THE PREDICATE

The simple verbal predicate:

proper
 John runs quickly. Perhaps you will even remember that woman. I didn’t care
about the consequence. Don’t come too late.
phraseological
 Nurse Sharp gave him a look and left. The man gave a violent start. Did you
have a sleep? It’s time we were making a move. (verb phrase denoting single
actions)
 I have never taken much interest in German songs. Are you taking part in the
concert? (verb phrase denoting various kinds of actions)
The simple nominal predicate
 He a gentleman! Fred, a priest! My ideas obsolete! Ronnie, good-looking! You
sad! Hercule Poirot to sleep while murder is committed! My boy insult a
gentleman at my table! She spying!

Practice:
The artists painted the square with vibrant colors.
They had discovered the true art of collaboration.
We had a talk about the upcoming project deadline.
You a bother! Never.
The baby gave a cry as soon as he came.
She got rid of all the old furniture before moving into her new apartment.
In the dense fog, they lost sight of the hiking trail and had trouble finding their
way back.
Me trying to be funny!

The compound predicate

 Andrew began to talk about the famous actress.
 You must forget it.
 He hoped to see them the next day.
 The visibility seemed good.
 He was forty.
 This man is my father.

The compound verbal predicate:

The compound verbal phasal predicate

 beginning:to begin, to start, to commence, to set about, to take to, to
fall to, to come.
- So I took to going to the farm.
- I come to think that you are right.

 duration:to go on, to keep, to proceed, to continue.

- The talk kept running on the possibility of a storm.
- As we continued to laugh his surprise gave way to annoyance.
 repetition: would, used to (denoting a repeated action in the past).
- Alfredo used to talk to me about it.
- During her small leisure hours she would sit by the window or
walk in the fields.
 cessation: to stop, to finish, to cease, to give up, to leave off.
- The band had ceased playing.
- Give up smoking.

The compound verbal modal predicate

 A modal verb.
- You must forget it.
- He can’t say a word, he can’t even apologize.
- Ought he not to treat her generously?
 A modal expression of nominal nature: to be able, to be allowed,
to be willing, to be going, to be anxious, etc.
- You are going to attend the college at Harvard, they tell me.
- Are you able to walk another two miles?
- We were anxious to cooperate.
- He may have to return.
- She must be willing to come here again.
 Аn attitudinal verb such as to like, to hate, to attempt, to expect,
to hope, to intend, to mean, to plan, to try, to have a mind, to wish,
to want
- He hoped to see them the next day.
- I mean to find out the truth.

The compound verbal predicate of double orientation

 Intransitive verbs of seeming or happening with the general
meaning of evaluation in the active voice: to seem, to appear, to
prove, to turn out, to happen, to chance.
 - The Gadfly seemed to have taken a dislike to her ———>It
seemed (to the people) that the Gadfly had taken a dislike to her.
- He seemed to understand everything I said.
- Money just doesn’t happen to interest me.
- No one appears to have noticed his escape.
 Some verbs in the passive voice. Verbs of saying: to say, to
declare, to state, to report, to rumour
- This country is said to be rich in oil.
- The rocket is reported to have started its night at 6.30.
 Verbs of mental activity: to believe, to consider, to expect, to find,
to know, to mean, to presume, to regard, to suppose, to think, to
understand.
- Mr. Sharp was always expected to say he preferred cold meat.
- He has never been known to lose his temper before.
 Verbs of perception: to feel, to hear, to see, to watch.
- My dog was heard to bark in the yard.
- The lady was seen to leave the house.
 Phrases with some modal meaning: to be (un) likely, to be sure, to
be certain.
- The weather is not likely to change.
- This event is certain to produce a sensation.
Practice:1
After the rain stopped, they started to rebuild their house.
Despite the storm, the party continued to be fun.
He used to spend hours in the old library.
They decided to stop and enjoy the sunset.
He gave up playing football for good.
She can't believe what she just saw.
They were willing to lend a helping hand to those in need.
I expect to receive a response to my email soon.
She plans to travel the world after finishing college.
The situation seemed to improve after the new manager took charge.
It happened to coincide with her birthday celebration.
He was considered to be a wise advisor by everyone in the village.
The thief was seen to flee the scene of the crime.
It's unlikely to rain tomorrow, according to the weather forecast.
He is certain to win the competition with his exceptional skills.

The compound nominal predicate

The compound nominal predicate proper
a link verb + a predicative (nominal part)
 Link verbs of being: to be, to feel, to sound, to smell, to taste, to look, to
appear, to seem, etc.
- His face looked awful all the time.
- I felt better pleased than ever.
- His voice sounded cold and hostile.
 - He seemed bewildered.
 Link verbs of becoming: to become, to grow, to turn, to get, to make.
- The noise of the rattling dishes becomes intolerable.
- The Elephant’s Child’s nose grew longer and longer.
- The girl’s face suddenly turned red.
- The girl will make a good teacher.
 Link verbs of remaining: to remain, to continue, to keep, to stay.
- She remained vexed with him.
- The children kept suspiciously silent.
The compound nominal double predicate
 The moon was shining cold and bright.
 The light came gray and pale.
 The men stood silent and motionless.
 They met friends and parted enemies.

Practice:2
The garden smelled fragrant after the rain.
Her smile looked radiant on her wedding day.
As she practiced, her skills became more refined.
Over time, their friendship grew stronger.
The old house turned dark.
His determination will make him a successful entrepreneur.
Despite the criticism, she remained confident in her abilities.
He kept calm and composed during the challenging exam.
The memories of their childhood stay vivid in their minds.
My daughter sat silent.
He died a hero.
She married young.

Mixed types of compound predicate

 The compound modal nominal predicate.
Jane must feel better pleased than ever.
She couldn’t be happy.
He may have been ill then.

 The compound phasal nominal predicate.

He was beginning to look desperate.
George began to be rather ashamed.

 The compound modal phasal predicate.

You ought to stop doing that.
He can’t continue training.

Practice:3
After the news, Jane must have felt terrible.
She couldn't have been more excited about the opportunity.
He may have been away at that time.
As the competition intensified, he was beginning to sound confident.
Peter began to feel sorry for my decision.
The weather started to become more unpredictable.
You ought to stop worrying about things beyond your control.
He can't continue working at such a hectic pace for much longer.