is not likely to change.

The compound nominal predicate proper

The compound nominal double predicate

The compound nominal predicate proper consists of a link verb and a predicative (a nominal part).

The link verb can be of 3 types:

1. link verbs of being: to be, to feel, to sound, to smell, to taste, to look, etc:

He looked awful.

2. link verbs of becoming: to become, to grow, to turn, to get, to make:

The girl will make a good teacher.

3. link verbs of remaining: to remain, to continue, to keep, to stay:

The children kept silent.

The predicative can be expressed by nouns, adjectives / adjectival phrases, pronouns, numerals, infinitives / infinitive phrases or constructions, gerunds / gerundial phrases or constructions, participles / participial phrases, prepositional phrases, statives, indivisible groups of words and clauses:

It’s me.

Her eyes grew angry.

That is what has happened.

My idea is to go there myself.

My hobby is dancing.

The compound nominal double predicate consists of two parts both of which are notional. The first one is expressed by a notional verb denoting an action or process performed by the person / non-person expressed by the subject. The second part of the predicate is expressed by a noun or an adjective denoting the properties of the subject. This type of predicate is often used after verbs which perform the double function of denoting a process and serving as link verbs: to die, to live, to lie, to marry, to sit , to stand to shine, etc. The predicate denotes two separate notions:

The moon was shining cold and bright ( a) The moon was shining; b) The moon was cold and bright).

My daughter sat silent.

He died a hero.

The moon rose round and yellow.