- •The sentence
- •The simple sentence
- •The composite sentence
- •I have come to you, because I know from reading your accounts that you are Mr. Sherlock Holmes’s most intimate acquaintance.
- •The compound sentence
- •In a compound sentence the clauses may be connected:
- •The complex sentence
- •I gave him the textbook in order he might learn his lesson.
- •The Complex Sentences with mutually subordinated clauses.
- •Parts of the sentence
- •The principal parts of the sentence
- •The subject.
- •The Predicate.
- •Agreement of the predicate with the subject
- •The secondary parts of the sentence
- •The object.
- •The Formal Object It
- •The Attribute.
- •The adverbial modifiers.
- •The independent elements of the sentence
The Predicate.
The predicate is the second principal part of the sentence which expresses an action, state or quality of the person or thing denoted by the subject. It is grammatically dependent upon the subject. According to the structure and the meaning of the predicate we distinguish two main types: the simple predicate and the compound predicate.
The simple predicate is expressed by a finite verb in a synthetic or analytical tense and voice form.
She works at a factory.
He is reading a book.
I have been looking for you everywhere.
Mary was brought up by her grandmother.
Sometimes the simple predicate can be expressed by a phraseological unit.
I went to the bathroom and had a good wash.
She suddenly changed her mind.
Don’t ring me up. I’ll get in touch with you myself.
The compound predicate may be nominal or verbal.
The compound nominal predicate consists of a link verb usually to be and a predicative and denotes the state or quality of the person or thing expressed by the subject.
They are tired.
The book is interesting.
She is a student.
When a notional verb partly loses its original concrete meaning it becomes a link verb. The following notional verbs are often used as link ones: to become, to get, to grow, to appear, to look, to keep, to turn, to remain, to stand, to seem etc.
He became a doctor.
She is getting old.
They seemed tired.
The predicative is the significant part of the compound nominal predicate. It can be expressed by:
A noun in the common or possessive case.
She is a pretty child.
The book is my sister’s.
2. An adjective or participle.
The morning was warm.
The glass is broken.
3. Any pronoun.
It’s me. The book is yours.
You are nobody.
4. By a numeral (cardinal or ordinal).
I’m only 18.
He was the first to help me.
5. By an infinitive or an infinitive phrase.
His dream was to become a doctor.
The best thing is for you to leave the room.
6. By a gerund or a gerundial phrase.
My favourite sport is swimming.
The topic of their conversation was their going on an expedition.
According to the meaning of the finite verb the compound verbal predicate can be divided into the compound verbal modal predicate and the compound verbal aspect predicate. The compound verbal modal predicate may consist of the following components:
A modal verb or modal expression and an infinitive.
He may return soon.
I have to work for my living.
They are allowed to be a little late.
A verb with modal meaning and an infinitive or a gerund. Here belong such verbs as to hope, to expect, to intend, to attempt, to try, to wish, to want, to desire, etc.
We intend going to Switzerland and climbing Mount Blanc.
Anyway, I want to talk to the happy couple.
The compound verbal aspect predicate expresses the beginning, duration, repetition or cessation of the action expressed by the non-finite form of the verb. It consists of such verbs as: to begin, to start, to go on, to keep on, to proceed, to continue, to stop, to give up, to finish and an infinitive or a gerund.
He continued to live with his parents after his marriage.
I used to write poetry when I was young.
He kept glancing at her.