A simple declarative sentence

Argument(s) Predicator

the word/ group of

Referring
words (n, v, adj, prep)
expression(s)
NOT belong to any of
the referring
Proper Common expressions
name(s) name(s) Make the MOST
specific contribution to
the MEANING of the
sentence
 PREDICATORS
Delele the referring expressions and write
down the word which carries the most
specific information.

Eg: Mrs. Wraith is writing write

the Mayor’s speech
1. Einstein was a genius genius
nouns
2. Cairo is a large city city
3. John stood near the bank stand
verbs
4. My parents gave me give
a nice present
5.PREDICATORS
Your house is different from different
mine adjectives
6. He is proud of his family proud
7. Chicago is between Los Ageles
and New York between
prepositions
8. Your marble is under my chair under
 NOTE

Einstein was a genius  predicator: a genius
Chicago is between Los Angeles and New York

 predicator: between...and...
He runs the company very well

 predicator: run well
The predicators in a sentence can be of
various parts of speech: nouns, verbs,
adjectives, prepositions
Words of other parts of speech such as
articles, conjunctions, adverbs cannot
serve as predicators in sentences
 PREDICATES
A predicate is any word (or sequence of
words) which (in a given single sense) can
function as the predicator of a sentence
Eg: hungry (adj), in (prep), asleep (adj), hit (v),
show (v), bottle (n)  predicates

and/or/but (conj), a/an/the (article)  predicates

Predicates  various parts of speech:

nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepostions,
  
conjunctions, articles, adverbs
 Are the following predicates?
Yes No
1. dusty 
2. drink 
3. woman 
4. you

5. Fred 
6. about 
2 parenthesized conditions of ‘predicate’
man1 (n): human being
 Sequence of words predicates
Eg: Many people are worried about
Eg: wait for,the
in damage
front of caused
 longer than one
by man to the
words >< environment
single predicates
 In a givenman
man single sense
2 (n): male adult human being
- A word can Eg:be ambiguous
He’s (can young
a good-looking have more
man
than one sense)
man3 (vt): to work at a place or be in
- A predicator can
charge
have
of a
ONLY
place/
ONE sense.
A simple sentence only has ONEa machine predicator
The CONTEXT Eg: makes
The clear what
telephones are sense 24
manned we
PREDICATOR, although it may contain
have in mind
hours a day by volunteers
MORE THAN ONE PREDICATE
 predicates

A tall, handsome stranger entered the saloon

John is tall predicator

predicator

He is handsome predicator

He is a stranger predicator

The ramshackle building is a saloon

predicator
 PREDICATORS & PREDICATES
 A simple sentence  One predicator – (more
than) one predicates
 A predicate can function as the predicator of a
sentence
Predicate Predicator
Identifies elements in Identifies the semantic
the language system role
Independent of Dependent on particular
particular sentences word/ group of words in a
particular sentences
Can make a list Can’t make a list
 NOTE: TOBE
Write down the predicator of the following
sentences
1. He is an Egyptian Egyptian
2. He is the Egyptian I was
Linking verb be
telling you about
Identity
3. Hanoi is asentences
Equative big city city
Identity predicate
relation
4. Hanoi is the capital of
be
Vietnam
 SUMMARY
 Predicates ≠ referring expressions
 Predicates  nouns, verbs,
adjectives, prepositions.
Equative sentences
 Be identity relation