Difference between revisions of "Predicate (definition)"

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The syntactic element that makes up one of two constituents in a sentence. The predicate contains a verb and modifies the subject, indicating the subject’s subsequent action or state of being.  
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The term predicate has two different common usages. In traditional grammar it refers to the part of the sentence that describes what the subject is doing or their state, this usage is roughly equivalent to what Linguists call the [[Verb Phrase (definition). Linguists tend to use the predicate in the sense used by logicians. Where a predicate expresses a elationship between [[Argument (definition)|arguments]]. For example, in the sentence ''I ate the haggis'', the verb ''eat'' is the predicate that relates the eater (''I'') to the thing that was eaten (''the haggis''). This linguistic usage often corresponds to the notion of a [[Verb (definition)]] but there are predicates that aren't verbs as in the bold faced phrases in ''I am '''in trouble'''.'' or ''I am '''fat'''.''
 
 
  
 
==See Also==
 
==See Also==
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*[[Argument (definition)]]
  
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
 
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*http://grammar.about.com/od/pq/g/predterm.htm
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The link below takes you away from the Gaelic Wiki to Wikipedia. Since wikipedia pages can be edited by anyone, they often contain inaccurate information. So be careful!
 
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predicate_(grammar)
 
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predicate_(grammar)
 
*http://grammar.about.com/od/pq/g/predterm.htm
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
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*Carnie, A. (2013) Syntax: A Generative Introduction.'' 3rd Edition. Wiley Blackwell.
  
 
[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
 
[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
 
[[Category: Semantics]]
 
[[Category: Semantics]]

Latest revision as of 22:27, 15 June 2012

The term predicate has two different common usages. In traditional grammar it refers to the part of the sentence that describes what the subject is doing or their state, this usage is roughly equivalent to what Linguists call the [[Verb Phrase (definition). Linguists tend to use the predicate in the sense used by logicians. Where a predicate expresses a elationship between arguments. For example, in the sentence I ate the haggis, the verb eat is the predicate that relates the eater (I) to the thing that was eaten (the haggis). This linguistic usage often corresponds to the notion of a Verb (definition) but there are predicates that aren't verbs as in the bold faced phrases in I am in trouble. or I am fat.

See Also

External Links

The link below takes you away from the Gaelic Wiki to Wikipedia. Since wikipedia pages can be edited by anyone, they often contain inaccurate information. So be careful!

References

  • Carnie, A. (2013) Syntax: A Generative Introduction. 3rd Edition. Wiley Blackwell.