Основы теории английского языка. Листунова Е.И. - 104 стр.

                             Verbal Predicate

                       The Simple Verbal Predicate
       1. The simple verbal predicate expresses an action performed
(active voice) or suffered (passive voice) by the subject:
       A white mist hides the bay sometimes (Maurier). In those days I
travelled much... (Setîn-Thîmpsîn). Someone had knocked at the
door (Hemingway). What time will you return, Robert? (Brînte). The
door was thrown open (Dickens). I was wired for (Doóls).
       If the verb denotes a state (to sleep, to lie, etc), the state, as far as
it is expressed by a verb, is conceived as a process developing in time:
       For more than a week my pen has lain untouched (Gissing).
...She had been sleeping for six hours... (Eliot).
       2. A simple verbal predicate may be expressed by a phraseological
unit consisting of a verb with a vague meaning and a noun which usually
expresses an action (a group-verb). In this combination both elements
are so closely connected as to form one sense unit and may be regarded
as an intransitive verb (to have a swim — to swim: to have a smoke — to
smoke; to take place — to happen, to occur; to pay a visit — to visit):
       Burton gave a kindly little chuckle (Maugham). I made him a bow
(Dickens). I took leave of Prawle... (Galsworthy). Clare gave him a swift
look (Galsworthy). ...Tom caught sight of something in rapid move-
ment in the water... (E1iît). Good-bye, my boy; take care of yourself
(Galsworthy). Of all that Jonny took no notice (London). And now
we’ll have a look at my state-room... (Conrad). ...He went to the
servicemen’s hostel and had a bath and a sleep (Cusàñk).

                   The Compound Verbal Predicate
      The compound verbal predicate consists of two parts: notional
and semi-auxiliary (ñëóæåáíàÿ ÷àñòü).
      The notional part expressed by an infinitive or gerund (rarely a
partici ple) denotes the action performed or suffered by the subject.
      The semi-auxiliary part comprises a finite verb which besides
expressing the grammatical categories of person, mood, tense, etc.
imparts by its lexical meaning a modal or aspective character to the
action denoted by the infinitive or gerund.
      Accordingly there are two types of compound verbal predicates:
modal and aspective.


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