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Predicative Complements (Predicatives)


Date: 2015-10-07; view: 480.


Complements

 

§ 435. The verb in the sentence forms the greatest number of word-combinations. The adjuncts of all these combinations are united by the term complements1. But the complements of a verb are so numerous and variegated that it is feasible to subdivide them into several groups correlated with the subclasses of verbs. As we know, verbs divide into notion­al, semi-notionaland structuralones. We shall call the abjuncts of the latter two groups predicative complements (predicatives).Notional verbs are subdivided into objective and subjective.The common abjuncts of both groups will be termed adverbial complements (adverbials),those of objective verbs alone — objective complements (objects).

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1 We find a similar use of the term 'complement', though based on the idea of completeness, in Òhe Sentence and Its Parts by R, Long, Chicago, 1961: "In John likes noise there is no minimal completeness without the complement noise or some similarly used word or multiword unit. In John makes people angry minimal completeness, with makes meaning what it does, requires the two complements people and angry. In Harriet is in New York minimal completeness, with be meaning what it does, requires some such complement as in New York."

 

§ 436. Predicative complements are mostly adjuncts of semi-notional verbs (both finite and non-finite) and syntactical word-morphemes. When attached to finite verbs they are at the same time notional predicates. They serve to indicate some state, property or action characterizing the person or thing denoted by the subject (primary or secondary), or some­times presented in a general way, not attached to any def­inite person or thing.

E. g. The cheek was pink and round and smooth. (Galsworthy).

Nobody is t î know anything. (Ib.)

We can't kidnap him. (Ib.).

Did you wish for notes, Madam? (Ib.)

He won't dare move, being a new judge. (Ib.).

To be h a p p ó is to be è s e f è l.

 

§ 437. In simple sentences either words, or combinations of words, among them complexes, may be used as predicatives. The words may belong to different parts of speech: nouns, adlinks, adjectives, pronouns, numerals, verbs (participles, gerunds, infinitives), etc.

He became a pilot. His favourite pastime is fishing. He is i n d e s p a i r. This is f î r you to decide. You must leave at once.

 

§ 438. In accordance with their semantics predicatives fall into a) process predicatives and b) qualifying predi­catives.

a) Dinny, you must come to us. (Galsworthy). He does not know this. He ought to have apologized.

b) Tom is a n g r ó (afraid, at a loss). Mary has become a teacher. He turned pale.

 

§ 439. Sometimes the two types may be combined in cases like You ought to look serious.

 

§ 440. As already noted (§ 195), one of the characteristic features of English is the ever increasing number of notional link-verbs alongside of semi-notional ones. Their complements are much alike and are all called predicative complements.

The sun rose red. (Cf. The sun was red.)

He lay awake. (Cf. He was awake.)

 

§ 441. There is a point where predicatives and attributes cross. It is in sentences like Make your mind easy. (Gals­worthy). The adjective easy is connected with the verb make (which makes it a complement) and with the noun mind (which makes it an attribute). Thus it might be called an 'attributive complement'. But most grammarians regard it of primary importance that the noun mind is the object of the verb make and that the sentence above is correlated with a sentence like Your mind is easy. They call easy a predicative in both sentences. In the first case it is named 'objective' predicative, in the second 'subjective' predica­tive. We have no objection to this analysis. Both types of predicatives may also occur with verbids, e. g. To fancy yourself 'just' is simply to addle.

 

§ 442. When comparing English and Russian predicative complements one must bear in mind the following:

a) In Russian the 'present tense' link-verb åñòü is not, as a rule, used. The sentence then contains a zero structural predicate and a positive notional predicate, as in Îí ñ ò y-ä e í ò (âûñîêèé, âåñåë, âëþáëåí, â âîñ­òîðãå, etc.)

The problem arises then whether ñòóäåíò, âûñîêèé, etc. may be regarded as predicative complements to a zero link-verb.

b) There being no gerunds and no complexes in Russian, they cannot, naturally, be used as predicatives.

c) In Russian the grammatical combinability of the sub­ject and the predicative plays a much greater role than in English.


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