relationships between subject and predicate. i. the syntactic relationship between subject and...
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Relationships Between Subject and Predicate. I. The syntactic relationship between subject and predicate 1. The subject determines the number form of](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022082817/56649e395503460f94b2aa29/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Relationships
Between Subject and Predicate
![Page 2: Relationships Between Subject and Predicate. I. The syntactic relationship between subject and predicate 1. The subject determines the number form of](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022082817/56649e395503460f94b2aa29/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
I. The syntactic relationship between subject and predicate
1. The subject determines the number form of the predicate verb.
The guiding principles: grammatical concord notional concord proximity Of the three principles, notional concord is the
most influential because it conforms with the purpose of communication and reflects the direction of the development of the language. However, the other two principles are more traditional and formal.
![Page 3: Relationships Between Subject and Predicate. I. The syntactic relationship between subject and predicate 1. The subject determines the number form of](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022082817/56649e395503460f94b2aa29/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
(1) Nouns as subject
Singular form,
singular meaning,
singular verb (under normal conditions):
A rolling stone gathers no moss.
Honesty is the best policy.
![Page 4: Relationships Between Subject and Predicate. I. The syntactic relationship between subject and predicate 1. The subject determines the number form of](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022082817/56649e395503460f94b2aa29/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Plural form,
plural meaning,
plural verb (under normal conditions):
Rolling stones gather no moss.
Still waters run deep.
![Page 5: Relationships Between Subject and Predicate. I. The syntactic relationship between subject and predicate 1. The subject determines the number form of](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022082817/56649e395503460f94b2aa29/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Singular form,
plural meaning,
plural verb (special collective nouns):
The Chinese people are a great people.
Police are badly needed in this area.
Poultry are kept at the back of the house.
![Page 6: Relationships Between Subject and Predicate. I. The syntactic relationship between subject and predicate 1. The subject determines the number form of](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022082817/56649e395503460f94b2aa29/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Plural form,
singular meaning,
singular verb (names of diseases):
Mumps is a kind of infectious disease.
Diabetes occurs in middle-aged and old people.
![Page 7: Relationships Between Subject and Predicate. I. The syntactic relationship between subject and predicate 1. The subject determines the number form of](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022082817/56649e395503460f94b2aa29/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Singular form,
singular/plural meaning,
singular/plural verb (regular collective nouns):
My family ___ (be) a happy one.
My family ___ (be) all early risers.
![Page 8: Relationships Between Subject and Predicate. I. The syntactic relationship between subject and predicate 1. The subject determines the number form of](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022082817/56649e395503460f94b2aa29/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Plural form,Plural/singular meaning, plural/singular verb (nouns denoting sports
and subjects of study):
The politics of Aristotle ___ (be) studied at Oxford.
Politics ___ (be) the art of government. Mathematics ___ (be) not his strong point. Marbles ___ (be) very popular among children. Marbles ___ (vary) in kind and quality.
![Page 9: Relationships Between Subject and Predicate. I. The syntactic relationship between subject and predicate 1. The subject determines the number form of](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022082817/56649e395503460f94b2aa29/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
(2) Non-finite verbs as subject
To live means to struggle.
Learning without practice is of no use.
![Page 10: Relationships Between Subject and Predicate. I. The syntactic relationship between subject and predicate 1. The subject determines the number form of](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022082817/56649e395503460f94b2aa29/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
(3) Clauses as subject
That he is always late ___ (make) the teacher unhappy.
He is always late, which ___ (make) the teacher unhappy.
What I want ___ (be) just a few books.
![Page 11: Relationships Between Subject and Predicate. I. The syntactic relationship between subject and predicate 1. The subject determines the number form of](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022082817/56649e395503460f94b2aa29/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
(4) Coordinate subjects
The dean and secretary ___ (have) come already.
American and Dutch beer ___ (be) much lighter than British.
Neither the teacher nor the students ___ (be) present.
Either you or she ___ (be) to blame.
![Page 12: Relationships Between Subject and Predicate. I. The syntactic relationship between subject and predicate 1. The subject determines the number form of](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022082817/56649e395503460f94b2aa29/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
2. The predicate verb determines the clause pattern of the sentence. the link verb → SVC the monotransitive verb → SVO the ditransitive verb → SVOO the complex transitive verb → SVOC the verb complement transitive verb →
SVOA the complete intransitive verb→ SV the incomplete intransitive verb → SVA
![Page 13: Relationships Between Subject and Predicate. I. The syntactic relationship between subject and predicate 1. The subject determines the number form of](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022082817/56649e395503460f94b2aa29/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
II. The semantic relationship between subject and predicate
1. Active subject-predicate relationship
(agent-action relationship ) 2. Passive subject-predicate relationship
(patient-action relationship ) 3. topic-comment relationship
![Page 14: Relationships Between Subject and Predicate. I. The syntactic relationship between subject and predicate 1. The subject determines the number form of](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022082817/56649e395503460f94b2aa29/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
III. The informational relationship between subject and predicate
Subject + Predicate ↓ ↓ Theme + Rheme ↓ ↓ Given Information + New Information
The information focus generally comes at the end of the sentence, hence the term “end-focus”. In a question, however, the information focus comes at the head of the sentence, and fronting also results in beginning-focus.
![Page 15: Relationships Between Subject and Predicate. I. The syntactic relationship between subject and predicate 1. The subject determines the number form of](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022082817/56649e395503460f94b2aa29/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
IV. The structural relationship between subject and predicate
Subject + Predicate ↓ ↓ Light + Heavy
Weighty structures are usually placed at the end of the sentence, hence the term “end-weight”.