4 Classes of predicates:

• A simple verbal (consists of 1 part)

• A simple nominal (consists of two parts, one of them – semi-auxiliary, other - notional)

• A compound verbal

• A compound nominal

The simple verbal predicate is found in a majority of sentences. It is expressed by one of the finite forms of the verb (She reads well). But here we can find also simple verbal phraseological predicate (we had a rest, he is jumping on your toes).

The simple nominal predicate is a rare type. It occurs in sentences where the very idea of connection between the subject and the predicate seems to be absurd (George minds tennis on Sunday).

The compound verbal predicate consists of 2 parts: (modal) the semi-auxiliary part which is expressed by one of the modal verbs or the construction “used to” and the notional part – the infinitival group (I can take a day off whenever I want). (aspective) with aspective verbs – to begin, finish, continue, seem to do…(He seems to be there. He stopped singing).

The compound nominal predicate sonsists of 2 parts: the 1^st – semi-auxiliary part is expressed by one of the link verbs (the linking part). The 2^nd is expressed by noun, the adj., adverb, prepositional group (the day as sunny. She looks happy).

• Object.

Blokh: Object- the substance modifier of processial part of sentence, secondary part. It’s connected with predicate/some other processual part, meaning of person/thing that are in connection with process/property denoted by predicate.

Classification – Ганшина, Василевская: direct, indirect, retained (they showed us their flat. We were shown their flat. Their flat was shown us), cognate, prepositional, complex.

Cognate obj – after some transitive verb, similar to verb and noun in meaning, derived from the same root (They fought a good fight, They slept a long sleep). This classification lacks consistency.

Syntactic classification – based on syntactic bound between object and predicate – non-prepositional (connection isn’t based on prepositions), prepositional – introduced by prepositions.

Ильиш: this cl-n can be applied only to direct/indirect objects that are expressed by noun/pronoun (We bought him a candy). Both direct, indirect objects are found only after verbs of given type.

Object can be expressed by noun, noun equivalent, personal pronoun in objective case, demonstrative pronoun, indefinite pronoun, substantivized adj, infinite, gerund.

• Adverbial modifier.

Adverbial Modifier is a secondary part of the sentence which modifies verbs, adjectives and adverbs and specifies the circumstances of a happening (time, place, manner, reason, result, etc.).

Ганшина – part of sent that is connected with verb predicate/adverb in any of its function, denotes place, time, manner, degree, etc.

Блох - the property modifier of processual part of sentence.

Ильиш – classification according to the meaning – 11 subclasses:

• time

• measure

• place

• manner

• degree

• cause

• result

• condition

• concession

• purpose

• exclusion

BUT it is not grammatical. A complete classification according to the meaning is impossible to achieve.

Classification according morphological peculiarities:

• adverb

• phrase pattern

• noun without preposition expressing distance, time, price, etc.,

• noun-phrase

• participle

• gerund + preposition

• infinitive expressing purpose/result.

Classification according to type of head-word – concerns part of sent where adverbial modifier linked to. AM can be expressed by verb, verbal noun, adj, adverb. It can’t be linked to non-verbal noun.

• Attribute.

Prof. Smirnitsky found that the attribute has some features making it different from other secondary parts of the sentence - the object and the adverbial modifier.

The latter are introduced into the sentence structure by means of the complimentary syntactic bond. As a rule they're added to the predicate.

In contrast the attribute is added not only to the subject, but to a noun, no matter in what syntactic function this noun is used.

EX: 1. A young man was walking along the street. 2. He was a gifted dentist.

Together with the noun the attribute forms an attributive word combination. This combination may find a certain position in the sentence structure. It may be included into the structure of subject, predicative part and the adverb modifier. In this case it is not the separate part of the sentence, it's rather a constituent phrase.