The Predicate.
Date: 2015-10-07; view: 890.
The predicate is the second principal part of the sentence which expresses an action, state or quality of the person or thing denoted by the subject. It is grammatically dependent upon the subject. According to the structure and the meaning of the predicate we distinguish two main types: the simple predicate and the compound predicate.
The simple predicate is expressed by a finite verb in a synthetic or analytical tense and voice form.
She works at a factory.
He is readinga book.
I have been looking foryou everywhere.
Mary was brought upby her grandmother.
Sometimes the simple predicate can be expressed by a phraseological unit.
I went to the bathroom and had a good wash.
She suddenly changed her mind.
Don't ring me up. I'll get in touchwith you myself.
The compound predicate may be nominal or verbal.
The compound nominal predicate consists of a link verb usually to be and a predicative and denotes the state or quality of the person or thing expressed by the subject.
They are tired.
The book is interesting.
She is a student.
When a notional verb partly loses its original concrete meaning it becomes a link verb. The following notional verbs are often used as link ones: to become, to get, to grow, to appear, to look, to keep, to turn, to remain, to stand, to seem etc.
He became a doctor.
She is getting old.
They seemed tired.
The predicativeis the significant part of the compound nominal predicate. It can be expressed by:
1. A noun in the common or possessive case.
She is a pretty child.
The book is my sister's.
2. An adjective or participle.
The morning was warm.
The glass is broken.
3. Any pronoun.
It's me. The book is yours.
You are nobody.
4. By a numeral (cardinal or ordinal).
I'm only 18.
He was the first tohelp me.
5. By an infinitive or an infinitive phrase.
His dream was to becomea doctor.
The best thing is for you to leavethe room.
6. By a gerund or a gerundial phrase.
My favourite sport is swimming.
The topic of their conversation was their going on an expedition.
According to the meaning of the finite verb the compound verbal predicatecan be divided into the compound verbal modal predicate and the compound verbal aspect predicate. The compound verbal modal predicatemay consist of the following components:
1) A modal verb or modal expression and an infinitive.
He may returnsoon.
I have to workfor my living.
They are allowed to bea little late.
2) A verb with modal meaning and an infinitive or a gerund. Here belong such verbs as to hope, to expect, to intend, to attempt, to try, to wish, to want, to desire, etc.
We intend going to Switzerlandand climbing Mount Blanc.
Anyway, I want to talkto the happy couple.
The compound verbal aspect predicateexpresses the beginning, duration, repetition or cessation of the action expressed by the non-finite form of the verb. It consists of such verbs as: to begin, to start, to go on, to keep on, to proceed, to continue, to stop, to give up, to finish and an infinitive or a gerund.
He continued to livewith his parents after his marriage.
I used to writepoetry when I was young.
He kept glancingat her.
AGREEMENT OF THE PREDICATE WITH THE SUBJECT
In the English language the predicate agrees with the subject in person and number. It means that a singular noun –subject requires a singular verb-predicate, a plural noun-subject requires a plural verb-predicate.
The book is on the table.
The books are on the table.
I am invited to the party.
They are invited to the party.
In modern English there is often a conflict between the form and the meaning. In such cases the principle of grammatical agreement is not observed. The difficulties are caused by 1) the peculiarities of some pronouns, 2) the peculiarities of some conjunctions and 3) the conflict between the meaning and the form in some nouns or the peculiarity of their meaning. These peculiarities should be taken into account.
1. The predicate is used in the plural when there are two or more homogeneous (îäíîðîäíûõ) subjects connected by the conjunction and.
The telegram and the letter have been sent off.
Mary and Peter were here.
However, in sentences when two homogeneous nouns refer to one thing or person a singular verb-predicate is used.
Bread and butter is not enough for breakfast.
Bacon and eggs makes a traditional English breakfast.
If the article is repeated, the reference is to two persons or objects and the plural verb-predicate is used.
The bread and the butter are on the table.
With homogeneous subjects connected by both…and the plural verb-predicate is used.
Both the bread and the butter are fresh.
Both the teacher and the student have come.
If two or more homogeneous subjects are expressed by infinitives, the predicate is in the singular.
To live in peace and devote her life to her poor son was her aim.
2. When two subjects are connected by the conjunctions not only…but (also), neither…nor, either…or, or, nor the predicate agrees with the subject next to it.
Neither I nor my sister is to blame.
Neither your sister nor you are to blame.
3. When two subjects are connected by the conjunction as well the predicate agrees with the subject that stands first.
The girl as well as the boys has learnt to drive a car.
4. If the subject is expressed by the pronouns each, everyone, everything, somebody, someone, nobody, no one, nothing, neither the predicate is in the singular.
Everybodywasat the meeting
Someoneisknocking at the door.
Each has answered well.
Neither of the answers is correct.
However, none has the plural verb-predicate.
None werehere.
5. If the subject is expressed by the interrogative pronoun who (what) the predicate is usually in the singular.
Who hasdone it?
What isstanding there?
If the question refers to more than one person, the predicate may be used in the plural.
Who werethose girls?
6. If the subject is expressed by the relative pronouns who, which, that, the predicate agrees with its antecedent.
The boy who isstanding at the window is my brother.
The boys who arestanding at the window are my brothers.
7. If the subject is expressed by the pronoun all in the meaning of «âñ¸», we use the predicate in the singular.
All isclear. Âñ¸ ÿñíî.
If all is used in the meaning of «âñå», the predicate should be plural.
All arepresent. Âñå ïðèñóòñòâóþò.
8. If the subject is expressed by the emphatic it, the predicate is in the singular no matter what follows.
It isonly English girls who can be trusted to travel alone.
9. If the subject is expressed by a collective noun denoting a group or collection of similar individuals taken as a whole (mankind, humanity, family, committee etc), the predicate is in the singular. If a collective noun denotes the individuals of the group taken separately, the predicate is in the plural.
My brother's family islarge.
The family weresitting round the table.
A committee wasformed to work out a new plan.
The committee areof the same opinion.
10. Subjects expressed by nouns denoting measure, weight, time etc have the singular predicate when the statement is made about the whole amount, not about the units.
Ten years isa long time.
A million francs isa lot of money.
11. Subjects expressed by word-groups a/the number of…, a/the majority of …, a variety of …, the bulk of … can have the singular or the plural predicate.
The number(êîëè÷åñòâî) of pages in this book isn't large.
It was Sunday and a number(ìíîãèå) of people werewalking about.
The majority(áîëüøàÿ ÷àñòü) of the book is too technical.
The majority (ìíîãèå) of my friends livein London.
In most cases the form of the predicate depends on the form and the meaning of the second element which from a semantic point of view is the dominant element of the word-group.
There is a lot of truth in that.
There are a lot of things still for you to believe.
A lot of people are coming.
12. Plural nouns or phrases when they are used as names, titles, quotation take the singular predicate.
“Fathers and Sons” is the most popular of Turgenev's novels.
However, the titles of some works which are collections of stories may have either a singular or a plural verb.
Turgenev's “Hunter's Tales” was/were published in 1858.
13. Subjects can be expressed by a clause introduced by a conjunction or an adverb. In this case it always takes the singular predicate.
Whether you found him or not does not concern me
How you got there is beyond my understanding...
14. A numerical expression such as arithmetical addition, subtraction, division takes the singular predicate.
Four and four is eight.
Four minus two is two.
Ten divided by five is two.
However, multiplication admits of two variants.
Twice two is/are four.
THE SECONDARY PARTS OF THE SENTENCE
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