The syntactic valancy of the verb

The combining power of verbs in relation to other words in syntactically subordinate groups is called the syntactical valency of verbs, which is of two types: obligatory and optional.

Obligatory valency must be necessarily realized for the sake of grammatical completion of syntactical constructions (e.g. I saw the film. Dropping off of the element I or the film results in ungrammatical organization of the structure).

Optional valency is not necessarily realized in grammatically complete syntactical constructions. They may or may not be present in the sentence structure depending on the information denoted by the sentence (e.g. I saw an interesting film yesterday.).

The distinction between obligatory and optional valency is of great grammatical relevance, because one and the same verb may serve as the optional or obligatory element depending on speech environment. The verb is characterized by bilateral combinability: the typical left-hand combinability with a nominal element in the function of the subject; the typical right-hand combinability is with nominal element in the function of the object. Adjectives and nouns are combined occasionally with separate groups of adverbs, while the verb is combined with the whole class of adverbs. It is natural because the verb expresses a process, which can be viewed from different angles and these ideas are mostly rendered by adverbs.

The verb is characterized by the unique position in the sentence: it serves as the centre of predication, expressing such processual characteristics as time, mood, number, voice, through the corresponding grammatical categories. Being the centre of primary predication the verb is responsible for grammatical organization of the sentence. It is the type of the verb predicate that predetermines the number of syntactic positions that must be filled in for the sake of the sentence completion.

Subclassifications of Verbs:

The verb is characterized not only by the intricate morphological system, but also by a wide range of classes, having different semantic, morphological and syntactic properties. Hence, comes the variety of verb classifications.

Morphological types of verbs are predetermined by two formal criteria:

1) the type of verb stem (morphological composition);

2) the type of verb conjugation.

According to the 1st criterion English verbs are divided into: simple (consisting of mere roots), derived (root+affix), compound, composite.

According to the type of verb conjugation they fall into three subclasses: weak (regular), strong (irregular) and verbs of mixed double nature.

Lexico-syntactic classifications according to the following criteria employed:

1) the valency of the verbs;

2) the type of predication;

3) the semantic and the syntactic function in the sentence.

According to the 1st criterion (valency) English verbs are divided into:

• avalent verbs (no syntactic connection to any notional element in the sentence, e.g. It rains, to snow),

• monovalent verbs (one-sided connection to the subject, e.g. She is smiling),

• bivalent (two-sided connection: on the left − to the subject, on the right – to the direct object, e.g. He has taken the book) and

• polyvalent verbs (more than two connections).

The second classification is based on the type of predication and according to it verbs are divided into verbs of complete predication (realized by the subject-predicate relations, e.g. The boy walks. The rain falls - Verbs which may be used as predicates, without the aid of other words) and verbs of incomplete predication (expressed by the subject-predicate complement relations, e.g. He saw the film. She behaved decently).

According to the meaning and syntactic function in the sentence verbs are divided into notional and seminotional (functional) (modal, auxiliary, semi-notional, link verbs). (Бурдина)

General Characteristics of the Verb as a Part of Speech

The verb plays a central role in the system of parts of speech in any language. It is the only part of speech in the present-day English that has a highly developed system of grammatical (morphological categories and numerous analytical forms.

Смирницкий stresses the complex nature of the English verb system. Finite verbs (спрягаемые глаголы) have a subject & express grammatical categories of tense, mood, number, etc.. In addition to finite verbs this system includes some other parts of speech, i.e. the so-called non-finite forms (infinitive, gerund, & participle). These forms do not share some of the characteristic features of the verb, e.g. the categories of tense, mood, number & person, as well as the function of the predicate.

However, the verb taken as a whole has all the features to recognize it as a separate part of speech. According to the traditional threefold approach the verb is distinct semantically, formally (morphologically) & functionally (syntactically):

• Semantically the verb has the meaning of process (action or state) developing in time (Смирницкий, Ильиш, Блох).

• Formally it is characterized by seven morphological (inflectional) categories: tense, mood, person, number, voice, aspect & phase, expressed synthetically & analytically. Out of the seven the last three are found not only in the finite forms of the verb, but also in the non-finite (verbals, verbids).

• Functionally the verb is characterized by the category of finitude |ˈfɪnɪtjuːd| (финитности: личные и неличные формы) (Strang, Bloch) or representation (Smirnitsky), & specific combinability. The syntactic category of finitude is a set of opposed finite & non-finite forms. The foundation of this division is the syntactic function of the verb in the sentence: finite forms of the verb perform the function of the predicate, while non-finite forms perform any other function in the sentence, but that of the predicate. Regarding combinability, verbs both finite & non-finite, can be modified by an adverb (to study diligently / hard). Verbs also combine with nouns, pronouns, adjectives, numerals, prepositions, conjunctions, and each other: This girl began to study linguistics. She is twenty. She is smart. She can look after herself. But she should read up on the subject if she wants to succeed & get the certificate.

Thus, the verb may be defined as a notional part of speech, which has the meaning of process (action or state) developing in time. It has the morphological categories of tense, mood, number, person, voice, aspect & phase, expressed synthetically or analytically. It is characterized by syntactic category of finitude with specific functions for finite forms (the predicate) & non-finite forms (all the rest), & may enter into combinations with most other parts of speech.