THE PREDICATE

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.
The predicate may be considered from the semantic or from the structural point of
view. Structurally the predicate in English expressed by a finite verb agrees with the
subject in number and person. The only exception to this rule is a compound modal
and a simple nominal predicate, the latter having no verb form at all
According to the meaning of its components, the predicate may denote an action,
a state, a quality, or an attitude to some action or state ascribed to the subject.
These different meanings find their expression in the structure of the predicate and
the lexical meaning of its constituents.

Structural classification of the predicate

From the structural point of view there are two main types of predicate: the simple
predicate and the compound predicate. Both these types may be either nominal or
verbal, which gives four sub-groups: simple verbal, simple nominal, compound
verbal, compound nominal. Compound verbal predicates may be further classified
into phasal, modal and of double orientation Compound nominal predicates may be
classified into nominal proper and double nominal.

THE SIMPLE PREDICATE

1. The simple verbal predicate
The simple verbal predicate is expressed by:
1. A verb in a synthetic or analytical form.
John runs quickly.
I was sent in to get my tea.
Perhaps you will even remember that woman.
When did life begin on earth?
2. A verb phrase (a phraseological equivalent of a verb denoting one action, a
phraseological unit the elements of which are so closely connected with each other
as to form one sense unit).This type of predicate is called PHRASEOLOGICAL
PREDICATE
Here belong:
a) Phrases denoting single actions:
to have a look, to have a smoke, to have a talk, to give a look, to give a laugh,
to give a cry, to take a look, to make a move, to make a remark, to pay a visit,
etc.
They comprise a transitive verb and a deverbal noun with the indefinite article.
Nurse Sharp gave him a look and walked out.
The man gave a violent start.
Did you have a sleep?
It’s time we were making a move.
b) Phrases denoting various kinds of actions. In most cases they comprise an
abstract noun used with no article but often preceded by an attribute:
to change one's mind, to get rid (of), to get hold (of), to lose sight (of), to
make fun (of), to make up one's mind, to make use (of), to take care (of), to take
leave (of), to take part (in), to pat attention /to/, etc.
I have never taken much interest in German songs.
She paid little heed to what was going on in the world outside.
2. The simple nominal predicate
 The simple nominal predicate is expressed by a noun, or an adjective, or a verbal,
ft does not contain a link verb, as it shows the incompatibility of the idea expressed
by the subject and that expressed by the predicate; thus in the meaning of the
simple nominal predicate there is an implied negation.
He a gentleman! Ну какой же он джентльмен!
You a bother! Never. Ты - зануда! Ну, что ты!
Rondal, jealous! Рондел - ревнует! (Быть того не может!)
Nick, dishonest! Ник - нечестный! Не может быть!

Sentences with the simple nominal predicate are always exclamatory evidently owing
to the implication of a negation or of an evaluation.
The predicate is mostly commad off (separated by a comma), but a comma is not
regarded as a strict rule.
These predicates are used in colloquial English, although not frequently.
The simple nominal predicate can be expressed by:
1. A noun.
My son a clergyman!
She, a nun!
Me, a liar!
2. An adjective.
You sad!
3. An infinitive or an infinitive phrase.
Hercule Poirot to sleep while murder is committed!
My boy insult a gentleman at my table!
4. Participle I or a participial phrase.
She spying!
Me trying to be funny!

THE COMPOUND PREDICATE

The compound predicate consists of two parts: the notional and the structural. The
structural part comes first and is followed by the notional part.
The notional part may be expressed by a noun, an adjective, a stative, an adverb,
a verbal, a phrase, a predicative complex, or a clause.
The structural part is expressed by a finite verb - a phasal verb, a modal verb, a
verb expressing attitude, intention, planning, etc., or a link verb.
From the point of view of meaning the most important part of the compound
predicate is the notional part as it contains the information about the person or non-
person expressed by the subject.
From the point of view of structure the most important part of the predicate is the
first one, since it is expressed by a finite verb and carries grammatical information
about the person, number, tense, voice, modal, attitudinal and aspective (phasal)
meaning of the whole predicate.
 THE COMPOUND VERBAL PREDICATE
THE COMPOUND VERBAL PHASAL/ASPECT PREDICATE

The compound verbal phasal/aspect 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, Accordingly its first component may be
a phasal verb of:
1.B e g i n n i n g :
to begin, to start, to commence, to set about, to take to, to fall to, to
come.
Andrew and he began to talk about the famous clinic.
Jack started training out at Hogan’s health farm.
So I took to going to the farm.
2. D u r a t i o n :
to go on, to keep, to proceed, to continue.
The talk kept running on the possibility of a storm.
As we continued to laugh his surprise gave way to annoyance.
3. R e p e t i t i o n :
would, used (denoting a repeated action in the past).
Alfredo used to talk to me about it.
During her small leisure hours she would sit by the window or walk in the fields.
4. C e s s a t i o n :
to stop, to finish, to cease, to give up, to leave off.
The band had ceased playing.
Give up smoking.

THE COMPOUND VERBAL MODAL PREDICATE

The compound verbal modal predicate consists of a modal part and an infinitive (or a
gerund). It shows whether the action expressed by an infinitive is looked upon as
possible, impossible, obligatory, necessary, desirable, planned, certain, permissible,
etc. In most cases it denotes the attitude to the action of the person expressed by
the subject or by the speaker.
The modal part may be expressed by:
1. A m o d a l v e r b .
You must forget it.
He can’t say a word, he can’t even apologize.
I had to bite my lip to prevent myself from laughing.
2. A m o d a l e x p r e s s i o n of nominal nature:
to be able, to be allowed, to be willing, to be going, to be anxious, to
be reluctant, to be ready, to be inclined, to be induced, to be eager, to be
keen, to be comlpeted etc.
You are going to attend the college at Harvard, they tell me.
Are you able to walk another two miles?
The modal part may have two modal verbs or a modal verb and a modal
expression.
He may have to return.
She must be willing to come here again.
 З. Аn a t t i t u d i n a l verb such as to like, to hate, to attempt, to expect,
to hope, to intend, to mean, to plan, to try, to have a mind, to wish, to
want, to long, to manage, to prefer, to desire, to fail, to endeavour denote
the attitude of the person expressed by the subject to the action denoted
by the infinitive.
He hoped to see them the next day.
I mean to find out the truth.

THE COMPOUND VERBAL PREDICATE

OF DOUBLE ORIENTATION

The compound verbal predicate of double orientation consists of two parts. The
first part is a finite verb which denotes the attitude to, evaluation of, or comment on,
the content of the sentence expressed by the speaker or somebody not mentioned in
the sentence. The second part denotes the action which is (was/will be) performed by
the person/non-person expressed by the subject.
The Gadfly seemed to have taken a dislike to her ———>It seemed (to the
people) that the Gadfly had taken a dislike to her.
Philip Bosinney was known to be a young man without fortune ———> They
knew that Philip Bosinney was a young man without fortune.
He is said to be looking for a new job. (Говорят, что он ищет новую работу)
The plane is reported to have been lost. (Сообщают, что самолет пропал)
In this case we see different orientation of the actions which are regarded from two
points of view: that of the speaker and that of the person (or non-person) expressed
by the subject. .
In the compound predicate of double orientation the first component is a verb or
phrase expressing attitude, evaluation, or comment. They belong to one of the
following verb groups:
1. Intransitive verbs of seeming or happening with the general meaning of
evaluation in the active voice:
to seem, to appear, to prove, to turn out, to happen, to chance.
He seemed to understand everything I said.
Money just doesn’t happen to interest me.
2. Some verbs in the passive voice:
a) Verbs of saying:
to say, to declare, to state, to report, to rumour.
The rocket is reported to have started its night at 6.30.
b) Verbs of mental activity:
to believe, to consider, to expect, to find, to know, to mean, to
presume, to regard, to suppose, to think, to understand.
Mr. Sharp was always expected to say he preferred cold meat.
He has never been known to lose his temper before.
c) Verbs of perception:
to feel, to hear, to see, to watch.
My dog was heard to bark in the yard.
3. Phrases with attitudinal meaning:
to be (un) likely, to be sure, to be certain.
The adjectives likely, unlikely, sure and certain indicate the speaker's attitude to
the future:
The weather is not likely to change.
This event is certain to produce a sensation.
If you don’t post the letter at once, it is unlikely to arrive in time.
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 predicative is the notional part of the compound nominal predicate. It charac -
terizes the person or non-person expressed by the subject. Among the class of link
verbs we may distinguish:
1. Those which have lost their original lexical meaning (to be, to get).
He is just the kind of man I want.
Elisabeth got very restless.
2. Those which have only partly lost their lexical meaning (to remain, to
become, to grow, to turn, to look, to seem).
That request seemed superfluous.
The room looked snug and cheerful.
Ellen’s eyes grew moist.
3. Those which have fully preserved their lexical meaning but still serve
as link verbs followed by a predicative. They are used in the passive voice:
to elect, to call, to leave, to keep, to make.
The boy was called John.
She was left alone.
He was elected president.
According to their semantic characteristics link verbs fall into three groups: link
verbs of being, of becoming, of remaining.
l. L i n k v e r b s o f b e i n g :
to be, to feel, to sound, to smell, to taste, to look, to appear, to seem,
etc.
Of these only the verb to be is a pure link verb of being, as the others may have
some additional meaning (see examples below).
When he was seven, starting school had been a nightmare and a torture to him.
His face looked awful all the time.
I felt better pleased than ever.
2. L i n k v e r b s o f b e c o m i n g :
to become, to grow, to turn, to get, to make.
The girl’s face suddenly turned red.
The girl will make a good teacher.
3. L i n k v e r b s o f r e m a i n i n g :
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.
Note:
The apples smell good.
The music sounded beautiful.
In English the verbs to smell, to sound, to look, to feel, to taste are link verbs and
are the first part of the compound nominal predicate. The predicatives (which form
the second part of these predicates) qualify the subject and can therefore be
expressed only by a d j e c t i v e s .
3. A pronoun.
It was he.
It’s me.
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.
The only thing to do is for you to whip him.
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.
Participle I seldom occurs in this function unless it has become an adjective.
That sounded quite distressing.
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.
 THE COMPOUND NOMINAL DOUBLE PREDICATE

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

Compound predicates can combine elements of different types. Thus we have:
1. T h e c o m p o u n d m o d a l v e r b a l n o m i n a l p r e d i c a t e .
Jane must feel better pleased than ever.
She couldn’t be happy.
He may have been ill then.
2. T h e c o m p o u n d p h a s a l n o m i n a l p r e d i c a t e .
He was beginning to look desperate.
George began to be rather ashamed.
3. T h e c o m p o u n d m o d a l p h a s a l p r e d i c a t e .
You ought to stop doing that.
He can’t continue training.
4. T h e c o m p o u n d n o m i n a l p r e d i c a t e o f d o u b l e
orientation.
Mrs Bacon is said to be very ill.
Walter seems to be unhappy.