The compound nominal predicate

The compound nominal predicate proper

The compound nominal predicate consists of a link verb and a predicative (nominal part). The link verb is the structural element of the predicate, as it joins the subject and the predicative. It expresses the grammatical categories of person, number, tense, aspect and mood.

The characterization may concern the following:

1. The properties of the person or non-person (the state or quality or quantity of it).

I felt sore for a minute.

But he is not always alone.

2. The identity of the person or non-person, that is, what class of persons or things they belong to.

This man is my father.

My wish is to learn many languages.

According to their semantic characteristics link verbs fall into three groups: link verbs of being, of becoming, of remaining.

l. Link verbs of being:

to be, to feel, to sound, to smell, to taste, to look, to appear, to seem, etc.

I felt better pleased than ever.

His voice sounded cold and hostile.

2. Link verbs of becoming:

to become, to grow, to turn, to get, to make.

The Elephant’s Child’s nose grew longer and longer.

The girl’s face suddenly turned red.

3. Link verbs of remaining:

to remain, to continue, to keep, to stay.

She remained vexed with him.

The children kept suspiciously silent.

Ways of expressing the predicative

The predicative can be expressed by:

1. A noun in the common case or in the genitive case.

Miss Sedly’s father was a merchant.

The face was Victoria's.

2. An adjective or an adjective phrase.

Ellen’s eyes grew angry.

She was full of enthusiasm.

3. A pronoun.

It was he.

She is somebody.

Who are you?

4. A numeral.

He was sixty last year.

I’m the first.

5. An infinitive (or an infinitive phrase or construction).

His first thought was to run away.

My idea is to go there myself.

6. A gerund (or a gerundial phrase or construction).

My hobby is dancing and his is collecting stamps.

The main problem was his being away at the moment.

7. A participle or a participial phrase.

The subject seemed strangely chosen.

8. A prepositional phrase.

She is on our side,

9. A stative.

I was wide awake by this time. .

10. An indivisible group of words.

It is nine o’clock already.

11. A clause.

That’s what has happened.

Semantic characteristics of the predicative

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.

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.

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 compound nominal double predicate

The compound nominal double predicate combines, as its name suggests, the features of two different types of 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. The second part of the compound nominal double predicate is expressed by a noun or an adjective.

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.

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 817