This document discusses key concepts in semantics including referring expressions, predicators, and predicates. It defines referring expressions as parts of a sentence that refer to something and the remainder as the other words. The predicator is the single word or group of words in the remainder that contributes most to the sentence's meaning. Predicates are any words that can function as a predicator. Predicates can be one, two, or three-place depending on the number of arguments they require. Grammatical and semantic analyses of sentences differ in how they break down elements. Language can be used to discuss imaginary worlds through fiction.

1. Department of English Language and Literature
Major: English Language and Literature
Semantics Session 6
“Referring expressions, Predicator & predicate”
Dr. Badriya Al Mamari
Academic year 2021/2022

2. • A sentence sometimes contains one or more referring expressions
plus other words that do not form part of any of the referring
expression.
• These words are “the remainder”
Example1: “ I am happy”
“I” is referring expression
“Am happy” is the remainder
Example 2: “She has made an appointment”
“She” and “an appointment” is the referring expression
“has made” is the remainder

3. PREDICATOR
From the remainder, we can find the single word or part of a word which
carries the specific information
• The Predicator of a simple declarative sentence is the word (sometimes a
(partial) group of words) which does not belong to any of the referring
expressions and which, of the remainder, makes the most specific
contribution to the meaning of the sentence.
• The predicator describes the state or process in which the referring
expressions are involved.

4. Predicators are the parts which (are not referring expressions) .
• The predicators in sentences can be of various parts of
speech:
• adjectives (red, asleep, hungry, whimsical),
• verbs (write, stink, place),
• prepositions (in, between, behind),
• and nouns (crook, genius).
• Words of other parts of speech, such as conjunctions (and,
but, or) and articles (the, a), cannot serve as predicators in
sentences.

5. •Predicate is any word (or sequence of words) which (in
a given single sentence) can function as the predicator
of a sentence.
•Example: “A tall, beautiful woman entered the class”
•Tall, beautiful, woman, and class are predicates

6. • A predicate can have only one sense. Normally, the context in
which we use a word will make clear what sense (what predicate)
we have in mind, but occasionally, we shall resort to the use of
subscripts on words to distinguish between different predicates.

7. Examples:
1.“Bank”: (noun):business establishment,>>>>( transitive verb)
as in “ she can always bank on her friendship”
2.”man” (noun): human being, >>>> ”man” (transitive verb) as
in “The crew manned the lifeboats”.

8. Predicator vs predicates
• Predicates can be predicator in other sentence.
Example:
“A tall, beautiful woman entered the class”.
she is tall
She is beautiful
She is a woman
The building in the corner is a class

9. Degree of a predicate
• The degree of a predicate is determined by the number of
arguments.
1.One-place predicate, requires one argument
Example: John kicks.
2.Two-place predicate, requires two arguments
Example2. John kicks the ball.

10. “This movie is amazing”
Amazing is a predicate of degree one (one place predicate)
“Shinta brings an apple”
Bring is a predicate of degree two (two place predicate)
“The teacher gives me a card”
Give is a predicate of degree three (three place predicate)

11. Semantic elements of a simple declarative sentence
• Referring expressions = arguments
• Predicator = predicate
• Example: “Romeo loves Juliet”.
-Arguments=Romeo, Juliet
-Predicate=love

12. Grammatical vs. semantic analysis
Grammatical
analysis
Subject Verb object
Romeo loves Juliet
Fadi gives him the book
Semantic analysis Argument 1
“Referring
expression”
Predicate Argument 2
“Referring
expression”
Argument 3
“Referring
expression”

13. How do we talk about the non- existent things?
• Can language be used to talk about an unreal imaginative
world?

14. • 1. Narnia
• 2. Harry Potter

15. References:
Hurford, J. R., Heasley, B., & Smith, M. B. (2007). Semantics: a coursebook.
Cambridge university press.