GRAMÁTICA INGLESA

CHAPTER 2: Introduction to clause structure

UNIT 5: Subject and Predicator

Grado en Estudios Ingleses: Lengua, Literatura y Cultura

Dpto. Filologías Extranjeras y sus Lingüísticas
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1.1. Subject and Predicator

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 1.1. The Subject
• COGNITIVELY: The element that has the highest claim to function as a Topic (=a discourse category: what
the message is mainly about) in a clause in context: Lions typically hunt their preys first thing in the morning.
• SYNTACTICALLY: (1) functionally: a function that can be identified through various tests:

Position She didn’t enjoy the meal. You be quite! Didn’t she pass the test?
Concord I am a woman. You are a woman.
Pronominalisation (subjective case) Peter and Sue left early.  They left early.
Reflection in question tags The blouse is wet, isn’t it?
(2) formally: it is typically realised by an NG but by many other groups & clauses too:
At 5 pm is when I have my tea.
• SEMANTICALLY – it can be associated with most types of Participants:
Agent I wrote a letter to the Dean.
Affected The mouse was eaten by the cat.
Force The snow covered the whole landscape.
Recipient
© UNED The golf player was given a second chance.
1.2. The Predicator
SYNTACTICALLY: (1) functionally: a clause function that largely determines the structure of the Predicate (= the no. &
type of objects & complements that may appear with it)
Rome IS the capital of Italy  copular They KNEW what needed to be done  transitive
(2) formally: it may be equivalent to the whole Predicate The fish jumped
POSITION The topic of the conference was the sea.
CONCORD The topics of the conferences were very interesting.
SEMANTICALLY: it is associated with a no. of domains belonging to 3 types of process:

MATERIAL (‘doing’, ‘acting’) Make Catch Throw

MENTAL (‘perceiving’, ‘thinking”, ‘feeling’, Listen Know Hate Wish

‘desiring’)

RELATIONAL (‘being’, ‘becoming’) Be, Belong, Become

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1.2.1. The Predicator & the Finite Operator

Cognitively: the Predicate is usually the most informative part of the clause.

Formally: realised by a VG. The VG is made up of:

• The predicator: takes
• Modal / Primary (be, have, do) / Lexical auxiliaries (the 1st: finite operator): can take / is taking / has been
taking / could have been taking

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