Sentences String of words organized according to certain rules (rules are given by syntax). Can be analyzed as subparts or constituents.

s. Subject Constituent that on the one hand tells us who performs the action denoted by the verb. Noun Phrases (NPs): That stupid waiter, the girl with the red hair. To find out the subject, ask: Who or what carried out the action? They can be in some cases meaningless, and cannot be said to tell us what the sentences of which they are the Subject are about. o Weather it or nonreferential it: (9) It is raining in England MEANINGLESS!!! o Referential it (concrete object in the real world) : (13) Where did I put my hat? Ah, I put it in the car. o Existential there (used with preposition that has to do with existence): (11) There is three lions in the cage. MEANINGLESS!!! o Locative there (specifies location): (14) I saw the cat in a minute ago. There it is! (1) [The cat] [devoured [the rat]] o Verbs: words that carry out the action [devoured] Another way to identify a subject is by a tag question: (31) this teacher is a genius, isnt he? o A tag question must contain a pronoun that identifies the subject of the sentence it is tagged onto (he, she it, they). Main Characteristics: 1. Subjects are predominantly NOUNS: groups of words whose most important element denotes a person. 2. The Subject is the first NP we come across 3. Subjects are obligatory 4. Subjects determine the form of the verb (3rd person singular) a. (15) She ever writes home. 5. In yes/no question, Subject changes position: the verb is in the initial slot and the subject in the 2nd.

Predicate Unit in a sentence whose function is to specify what the subject is engaged in doing. Is everything in the sentence except the Subject. o Stative Predicates: verbs that dont require movement. o Dynamic predicate: verbs that require movement. Predicator They specify the bare bone content of the sentences in which they occur, that is the main action or process denoted by the verb. (37) [The cat] [devoured the rat] In each predicate there is a verb [devoured] and a NP [the rat] [Devoured] functions as a Predicator The bare-bone content of (37) is devouring. The devouring activity is predicated of the subject of the sentence. Direct Object (39) That silly fool broke the teapot. NP: That silly fool. Predicate: broke the teapot.

Predicator: broke DO: the teapot.

DO are constituents that refer to entities that undergo the activity or process denoted by the verb. The teapot undergoes the activity of break. They play an agentive role, they have a patient role. Are often NP Their usual position is after the main verb. They have a strong relationship with the verb that precedes them. (43) Our vicar likes fast cars: it requires a Direct Object Noun Phrase. Transitive verbs: those who require a DO. Intransitive verbs: those who do not need a following constituent to complete the meaning. o William blushed Some verbs can be both transitive or intransitive: o Harold moved the table. TRANSITIVE (displaced) o Harold moved. INTRANSITIVE (displaced?...imposibruuu) o Pat was eating a Sandwich TRANSITIVE o Pat was eating TRANSITIVE (subject implicit) It also can happen to turn an active sentence with a Direct object noun phrase into a passive one: o The teapot was broken by that silly fool.