Descriptive Grammar of English part 2: Syntax – class handout
Topic 5: Basic Clauses – subcategorization of verbs
Reading: Wardhaugh, Ronald. 2003. Understanding English Grammar. Blackwell . Chapter 4.
Tutor: mgr Jadwiga Bogucka

1. Define the following terms: clause, predicate, arguments.

2. What are (thematic) roles? Give examples of sentences with each role.

3. Which elements can be subjects and what place in a clause they can occupy?

4. What is the difference in treatment of subject-verb agreement in prescriptivism and

descriptivism?

5. How can you check whether a given element is a subject?

6. What are expletives? Give examples.

7. Study the following examples:

Judy died.

John dances.

The door opened.

Are there any differences between the underlined verbs? Which class of verbs do they

belong to?

8. What are monotransitive verbs and what types of arguments can they take?

9. What is the difference between monotransitives and pseudo-transitives?

10. What are diatranstive verbs and what types of arguments can they take?

11. Explain the difference between a direct object and indirect object.

12. What are the two main categories of linking verbs?

13. Explain the notion of phrasal, prepositional and phrasal-prepositional verb

14. How can you determine whether a given verb is phrasal or prepositional?

Important concepts:

clause, predicate, argument, subject, roles, Agent, Experiencer, Theme, Goal, Patient, Source,
Locative, Instrument, Benefactive, Temporal, agreement, expletives, intransitives, unaccusatives,
ergatives, unergatives, middles, monotransitives, pseudo –transitives, phrasal verbs, prepositional
verbs, phrasal-prepositional verbs, ditransitives, indirect object, direct object, linking verbs, subject
complement, object complement,

Additional exercises:

http://www.benjamins.com/jbp/series/Z/156/workbook/workbook.html

- exercises 7.4, 10.2.