THE COMPOUND NOMINAL DOUBLE PREDICATE

The compound nominal double predicate combines, as its name suggests, the features of two different types of predicate. It has the features of the simple verbal predicate and those of the compound nominal predicate. It consists of two parts, both of which are notional. The first one is verbal and is expressed by a notional verb denoting an action or process performed by the person/non-person expressed by the subject. From this point of view it resembles the simple verbal predicate. But at the same time the verbal part of this predicate performs a linking function, as it links its second part (which is a predicative) to the subject. The second part of the compound nominal double predicate is expressed by a noun or an adjective which denotes the properties of the subject in the same way as the predicative of the compound nominal predicate proper does.

The moon was shining cold and bright.

The predicate here denotes two separate notions:

1) The moon was shining, and at the same time

2) The moon was cold and bright.

There are a number of verbs that often occur in this type of predicate, performing the double function of denoting a process and serving as link verbs at the same time. They are: to die, to leave, to lie, to marry, to return, to rise, to sit, to stand, to shine, etc. As in Modern English there is a growing tendency to use this type of predicate, the verbs occurring in it are not limited by any particular lexical class.

My daughter sat silent. He died a hero. She married young. The light came gray and pale. The men stood silent and motionless. They met friends and parted enemies. The moon rose round and yellow.

Mixed types of compound predicate

Compound predicates can combine elements of different types. Thus we have:

1. The compound modal verbal nominal predicate.

Jane must feel better pleased than ever. She couldn’t be happy.

2. Тhe compound modal nominal verbal predicate.

Are you able to walk another two miles? We were anxious to cooperate.

3. The compound phasal nominal predicate.

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

4. The compound modal phasal predicate.

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

5. The compound nominal predicate of double orientation.

Mrs Bacon is said to be very ill. Walter seems to be unhappy.

AGREEMENT OF THE PREDICATE WITH THE SUBJECT

The most important type of agreement in English is that of the subject and the predicate in number and person. Thus a singular noun-subject requires a singular verb-predicate, a plural noun-subject requires a plural verb-predicate.

This rule of purely grammatical agreement concerns all present tenses (except modal verbs) and also the past indefinite of the verb to be.

World literatureknows many great humorists.

Great humoristsknow how to make people laugh.

This rule remains true for:

a) All link verbs irrespective of the number of the predicative noun, as in:

Our only guidewas the Polar star. Our only guide was the stars.

b) The predicate of emphatic constructions with the formal subject it.

It was my friends who suddenly arrived. It’s they who are responsible for the delay.

The verb-predicate is in the singular if the subject is expressed by:

1. An infinitive phrase or phrases:

To know everythingis to know nothing.

To be loved and to be wantedis always good.

2. A prepositional phrase:

After the meetingis the time to speak.

3. A clause introduced by a conjunction or conjunctive adverb:

Where you found himdoes not concern me.

How you got there is beyond my understanding.

Note:Subject clauses introduced by conjunctive pronouns what, who may be followed by either a singular or plural verb.

What I want to do is to save us. What I say and what I think are my own affair.

4. A numerical expression, such as arithmetical addition, subtraction, division:

Four and fouris eight. Four minus twois two. Ten divided by fiveis two.

Note: However, multiplication admits two variants.

Twice two is/are four.

5. The group many a + noun:

Many a manhas done it. Ни один человек проделал такое. (Многие...)

6. With there - constructions followed by subjects of different number, the predicate agrees with the subject that stands first. The same holds true for sentences with here:

Therewas a textbook and many notebooks on the table.

Therewere many notebooks and textbook on the table.

Herewas Tom and Peter. Herewas a man, wasexperience and culture.

In informal style, however, the singular verb is often usedbefore the subject in the plural if the form of the verb is contracted.

There’s too many of them living up there. There’s two kinds of men here, you’ll find.

7. Plural nouns or phrases when they are used as names, titles, quotations:

“Fathers and Sons”is the most popular of Turgenev’s novels.

Note:However, the titles of some works which are collections of stories, etc., may have either a singular or a plural verb.

The “Canterbury Tales” consist of about seventeen thousand lines of verse.

Turgenev’s “Hunter’s Tales” was/were published in 1852.

Pronouns as subject

1. Indefinite pronouns (somebody, someone, anybody), universal pronouns (everybody, everyone, everything, each, either), negative pronouns (nobody, no one, neither, etc.) take a singular predicate:

Somebodyis asking for you. Nobodyhas come except me.

Every one of usis present. Neither of the studentshas made a mistake.

Note: However, none has a plural verb-predicate.

Nonewere here. None of usunderstand it. None of themhave come.

All in the sense of «всё» has a singular verb, while all in the senseof«все» takes a plural verb.

Allis well that ends well. Allwere in favour of the plan.

2. Interrogative pronouns who, what take a singular verb-predicate:

Whohas come? Whatis there?

But if the pronoun denotes more than one person or thing a plural verb-predicate is used.

Whoare walking in the garden? Whohave agreed to act?

3. With relative pronouns the form of the verb depends on the noun or pronoun which is its antecedent:

Do you know the girl wholives next door? (The girl lives...)

Do you know the girls wholive next door? (The girls live...)

Even I, whohave seen it all, can hardly believe it.

It is you whoare right. It is I whoam wrong.

But: It’s me whois wrong.

4. The universal pronoun both has a plural verb-predicate:

Which of the letters are yours? Bothare mine.