Semantics: a coursebook, second edition
particular word (or group of words) in a particular sentence. In this way
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particular word (or group of words) in a particular sentence. In this way, it is similar to the grammatical term ‘subject’: one can talk of the subject of a particular sentence, but it makes no sense to talk of a list of ‘the subjects of English’: similarly, one can talk of the ‘predicator’ in a particular sentence, but not list ‘the predicators of English’. A simple sentence only has one predicator, although it may well contain more than one instance of a predicate. Example A tall, handsome stranger entered the saloon This sentence has just one predicator, enter, but the sentence also contains the words tall, handsome, stranger, and saloon, all of which are PA RT T WO From reference . . . 50 predicates, and can function as predicators in other sentences, e.g. John is tall, He is handsome, He is a stranger, and That ramshackle building is a saloon. Practice (1) In which of the following sentences does the predicate male function as a predicator? Circle your choice. (a) The male gorilla at the zoo had a nasty accident yesterday (b) The gorilla at the zoo is a male (c) The gorilla at the zoo is male (2) In which of the following sentences does the predicate human function as predicator? (a) All humans are mortal (b) Socrates was human (c) These bones are human Feedback (1) (b), (c) (2) (b), (c) Comment We turn now to the matter of the degree of predicates. Definition The DEGREE of a predicate is a number indicating the number of arguments it is normally understood to have in simple sentences. Example Asleep is a predicate of degree one (often called a one-place predicate) Love (verb) is a predicate of degree two (a two-place predicate) Practice (1) Are the following sentences acceptable? (a) Thornbury sneezed Yes / No (b) Thornbury sneezed a handful of pepper Yes / No (c) Thornbury sneezed his wife a handful of pepper Yes / No (2) So is sneeze a one-place predicate? Yes / No (3) Are the following sentences acceptable in normal usage? (a) Martha hit Yes / No (b) Martha hit the sideboard Yes / No (c) Martha hit George the sideboard Yes / No (4) So is hit a one-place predicate? Yes / No (5) Is die a one-place predicate? Yes / No (6) Is come a one-place predicate? Yes / No (7) Is murder (verb) a one-place predicate? Yes / No Feedback (1)(a) Yes (b) No (c) No (2) Yes (3) (a) No (b) Yes (c) No (4) No (5) Yes (6) Yes (7) No U N I T 5 Predicates 51 Comment A verb that is understood most naturally with just two arguments, one as its subject, and one as its object, is a two-place predicate. Example In Martha hit the parrot, hit is a two-place predicate: it has an argument, Martha, as subject and an argument, the parrot, as direct object. Practice (1) Are the following sentences acceptable? (a) Keith made Yes / No (b) Keith made this toy guillotine Yes / No (c) Keith made this toy guillotine his mother-in-law Yes / No (2) So is make a two-place predicate? Yes / No (3) Is murder a two-place predicate? Yes / No (4) Is see a two-place predicate? tải về 1.74 Mb. Chia sẻ với bạn bè của bạn:
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