Link verbs

The Predicate

Predicate is the second principal member of a sentence which expresses an action, state or quality of person or thing denoted by the subject. It is grammatically dependent on the subject.

We distinguish simple and compound predicate, the latter can be nominal or verbal.

Simple predicate

Simple predicate can denote an action or rarely a state. It can be expressed in a simple or a compound tense form.

e.g. In an open carriage with the two ladies Dorian Gray drove past.

His mother was waiting for him.

It has been told to him before.

Phraseological predicate is the subdivision of simple predicate. It is a kind of predicate expressed by a phraseological unit: to get rid, to take care, to pay attention, to lose sight, etc. e.g. We lost sight of him many years ago.

These words form one unity and cannot be regarded as predicate and object.

There are two types of phraseological predicate:

1. word combinations which belong to this type consist of a verb which has to a great extent lost its concrete meaning and a noun formed from a verb which is used with indefinite article. This predicate denotes a momentary action: to have a smoke, to have a swim, to have a run, to give a laugh, to give a push, to take a look, to make a move, etc.

e.g. He had a smoke and returned into the room.

2. word combinations which belong to this type consist of a verb and noun which denotes an abstract idea, and it is used without any article: to get rid, to get hold, to make use, to take care, to lose sight, to make fun, to pay attention, to make up one’s mind, to change one’s mind, etc. e.g. He was resolute and definitely made up his mind.

Compound nominal predicate

Compound nominal predicate usually denotes a state or a quality of person or thing and not an action.

e.g. I’m unwell today. (I do nothing to be unwell)

CNP consists of a link verb and a predicative (which is usually not a verb).

Link verbs

All link verbs lost to some extent their meaning. The verb ‘to be’ has lost its meaning altogether and is purely link verb.

Other link verbs preserve their meaning a little bit: to get, to grow, to seem, to remain, to feel, to continue, to turn, to look, to stand, etc.

e.g. You are very kind. My brother will become an engineer. It’s getting dark.

Some link verbs preserve their meaning fully, but at the same time they can function as link verbs: to die, to sit, to return, to come, to leave, to go, etc.

e.g. She lived unknown and died absolutely forgotten.

Link verbs are divided into two groups according to their meaning:

1. link verbs of being and remaining: to remain, to be, to stand, to keep, to shine, to appear, to continue, to look, to sit, to seem, etc.

e.g. He remained a true friend.

2. link verbs of becoming: to become, to get, to grow, to come, to go, to live, to run, to turn, to make, etc.

e.g. She turned red.