Syntax - semináře zápisky

Verb categories

1. Intensive (copular, linking) (sponové sloveso)

SVC – He is nice.

SVA – He is in London.

SVA – He lay on the bed.

Copular verbs

1. Current copular verb – be, appear, look, seem, smell, sound, taste – The girl seemed very restless.

2. Resulting copular verb – become, get, go, grow, prove, turn – they indicate a kind of change – The girl became very restless.

She turned the page. X She turned red. → the second sentence is with resulting copular verb

↑ ↑

Extensive monotransitive verb (SVO) Intensive verb (SVC)

1. Extensive

1. Intransitive verbs – verbs that don’t have objects – She arrived. SV

2. Monotransitive verbs – She helped me. SVO

3. Ditransitive [dajtrenzitiv] verbs – She showed me my room. SVOO

4. Complex transitive verbs – She called me a fool. (SVOC)/ She put it on the table. (SVOA)

Obligatory/optional adverbials

Obligatory adverbial – without it the sentence wouldn’t make sense.

Optional adverbial – without it the sentence would make sense.

She is in Prague. SVA - OBLIGATORY (Nonsense – She is.) – IS = copular verb

She arrived at 3 o’clock. SVA - OPTIONAL (It makes sense – She arrived.) - ARRIVE = intransitive verb

• ↑It helps us to put the verb in the right category

• English is an analytic language – the word order is fixed, the meaning is made by context

Exercise:

It proved a spectacular failure SVC Intensive verb (PROČ?!) prove=ukázalo se to – kind of change

I can prove it. SVO Extensive monotransitive verb

I consider it useless. SVOC Extensive complex transitive verb

I’ll consider it tonight. SVOA Extensive monotransitive verb (PROČ?! Proč to není complex…)

HOMEWORK:

Identify the sentence types that the following sentences belong to and put the verbs into categories.

1. They seemed highly intelligent. SVC Intensive verb

2. John appeared this morning. SV(A) Intransitive verb (it is not intensive bcs adverbial is optional)

3. He offered her his help. SVOO Extensive ditransitive verb

4. She rejected him scornfully. SVO(A) Extensive monotransitive verb (adverbial is optional)

5. John called me a taxi. SVOO Extensive ditransitive verb

6. John called me a fool. SVOC Extensive complex transitive verb

7. John called me at eight. SVO(A) Extensive monotransitive verb

8. The accommodation situation is becoming worse and worse. SVC Intensive verb

9. The painting was by Picasso. SVC Intensive verb

10. They put him on a short list. SVOA Extensive complex transitive verb (adverbial is obligatory – it must be there)

11. I see what you mean. SVO Extensive monotransitive verb (there are 2 clauses – because of 2 verbs “see” and “mean”)

12. I love ice-cream. SVO Extensive monotransitive verb

13. She grew wiser as she grew older. SVC(A) Intensive verb (optional adverbial)

14. The “New Age“ has definitely arrived. SV Extensive intransitive verb

15. This car has given us a lot of problems. SVOO Extensive ditransitive verb

16. They made her President of the society. SVOC Extensive complex transitive verb