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Unit Seven
Syntactic Structures
(Continued)
Structure of …
2 main components
Modification
(Mod)
Head & Modifier
Predication
(Pred)
Subject & Predicate
Complementation
(Comp)
H/M
S/P
Verbal element &
Complement
VB / C
Subordination
(Subor)
Subordinator & Dependent
unit
SUB / D
Coordination
(Coor)
Coordinator & Conjoin
CO / CN
Structure of Complementation
• A structure of complementation is a VP
•
•
consisting of two major components: a verbal
element (VB) & a complement (C)
VB  a finite V/VP or a non-finite V (infinitive,
infinitive without ‘to’, present participle)
Complement  Single or complex depending on
the type of verb in VB
Reviews on Verbs:
– Linking verb (LV)
She is a teacher.
 V. to be, become, seem, remain, feel, taste, smell
 A linking v. funcitons as VB (verbal element) and is followed
by a n/adj which functions as its SC (subjective
complement).
– Intransitive verb (VI)
She danced gracefully.
 An intransitive v. functions as head and may be followed by
an adv which functions as its modifier. (VI functions as the
head of the verb phrase.)
– Transitive verb (VT)
• Monotransitive v. + n. (direct object)
Jane loves cats.
• Ditransitive v. + n. (indirect object) + n. (direct object)
Jane gave Mary cats.
• Complex transitive v. + n. (direct object) + n. (objective
complement)
Jane named her cat Mimi.
They elected him President.
 VT functions as VB (verbal element) of the verb phrase.
So…we have these structures for verbs:
•Lv + SC (LV as VB)
•VI + Adv (VI as Head)
•Adv + VI (VI as Head)
•MonoVT + DO (VT as VB)
•DiVT + IO + DO (VT as VB)
•ComplexVT + DO + OC (VT as VB)
Type of verbs in the verbal element
Lv + SC
MonoVT + DO
DiVT + IO + DO
ComplexVT + DO + OC
Note: None of these complements may be omitted since they
help make a sentence meaningful. The only type of verb
which cannot occur in the structure of complementation is the
VI, since it is not followed by any complement, but occurs
alone or with a modifier that can be omitted.
Helping Verbs: Auxiliaries and
Modals
• Auxiliaries: “do”, “have”, “be”
I don’t know what he’s looking for.
He has been working for hours.
The children are playing football.
• Modals: will, would, can, could, may, might,
shall, should
You can come with us.
Structure of Subordination
• A phrase or a clause consisting of two major
•
•
components: a subordinator (SUB) and a
dependent unit (D).
The kinds of words that normally function as
subordinators are prepositions (both simple and
phrasal prepositions, e.g. in, on, of, because of,
next to, in front of, etc.) and subordinating
conjunctions (e.g. when, whenever, before, if,
that, whether, etc.).
Structures of subordination can perform several
functions: modifier, head, subject, subjective
complement, direct object, objective
complement, and conjoin.
Structure of Coordination
• Components: conjoins (CN) + coordinator(s)
(CO).
– Conjoins  words/phrases/clauses that are
syntactically equivalent units
– Coordinators  coordinating conjunction, correlative
conjunctions, punctuation marks (the comma, the
semi-colon)
Exercises in Unit 7…
See:
 keytounit7ex.doc
 endofunit7.doc