Основы теории английского языка. Листунова Е.И. - 103 стр.

                             THE PREDICATE

       1. The predicate is the second, princi pal part of the sentence.It
serves to assert something about the subject and has a definite gram-
matical structure.
       It is characteristic of the English language that the predicate,
even a nominal one, always comprises a verb in the finite form,
denoting the categories of person, mood and tense by means of which
predication is expressed: the forms of person connect the predicate
with the subject; the mood-forms show in what relation to reality the
speaker places the action or state expressed by the predicate; the
tense-forms refer it to a definite period of time.
       With regard to its meaning the predicate expresses either a) process-
es developing in time orb) a qualitative characteristic of the subject. Accord-
ingly there are two main types of the predicate: a) verbal and b) nominal.
       a) A cheerful fire was blazing on the hearth (Dickens). Captain
Musgrave entered the room swiftly (Chesterton). He walked up and
down the room (Maugham). Snow is still falling (Gissing);
       b) It was a warm, still night (Hitchens). He was... a huge, strong
fellow of six feet high... (Dickens). The breeze was light from the south-
east... (Galsworthy).
       With regard to its structure the predicate may be simple or
compound.
       2. A simple predicate is such a predicate in which both the
primary lexical meaning and the additional grammatical meanings
(person, mood, tense, etc.) are expressed in one word:
       I saw her stop (Galsworthy). My mother was sitting by the
fire... (Dickens). No dew had fallen... (Galsworthy).
       3. A compound predicate is such a predicate in which the primary
lexical meaning is expressed in one word — a notional word, and the
additional grammatical meanings (person, mood, tense, etc) are ex-
pressed in another word — a semi-auxiliary (ñëóæåáíîå ñëîâî):
       «...My father was a fisherman... (Dickens). She was to arrive by
train at half past, twelve... (Galsworthy). After a while they began
talking over their plans (Gaskell).
       4. The meaning of the predicate is closely connected with its form.
The verbal predicate is primarily simple, but it may also be compound:
       ...I cried myself to sleep (Dickens). My mother immediately
began to cry (Dickens).
       A nominal predicate is always compound:
       The Dodsons were certainly a handsome family... (Eliot).

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