Focused on major complementation patterns and valency.

1. COMPLEMENTATION OF
VERBS
NUR AMIRAH BT HAZALAN HAFFIZ
NURUL SYAZLIN BT ANUAR

2. COMPLEMENTATION OF VERB
 Refers to syntactic patterns made up by configuration of the clause elements.
 In other words, complement is a part of sentence that completes the meaning of the verb.
 There are 3 main types of complementation:
Complementation
patterns
Intransitive
Copular
Transitive
Mono-transitive
Di-transitive
Complex-
transitive

3. INTRANSITIVE
 Intransitive pattern – no complementation of the verb
 Structure : S-P
 Intransitive verbs can be classified into three group :
 Verbs of behaviour
 Verbs of weather
 Verbs of occurrence

4. INTRANSITIVE
 Example:
 Bob coughed.
predicate - verb of behaviour, preterite form of “cough”
subject
 It’s drizzling. predicate - verb of weather, -ing form of “drizzle”
subject
 Her smile faded. Predicate - verb of occurrence, preterite form of “fade”
subject

5. COPULAR
 Copula – a verb that links the subject and complement of a
clause / linking verb.
 The most typical copula is ‘be’. Other verbs used as copulas
provide additional meaning to the mere linking – can be sensory
( look, feel, smell, sound ) or refer to the process of becoming
( become, get, go, grow, turn ).
 Copular pattern – requires a subject complement
 Structure : S-P-C

6. COPULAR
 Patterns of copular :
 S-P- Locative complement (Cloc)
 Donald was lying on the bed.
(S) (P) (Cloc)
 S-P- Adjunct (A)
 They arrived yesterday.
(S) (P) (A)
 S-P- Complement of the subject (Cs)
 The Taj Mahal is a magnificent building.
(S) (P) (Cs)

7. TRANSITIVE
Characteristics :
1) It is an action verb.
2) It must have direct object. ( something or someone that receives the action.)
3) Examples :
Lin wrote a poem about the lotus flower.
( v) ( Od)
4) When there is no Od follows, the verb is intransitive.
A verb that take direct
object.

8. Transitive
Monotransitive
Ditransitive
Complex transitive

9. Type of
complementation
Structural
pattern
Examples Notes
Monotransitive S-P-Od
S-P-Op
Ana watched the movie.
Ana cried during the movie.
( talked about )
Op : The
noun that
comes after
the
preposition.
Ditransitive S-P-Oi-Od
S-P-Od-Op
Lin made me an omelette.
Lin made an omelette for
me.
What did Lin make for me?
For what?
Me.
Complex
transitive
S-P-Od-Co
S-P-Od-Cl
Wash your hands clean.
Aliena plays badminton with
Yoona.
3 places of
verbs with 1
Object and 1
Complement
C :Locative/
goal

10. Intra or Trans
 Some words can be both transitive and intransitive.
 Examples :
The workers protested their innocence in the car park.
(transitive)
 The workers protested in the car park.
(intransitive)

11. REFERENCES
 Downing, A., & Locke, P. (2006). English Grammar : A University Course
Second Edition. London and New York: Routledge.
 Collins Cobuild English Grammar. (2012). London: Harper Collins.
 http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/transitiveverb.htm
 http://grammar-monster.com/glossary/transitive_verbs.htm
 http://www.softschools.com/examples/grammar/object_of_the_prepositi
on_examples/60/
 http://www.linguisticsgirl.com/english-verbs-copular-intransitive-
transitive-ditransitive-and-ambitransitive/