684:
Predicative expressions exist in most if not all languages. In languages that have morphological case, predicative nominals typically appear in the nominative case (e.g., German and
Russian) or instrumental case (e.g. Russian), although predicative expressions over objects generally bear the same
663:
The predicative expressions again serve to assign a property to the subject, e.g. the property of being under the bed. In contrast, the adjuncts serve to establish the situational context. One can hence acknowledge a three-way distinction between predicative expressions, arguments, and adjuncts.
479:
are attributive adjectives which modify the immediately preceding noun or pronoun to create a noun phrase. (A predicate adjective is frequently preceded by a linking verb.) Postpositive adjectives are rare in
English, but common in many other languages.
259:
The formulations "over the subject" and "over the object" indicate that the predicative expression is expressing a property that is assigned to the subject or to the object. For example, the predicative expression
371:
These examples raise the following fundamental question: What characteristic of words and phrases allows or prohibits them from appearing as predicative expressions? The answer to this question is not apparent.
601:
The predicative expressions here are properties that are assigned to the subject, whereas the arguments cannot be construed as such properties. Predicative expressions are also typically
86:). The main trait of all predicative expressions is that they serve to express a property that is assigned to a "subject", whereby this subject is usually the clause
291:
While the most widely acknowledged predicative expressions are adjectives and nominals, most syntactic categories can be construed as predicative expressions, e.g.
693:), which means that the case marker plays a greater role since it helps distinguish predicative nominals from argument nominals. Some languages (e.g.,
380:
Predicative expressions are not attributive expressions. The distinction is illustrated best using predicative and attributive adjectives:
664:
However, upon deeper examination, the lines between these categories become blurred and overlap can occur. For instance, in the sentence
751:
Concerning the fact that predicative expressions express some property of another entity in the sentence, see Hudson (1984:95f.).
817:
462:
55:
543:
476:
107:
99:
330:
There are, however, certain categories that cannot appear as predicative expressions. Adverbs ending in
150:
35:
118:. There is hence a three-way distinction between predicative expressions, arguments, and adjuncts.
31:
694:
127:
605:
133:
115:
87:
742:
For an insightful discussion of predicative adjectives and nominals, see Lester (1971:86ff.).
706:
280:
91:
271:
811:
276:
39:
268:
the property of being a thief. Predicative nominals over subjects are also called
690:
672:
to be both a predicative expression (because it serves to assign a property to
70:, etc. The most frequently acknowledged types of predicative expressions are
146:
689:, and many languages omit the copula in some contexts or optionally (see
465:
is involved), but it can contain multiple attributive expressions, e.g.
461:
A given clause usually contains a single predicative expression (unless
28:
685:
case as the object. Some languages lack an equivalent of the copula
676:) and an adjunct (because it appears optionally in the sentence).
334:, for instance, cannot appear as predicative expressions, e.g.
94:. A primary distinction is drawn between predicative (also
145:
The most widely acknowledged predicative expressions are
137:
on the other hand overlap in meaning to a large extent.
774:
Analysing sentences: An introduction to
English grammar
467:
The friendly man found a large snake in his damp bag.
472:Predicative adjectives vs. postpositive adjectives
376:Predicative adjectives vs. attributive adjectives
102:. Further, predicative expressions are typically
795:Introductory transformational grammar of English
34:, and is an expression that typically follows a
8:
804:. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
797:. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.
360:— Failed attempt to use an adverb ending in
346:— Failed attempt to use an adverb ending in
724:See for instance Burton-Roberts (1997:79).
781:A dictionary of linguistics and phonetics
264:in the last sentence serves to assign to
174:— Predicative adjective over the subject.
165:— Predicative adjective over the subject.
226:— Predicative adjective over the object.
216:— Predicative adjective over the object.
717:
535:Predicatives vs. arguments and adjuncts
283:that such expressions bear (in Latin).
200:— Predicative nominal over the subject.
190:— Predicative nominal over the subject.
790:. New York: Basil Blackwell Publisher.
539:Predicative expressions are typically
252:— Predicative nominal over the object.
242:— Predicative nominal over the object.
783:, 4th edition. Oxford, UK: Blackwell.
7:
760:See for instance Crystal (1997:303).
733:See for instance Radford (2004:353).
697:) have a separate predicative case.
90:, but at times it can be the clause
620:— Predicative prepositional phrase.
303:— Predicative prepositional phrase.
652:after the talk was completely over
642:after the talk was completely over
14:
58:of a certain type of verb, e.g.
802:English syntax: An introduction
630:— Adjunct prepositional phrase.
110:, and they are also typically
54:, or that appears as a second
1:
364:as a predicative expression.
350:as a predicative expression.
834:
210:That shrimp dish made him
16:Part of a clause predicate
527:— Postpositive adjective.
502:— Postpositive adjective.
518:— Predicative adjective.
492:— Predicative adjective.
454:— Attributive adjective.
444:— Predicative adjective.
428:— Attributive adjective.
418:— Predicative adjective.
402:— Attributive adjective.
392:— Predicative adjective.
624:b. Something is moving
477:Postpositive adjectives
275:, a term borrowed from
100:attributive expressions
584:— Predicative nominal.
558:— Predicative nominal.
123:predicative expression
72:predicative adjectives
21:predicative expression
772:Burton-Roberts 1997.
650:b. Everybody relaxed
646:— Predicative clause.
323:— Predicative adverb.
313:— Predicative clause.
125:on the one hand, and
496:b. I want something
220:We painted the door
80:predicative nominals
76:predicate adjectives
640:a. The dispute was
594:— Argument nominal.
568:— Argument nominal.
279:and indicating the
818:Syntactic entities
800:Radford, A. 2004.
779:Crystal, D. 1997.
776:. London: Longman.
680:In other languages
666:Bill arrived drunk
522:b. I met a person
281:morphological case
128:subject complement
84:predicate nominals
793:Lester, M. 1971.
786:Hudson, R. 1984.
657:
656:— Adjunct clause.
647:
631:
621:
595:
585:
569:
559:
528:
519:
503:
493:
455:
445:
429:
419:
412:a. One snake was
403:
393:
365:
351:
324:
314:
304:
253:
246:They called Jill
243:
236:They elected him
227:
217:
201:
191:
175:
166:
134:object complement
825:
761:
758:
752:
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707:Nominal sentence
668:, one can judge
655:
645:
629:
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593:
583:
567:
557:
526:
517:
501:
491:
486:a. Something is
453:
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359:
345:
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302:
287:Further examples
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241:
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703:
682:
588:b. He produced
562:b. She visited
537:
524:taller than you
514:taller than you
474:
378:
354:*Our ideas are
340:*The event was
309:when it happens
289:
143:
27:) is part of a
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12:
11:
5:
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614:a. The bag is
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459:
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438:a. His bag is
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386:a. The man is
377:
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328:
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315:
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288:
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277:Latin grammars
257:
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205:
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194:They were all
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15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
830:
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771:
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766:
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688:
679:
677:
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667:
653:
649:
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627:
626:under the bed
623:
617:
616:under the bed
613:
612:
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609:
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604:
591:
587:
581:
577:
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547:
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451:
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343:
339:
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320:
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310:
306:
300:
297:The snake is
296:
295:
294:
293:
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286:
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282:
278:
274:
273:
267:
263:
249:
245:
239:
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223:
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209:
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207:
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197:
196:happy campers
193:
187:
183:
182:
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172:
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159:The idea was
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155:
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109:
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97:
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85:
81:
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69:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
45:
41:
37:
33:
30:
26:
22:
801:
794:
788:Word grammar
787:
780:
773:
756:
747:
738:
729:
720:
686:
683:
673:
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665:
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651:
641:
625:
615:
602:
600:
589:
579:
563:
553:
540:
538:
523:
513:
497:
487:
475:
466:
463:coordination
460:
449:
439:
423:
413:
397:
387:
379:
370:
361:
356:insightfully
355:
347:
341:
331:
329:
318:
308:
298:
290:
269:
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261:
258:
247:
237:
221:
211:
195:
185:
170:
160:
144:
132:
126:
122:
120:
111:
103:
95:
83:
79:
75:
71:
67:
63:
59:
51:
47:
43:
40:linking verb
24:
20:
18:
691:zero copula
578:a. That is
552:a. She was
272:nominatives
25:predicative
767:References
564:our friend
554:our friend
342:splendidly
299:in the bag
270:predicate
161:ridiculous
147:adjectives
121:The terms
56:complement
695:Tabasaran
590:an excuse
580:an excuse
544:arguments
512:a. He is
498:different
488:different
238:president
186:a postman
169:He seems
108:arguments
96:predicate
32:predicate
23:(or just
812:Category
701:See also
606:adjuncts
398:friendly
388:friendly
307:That is
151:nominals
141:Examples
116:adjuncts
608:, e.g.
546:, e.g.
448:b. his
422:b. one
396:b. the
262:a thief
248:a thief
184:Bob is
114:clause
106:clause
88:subject
42:, e.g.
426:snake
317:It is
98:) and
92:object
82:(also
78:) and
74:(also
52:appear
36:copula
29:clause
713:Notes
670:drunk
424:large
414:large
222:white
171:nice.
674:Bill
452:bag
450:damp
440:damp
400:man
319:soon
266:Jill
212:sick
149:and
131:and
68:name
64:make
60:call
48:seem
603:not
541:not
362:-ly
348:-ly
332:-ly
112:not
104:not
38:or
814::
687:be
654:.
644:.
628:.
618:.
592:.
582:.
566:.
556:.
516:.
500:.
490:.
442:.
416:.
390:.
358:.
344:.
321:.
311:.
301:.
250:.
240:.
224:.
214:.
198:.
188:.
163:.
153::
66:,
62:,
50:,
46:,
44:be
19:A
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