Tuesday 3 March 2020

Verbal Group Complexes With Respect To Finite And Predicator

Halliday & Matthiessen (2014: 571):
The analysis of one of the examples above is given in Figure 8-3. (Note that just like finite simple verbal groups, the primary verbal group splits into Finite and Predicator: Finite ‘did’ + Predicator ‘seem’. The Predicator then extends to include the secondary verbal group: ‘seem’ + ‘to go’. This is brought out by versions of the clause where Finite and Predicator are discontinuous, as with did ... seem to go in did the sand dredger seem to go past the Marchioness?)



Blogger Comments:

Figure 8-3 misrepresents the text (because of software limitations in splitting table cells).  The Finite is 'did' and the Predicator is 'seem to go':

the sand dredger
seemed
to go
past the Marchioness
Subject
Finite
Pre
dicator
Adjunct