Название: ГРАММАТИКА АНГЛИЙСКОГО ЯЗЫКА Морфология. Синтаксис

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The subjective predicative constructions *

 

* It is traditionally called the Complex Subject. The other term often used the Nominative with the infinitive construction does not embrace all variants, as the second element may be not an infinitive.

 

The subjective construction with an infinitive

 

§ 123. The construction consists of a noun (or a noun-pronoun) in the common case or a personal pronoun in the nominative case and an infinitive. The peculiarity of the construction is that the first element is separated from the second one by a finite verb-form which together with the infinitive forms a compound verbal predicate of double orientation, whereas the nominal part of the construction forms the subject of the sentence. Thus the construction does not function as one part of the sentence but falls into two parts each functioning separately.

Semantically of these two parts of the predicate only the second one refers to the subject, as onlythis part denotes either the action or the state of the person or non-person expressed by the subject. Thus in the sentence: He is said to know five languages it is the relation. He knows five languages that is important.

 

In between the subject and the infinitive there is a part of the predicate expressed by a finite verb which grammatically indicates subject-predicate relations. However, Semantically this finite verb cannot serve as the predicate of the subject, as it denotes some comment, or estimate, or judgement, or conclusion, or attitude to the action or state expressed by the infinitive. The comment or attitude comes from somebody not mentioned in the sentence, therefore such sentences can be transformed into complex ones with the indefinite-personal subject in the principal clause:

 

He is reported to have left. ————> They report (or somebody reports) that he has left.

 

The car was heard to turn round the corner. ——> They heard (somebody heard) that the car turned round 

the comer.

 

The subjective infinitive construction is used with a limited number of finite verbs either in the passive or in the active voice:

 

I. Verbs used in the passive voice fall into four groups:

 

1) verbs of sense perception (hear, see, observe, watch, etc.). When used in the passive voice they are followed by a to-infinitive. They express the idea of evidence. The same idea is also rendered by some other verbs in the passive voice (such as find, discover).

 

He was seen to enter the building. (Somebody was a witness of this fact)

They were heard to quarrel. (Somebody heard them and therefore was a witness of their quarrel)

The boy was found to be sleeping at home. (Somebody found the boy and he was sleeping)

 

2) verbs of mental perception (think, know, mean, believe, expect, consider, assume, presume, suppose) With this construction these verbs denote different shades of expectation, opinion, judgement:

 

Pat was supposed to come with me tonight.

The Paliament is expected to introduce some changes into the laws.

Programmed instruction is considered to have many advantages.

 

3) verbs of saying and reporting (say, report, declare, predict, etc). These verbs also express some judgement or opinion:

 

Blackberries are said to have a lot of vitamins.

A new star was reported to have appeared in the East.

 

4) Causative verbs (cause, make, order, allow, etc.) The verb to make when used in the passive voice is followed by a to-infinitive.

 

Jule was made to repeat her words.

The doctor was ordered to change his shift.

No dam was allowed to be built in this part of the country.

 

II. The following verbs ace used in the active voice:

 

1. Verbs expressing subjective or personal attitude to facts and their evaluation (to seem, to appear, to happen, to chance, to turn out, etc.).

 

The structure seemed to have been properly designed.

Your friend turned out to be stronger than we expected.

Everybody appeared to be enjoying themselves.

He chanced to be in the park when I was there.

I was to tell you the news if I happened to run into you.

 

2. Modal phrases expressing different shades of probability or certainty (to be (un)likely, to be sure, to be certain, to be bound); also adjectives or nouns with the link-verb to be expressing estimate of different kind (pleasant, hard, easy, difficult, terrible, apt, etc.). As probability mostly implies a future action the non-perfect infinitive is generally used after to be likely. With modal phrases expressing certainty both non-perfect and perfect infinitives are possible. The modal phrases to be apt, to be bound generally refer to habitual actions or states and are accordingly followed by the non-perfect infinitive:

 

We are certain to come to an agreement.

You are not likely to believe my story.

A strawberry, unless fresh-picked, is bound to exude juice.

These objects are sure to be wanted as evidence.

He is always liable to do idiotic things.

A girl is apt to be a little nervous on her wedding day.

Chrisis is apt to strike suddenly like influenza.

 

Subjective predicative constructions with non-verbal (nominal) second parts

 

These constructions structurally belong to the same type of subjective predicative constructions, but semantically they are different from those with verbal parts, because the second part of the predicate being a noun or an adjective denotes a new quality or state acquired as a result of the action or denote judgement, opinion of the quality. Because of its meaning the nominal part is sometimes called a subjective predicative.

 

The door was painted green.

Suddenly the door was flung open.

 

Some verbs require the second part of the predicate with the preposition as.

The plan was declared as ridiculous and absurd.

 

The list of verbs used in these constructions partly coincides with verbs mentioned above as preceding the infinitive. Their number is limited.

The following verbs are used in the passive voice:

 

1. Verbs of mental perception (to accept, to believe, to think, to consider, to expect, to presume, to estimate, to regard, to suppose, etc.); also verbs of saying and reporting (to declare, to describe, to call, to say, to report).

 

He is believed as honest as anyone here.

The girl was thought clever.

The plan is considered impractical.

He was called ‘rising’, ‘promising’ before.

 

2. Verbs implying that the result of the action will be a new quality, state, or reaction. These verbs are rather numerous and fall into several subclasses:

 

A. Verbs with causative meaning (to make, to render)

 

The room was made comfortable for the child.

He was made a knight.

The audience were rendered speechless by these words.

 

B. Verbs denoting an action resulting in the change of colour

(to paint, to tinge, to dye, to stain, to dust, etc.).

 

The walls were painted light pink.

Her hair was dyed red.

After staying on the beach an hour his skin was tinged pink.

His car had been dusted grey by the journey over bad roads.

 

С. Verbs denoting actions resulting in the change of social rank, status, function of, or giving identification to, a person (to appoint, to call, to christen, to elect, to raise, to select) to mark, etc.); also to train, to bring up, which acquire the meaning of “the change of social status” only in this construction.

 

He was appointed secretary of the state.

The child was christened Fernando.

The road to the estate was marked private.

The boy had been brought up as a Catholic.

 

D. Verbs implying movement to a different position or state (to bring, to fling, to set, to tear, etc.).

 

All the windows were flung open.

The little bird was set free.

The envelope was torn open.

 


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