2. Every canonical clause has a
clause head element with the form of a
verb phrase.(vp)(verb is the most
important factor determines what
the rest clause is like
Predicate
Subject Two major element are called
VP
NP Subject and predicate.
Predicator Object
Predicators select key content
V NP of clauses,
Cats like water
Cats mew water.
Lucy gave the key to the
cats like landlord..(PP)
water
3. Predicators select key content of clauses,
Cats like water
Cats mew water.
Lucy gave the key to the landlord..(PP)
Complements and adjuncts
The dependents of predictor in the VP are of two main kinds: c
complements and adjuncts
a.Sue used the cheese b. sue used. (object obligatory)
a.She ate the cheese. B. she ate. (object optional)
a. Sue disappeared the cheese. B. sue disappeared. (object excluded)
4. The differences between complements and adjuncts
a.The box was useless because it had a hole in it.
b.I saw your father this morning.
c. They still think they were right.
explanation
The box leaked useless because it had a hole in it.
Subject as a kind of complement
Whether we will finish on time depends primarily on the weather.
Whether we will finish on time ruined the afternoon.
5. 2,the subject
2.1 distinctive syntactic properties of the subject in English
2.2 traditional errors in defining the subject
6. A. basic position before the verb
Sue loved Max.
B, case
a, Nominative I he she we they
b, Accusative me him her us them
C, verb agreement
she loves me I love her.
D, subject-auxiliary inversion
interrogatives subject appears behind the verb
Does Sue love the children?
8. Object
1,Dsitictive syntactic properties of object in English
A,it must b licensed by the verb
B, with some verbs, the object is obligatory
C, the object typically corresponds to the object of an
associated passive clause
D,the object can normally take the form o a pronoun
F, the basic object position is immediately after the verb
9. 3.2 direct and indirect object
alternation with prepositional construction
most verbs that license two objects also admit a different construction
Where there is a direct object and PP complement C headed by to or for.
eg. Sue gave the photo to Max.
Syntactic distinction between direct and indirect object
She gave him everything else.
Everything else, she gave him
10. 4,predicative complements
The next kind of dependent of the verb we consider is the predicative
complement. A predicative complement commonly has the form of an NP, and
in that case it contrasts directly with an object
Lee became a friend of mine. pc
Lee insulted a friend o mine. O
This proved a great asset. pc
This proved my point. O
I felt a fool standing there alone on the platform. Pc
I felt a fool pushing in front of me the platform. O
4,1
Syntactic differences between predictive complements and objects
A, PC can have the form of Adjp
11. B,PC can have the form of a bare role NP
C,PC does not correspond to the subject of a passive clause
Ed became a friend of mine.
A friend of mine was become by Ed.
D,pc can have the form of a nominative pronoun.
It is he who said it.
They accused him of lying.
4,2
subjective and objective predicative complement.
Max seems highly untrustworthy. s+sbective PC
I consider Jim highly untrustworthy O+OBJECTIVE PC
4,3 Ascriptive and specifying uses of the verb Be
Mike was a loyal party member ascripitve
The last person to leave was Jane. Specifying
12. Ambiguities
I thought h was a friend of mine. Ascriptive , or specifying
Predicative complements with verbs other than be as ascriptive
Seem, become.
Syntactic difference.
The next room I more beautiful.
Mor beautiful room is the next.
5,
