The compound predicate

The compound predicate consists of two parts: the notional and the structural. The structural part comes first and is followed by the notional part.

The notional part may be expressed by a noun, an adjective, a stative, an adverb, a verbal, a phrase, a predicative complex,or a clause.

The structural part is expressed by a finite verb - a phasal verb, a modal verb, a verb expressing attitude, intention, planning, etc., or a link verb.

From the point of view of meaning the most important part of the compound predicate is the notional part as it contains the information about the person or non-person expressed by the subject.

From the point of view of structure the most important part of the predicate is the first one, since it is expressed by a finite verb and carries grammatical information about the person, number, tense, voice, modal, attitudinal and aspective (phasal) meaning of the whole predicate.

THE COMPOUND VERBAL PREDICATE

The compound verbal phasal predicate(the compound verbal aspect predicate)

The compound verbal phasal predicate denotes the beginning, duration, repetition or cessation of the action expressed by an infinitive or a gerund. It consists of a phasal verb and an infinitive or a gerund, Accordingly its first component may be a phasal verb of:

1.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. He fell to poking the fire with all his might.

I come to think that you are right.

2. 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.

3. Repetition: would, used (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.

4. Cessation: to stop, to finish, to cease, to give up, to leave off.

The band had ceased playing. Give up smoking.

Note the difference in the functions of the gerund and the infinitive after the verb to stop:

She stopped talking to him. (part of a compound verbal phasal predicate) - Она перестала с ним говорить.

She stopped to talk to him. (an adverbial modifier of purpose) - Она остановилась, чтобы поговорить с ним.)