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The Predicative

The document discusses two types of predicatives in syntax: 1) The predicative (subject complement) occurs after link verbs and can be a noun phrase, prepositional phrase, noun substitute, infinitival or gerundial phrase, or predicative clause. It must agree in number with the subject. 2) The predicative adjunct determines both the predicate and direct object. It occurs after factitive transitives and expresses a resultative state, such as appointing someone as a position. It must agree in number with the direct object. Both predicatives cannot become subjects under passivization.

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134 views2 pages

The Predicative

The document discusses two types of predicatives in syntax: 1) The predicative (subject complement) occurs after link verbs and can be a noun phrase, prepositional phrase, noun substitute, infinitival or gerundial phrase, or predicative clause. It must agree in number with the subject. 2) The predicative adjunct determines both the predicate and direct object. It occurs after factitive transitives and expresses a resultative state, such as appointing someone as a position. It must agree in number with the direct object. Both predicatives cannot become subjects under passivization.

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The Predicative (The Subject Complement)

The Predicative (Complement), occurs after link verbs forming with them
Nominal Predicates. The Predicative has the following syntactic characteristics:
a) It is expressed by means of
- a noun phrase, usually a [-definite] NP,
e.g. He is an engineer. She has remained a widow.
The undergraduates were boys in their teens.
He was a brilliant, original teacher.
There are very few cases in which [+definite] NPs function as predicatives, e.g.
White hats are the thing today.
- a prepositional noun phrase: (i) with deleteable preposition: a whole group
including of NP which indicates attributes connected with colour, size, age, quality, shape may undergo
preposition deletion,
e.g. These shoes are (of) the same size,
Her dress is (of) the same colour as mine.
(ii) with undeletable preposition,
e.g. They are of the same opinion.
His son is of a sound mind.(we notice that be of has a possessive meaning)
His behaviour is above reproach.
The car was beyond repair.
The screw was out of the plank.
She is in good health.
The phrase is often the same or almost the same as an adjective.
e.g. He was happy. At last he was at liberty, (at liberty=free). At last he was free.
She is out of danger (out of danger=safe)
She is safe.
- a noun substitute:
(i) a numeral
e.g. Mike was the first.
She was seventeen then.
(ii) a pronoun (personal, possessive, interrogative, indefinite)
e.g. The house was no longer theirs. (CD) Who are you?, asked Tom; It is I
(In spoken English: It is me).The pronouns it, which, that and such are used to replace a preceding subject
complement:
She is very ill and looks it.
We are loyal and you will always find us such.
(iii) a non finite verbal form (an infinitival or gerundial phrase),
e.g. His principal pastime is to drive in the countryside.
His hobbies are gardening and watching football.
A boy is missing.
Seeing is believing.
Sometimes the subject complement is expressed by an infinitival or gerundial complex:
The most important thing was for them to finish the project in time.
The greatest trouble was our ignoring some details.
- a predicative clause,

e.g. The trouble is that I forgot the address.


The problem is that he never comes in time.
b) There is number concord between the subject and the predicative
e.g. He felt a fool (both subject and Predicative are singular).
They felt fools (both Subject and Predicative are plural)
b) The Predicative cannot became subject through passivization.
e.g. He looked a complete idiot.
*A complete idiot was looked by him.
The Predicative Adjunct (The Complement of the Object)
The Predicative Adjunct determines both the predicate expressed by a transitive
verb and the noun (or the noun substitute) heaving the function of a Direct Object of the
Predicate. The Predicative Adjunct has the following syntactic characteristics:
a) it is expressed by means of:
- a noun phrase which occurs after verbs such as: appoint, call, choose,
consider, declare, designate, elect, make, name, nominate, proclaim, prove, select, vote.
e.g. They appointed Paul Brown chairman.
They elected him president.
The parents named the boy Peter.
- a noun phrase preceded by as, after the verbs: accept, describe, designate,
disguise, engage, regard, look upon,
e.g. The jury accepted the woman as a witness.
He designated Smith as his successor.
b) The Predicative Adjunct is placed after the Direct Object
c) There is number concord between the Direct Object and the Predicative Adjunct
e.g. They consider him a fool.
They consider the men fools.
d) The Predicative Adjunct does not become Subject through passivization,
e.g. They appointed Harry manager.
*Manager was appointed Harry.
!!!!!
Factitive transitives are nearly related to Causative Verbs: they express the idea of making something or
somebody acquire a certain quality (appoint, boil, break, burst, choose, create, elect, drink, fling, make,
name, paint, read, set, wipe etc.). The Direct Object of these verbs is accompanied by a Predicative
Adjunct which indicates a resultative state,
e.g. We have appointed Smith chairman of the society.
They elected John director of the project.
He hammered the metal flat.
She wiped the surface clean.
She boiled the eggs hard.
Tom slammed the door shut.

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