Sophie:
I agree completely with Martha. My Random House Dictionary of the
English Language defines copula (adj. copular) as
"a word or set of words, as the English verbs be and
seem, that acts as a connecting link between subject and predicate
complement; an equational verb." In other words, copulas are verbal
equal signs, saying that the subject is in some sense equivalent to its
complement. Copulas are forms of be, others like seem, appear,
become, and sense words used in the equational sense (Copular:
"The horn sounded flat." Not copular: "The horn sounded
the alarm.")
Refused can never be copular in the standard sense in which
grammarians agree to use the term. You seem to have created your own
private definition of this term, as well as of "verb" and
"lest" in recent postings.
Dick Veit
At 10:09 PM 08/04/2001, you wrote:
"To call 'attempt' a copular
(i.e, linking) verb strikes me as
indefensible."
Martha
I should like to make two points about this:
1. The nature of a copular verb is understated in a description such
as
`linking verb'. The copular verb does far more than `link' (whatever
that
is). Any instance of it does one of the following things:
(i) describes the manner or the time or the reason for the subject's
act,
(ii) locates the place or the direction of the subject's act,
(iii) specifies the content of the subject's act,
(iv) describes the subject by joint effort of copular verb and
predicate
adjective.
2. No verb, apart from those formed from `to have' or `to become',
is
inherently a copular verb. The following sentences should illustrate
this:
`refused' as a verb:
(a)She refused them permission
The subject `she' perpetrated an act, denoted by the verb `refused',
upon
the object `them'.
(b)The waiter refused to serve the drunkard.
The subject `The waiter' perpetrated an act, denoted by the verb
phrase
`refused to serve', upon the object `the drunkard'.
`refused' as a copular verb
(c) The waiter refused service/permission.
The noun `service/permission' is not the object of this sentence:
The
subject `The waiter' did not perpetrate any act upon
`service/permission'.
So the noun `service/permission' is the complement in this sentence.
It
instructs the copular verb `refused' in the content of the subject's
act:
The subject's act is `service/permission refusal'.
I doubt that Quirk et al ever get this wrong, but my copy is still
in
England.
Sophie Johnson
at ENGLISH GRAMMAR TUTOR
http://www.englishgrammartutor.com/
[log in to unmask]
----- Original Message -----
From: Martha Kolln <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2001 3:11 AM
Subject: Re: <no subject>
> Paul:
>
> Re: Mary is trying to improve the condition of her
house.
>
>
> Yes, the pronoun test works for both the infinitive phrase and the
noun
> phrase because both are functioning as nominals; both are direct
objects:
> the infinitive phrase is the object of 'trying'; the noun phrase,
the
> object of 'improve.'
>
> The pronoun test is a great one for students to use, for example,
in
> finding the break between the subject and predicate. It's
especially
> useful when the noun phrase in the subject slot has postnoun
modifiers
that
> include verbs. Students tend to get confused when they come to
a verb,
> such as 'playing' in the following:
>
> All the children playing
on the swings in the playground saw the
fight.
>
> Ask them to substitute a pronoun for the subject, and they will come
up
with
>
> They saw the
fight.
>
> Their internalized pronoun expertise is another way of emphasizing
what
> great grammar computers they have in their syntax machines.
>
> In response to Sophie's long message, I would simply ask you, dear
Sophie,
> to use the passive test:
>
>
John attempted to attack the burglar.
>
John appeared to attack the burglar.
>
>
> Quirk et al. used this pair to distinguish between the
catenative
> 'appear' and the transitive 'attempt'. I would add the passive
test to
> show that the infinitive phrase is the direct object of
'attempt'. If
> 'attempt' were a copular verb, as you suggest in #4, then the
passive
would
> not be possible. But it is possible:
>
> To attack the burglar was
attempted.
>
> I admit that's not very idiomatic. How about a
what-cleft:
>
> To attack the
burglar is what he attempted.
>
> Or, perhaps a more acceptable passive, in which the active version
used
the
> gerund, rather than the infinitive:
>
> John attempted
attacking the burglar.
>
> Attacking the
burglar was attempted.
>
> In any case,
>
> It was
attempted.
>
> To call 'attempt' a copular (i.e, linking) verb strikes me as
indefensible.
>
> (And, yes, the 'appeared' sentence is ambiguous, in that the
infinitive
> could be adverbial, with the 'in order to' meaning:
>
> John appeared in
order to attack the burglar.
> To attack the
burglar, John appeared [at just the right moment].
>
>
> You also discuss the verb 'vowed' (in a version of my
'string-of-verbs'
> sentence: I vowed to stop smoking cigarettes), also calling it a
copular
> verb. You label the infinitive phrase, to stop smoking, "a noun
phrase
> specifying the content of the copular-verb 'vowed.' .
>
> To begin with, an infinitive phrase is by its nature a verb phrase
in
form,
> not a noun phrase. In this sentence it is noun-like, of
course, in that
it
> is nominal in function: a direct object. You could substitute
the pronoun
> 'that' and produce a idiomatic sentence: I vowed that.
That is what I
> vowed. That was vowed by me. Again, let's give it the
passive test: To
> stop smoking was vowed.
>
> In the opening of your long response, you say 'I do not think that
my
> approach to analysis is at odds with theirs [Quirk et al]. But
please
> correct me if I'm wrong.'
>
> In your analysis of 'attempt' and 'vow' as copular verbs, you are
indeed
at
> odds with them. [See page 1187]
>
> Martha
>
>
>
>
>
> >But we could also substitute 'it' for the noun phrase, "the
condition of
her
> >house."
> >
> >"Mary is trying to improve it."
> >
> >The analysis seems to work both ways at once!
> >
> >Paul E. Doniger
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: jacarta
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Sent: Saturday, August 04, 2001 8:21 AM
> > Subject: Re: <no subject>
> >
> >
> > The infinitive phrase "to improve the condition of
her house"
> > can be substituted by the pronoun "it."
Thus, the infinitive
> > phrase is actually a NOUN PHRASE that functions
> > as the object of the verb "is trying."
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Sophie Johnson
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Sent: Friday, August 03, 2001 7:55 AM
> > Subject: Re: <no subject>
> >
> >
> > `Mary is trying to improve the condition of
her house':
> >
> > There is no question in the above sentence of
the verb's being
anything
> >more or less than `is trying to improve', nor of its object's
being
anything
> >other than `the condition of the house'. `Mary', the
subject of this
> >active-voice verb, is not acting upon `to improve the condition
of her
house';
> >she is acting upon `the condition of her house'.
> >
> > Analysis of this sentence must note that it
contains an active-voice
verb,
> >and that the characteristic of an active-voice verb is that its
subject
acts
> >upon its object: Its subject names its actor, and its object
the
acted-upon.
> >`To improve the condition of her house' does not name the
acted-upon.
This
> >sequence cannot, therefore, be the object of this sentence,
direct or
> >indirect.
> >
> > This really is a very basic exercise in
part-of-speech recognition.
> >
> > Sophie Johnson
> > at ENGLISH GRAMMAR TUTOR
> >
http://www.englishgrammartutor.com/
> > [log in to unmask]
> > ----- Original Message
-----
> > From: Marylou Colucci
> > To:
[log in to unmask]
> > Sent: Friday, August 03, 2001
12:18 PM
> > Subject: Re: <no
subject>
> >
> >
> > to improve the condition of her
house is an infinitive phrase that
> >functions
> > as the direct object.
> > Mary is trying what? to improve
the condition of her house
> >
> ><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0
Transitional//EN">
> ><HTML><HEAD>
> ><META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"
http-equiv=Content-Type>
> ><META content="MSHTML 5.00.2314.1000"
name=GENERATOR>
> ><STYLE></STYLE>
> ></HEAD>
> ><BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
> ><DIV><FONT face="Century Schoolbook">But
we could also substitute 'it'
for the
> >noun phrase, "the condition of her house."
</FONT></DIV>
> ><DIV> </DIV>
> ><DIV><FONT face="Century
Schoolbook">"Mary is trying to improve
> >it."</FONT></DIV>
> ><DIV> </DIV>
> ><DIV><FONT face="Century Schoolbook">The
analysis seems to work both ways
at
> >once!</FONT></DIV>
> ><DIV> </DIV>
> ><DIV><FONT face="Century Schoolbook">Paul
E. Doniger</FONT></DIV>
> ><BLOCKQUOTE
> >style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px;
MARGIN-RIGHT:
0px;
> >PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
> > <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">-----
Original Message ----- </DIV>
> > <DIV
> > style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial;
font-color:
> >black"><B>From:</B>
> > <A href="mailto:[log in to unmask]"
[log in to unmask]>jacarta</A>
</DIV>
> > <DIV style="FONT: 10pt
arial"><B>To:</B> <A
> >
href="mailto:[log in to unmask]"
> >
[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]</A>
</DIV>
> > <DIV style="FONT: 10pt
arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, August 04, 2001
8:21
> > AM</DIV>
> > <DIV style="FONT: 10pt
arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: <no
subject></DIV>
> > <DIV><BR></DIV>
> > <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The infinitive
phrase "to improve the
condition
> > of her house"</FONT></DIV>
> > <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>can be
substituted by the pronoun
"it."
> > Thus, the infinitive</FONT></DIV>
> > <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>phrase is
actually a NOUN PHRASE that
> > functions</FONT></DIV>
> > <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>as the object of
the verb "is
> > trying."</FONT></DIV>
> > <BLOCKQUOTE
> > style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT:
5px; MARGIN-RIGHT:
0px;
> >PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
> > <DIV style="FONT: 10pt
arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
> > <DIV
> > style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt
arial; font-color:
> >black"><B>From:</B>
> > <A
href="mailto:[log in to unmask]"
> >
[log in to unmask]>Sophie Johnson</A>
</DIV>
> > <DIV style="FONT: 10pt
arial"><B>To:</B> <A
> >
href="mailto:[log in to unmask]"
> >
[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]</A>
</DIV>
> > <DIV style="FONT: 10pt
arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, August 03, 2001
7:55
> > AM</DIV>
> > <DIV style="FONT: 10pt
arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: <no
subject></DIV>
> > <DIV><BR></DIV>
> > <DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>`Mary is trying to improve the condition
of
> >her
> > house':</FONT></DIV>
> > <DIV> </DIV>
> > <DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>There is no question in the above
sentence of
> > the verb's being anything more or less than
`is trying to improve',
nor of
> > its object's being anything other than `the
condition of the
house'.
> > `Mary', the subject of this active-voice
verb, is not acting upon `to
> > improve the condition of her house'; she is
acting upon `the
condition of
> > her house'.</FONT></DIV>
> > <DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT> </DIV>
> > <DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Analysis of this sentence must note that
it
> > contains an active-voice verb, and that the
characteristic of an
> > active-voice verb is that its subject acts
upon its object: Its
subject
> > names its actor, and its object the
acted-upon. `To improve the
condition
> >of
> > her house' does not name the acted-upon. This
sequence cannot,
therefore,
> > be the object of this sentence,
direct or indirect.
</FONT></DIV>
> > <DIV> </DIV>
> > <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This
really is a very basic exercise in
> > part-of-speech
recognition.</FONT></DIV>
> > <DIV> </DIV>
> > <DIV>Sophie Johnson<BR>at
ENGLISH GRAMMAR TUTOR<BR><A
> >
>
>href="http://www.englishgrammartutor.com/">http://www.englishgrammartutor.c
om/<
> >/A><BR><A
> >
>
>href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
</A>
> ></DIV>
> > <BLOCKQUOTE
> > style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid;
MARGIN-LEFT: 5px;
MARGIN-RIGHT:
> >0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
> > <DIV style="FONT: 10pt
arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
> > <DIV
> > style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4;
FONT: 10pt arial; font-color:
> >black"><B>From:</B>
> > <A
href="mailto:[log in to unmask]"
[log in to unmask]>Marylou
> > Colucci</A>
</DIV>
> > <DIV style="FONT: 10pt
arial"><B>To:</B> <A
> >
href="mailto:[log in to unmask]"
> >
[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]</A>
</DIV>
> > <DIV style="FONT: 10pt
arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, August 03, 2001
12:18
> > PM</DIV>
> > <DIV style="FONT: 10pt
arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: <no
> >subject></DIV>
> >
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT
face=arial,helvetica><FONT color=#8000ff
face=Pooh
> > lang=0 size=2>to improve the
condition of her house is an
infinitive
> > phrase that functions
<BR>as the direct object. <BR>Mary is trying
what?
> > to improve the condition of her
house</FONT>
>
></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
>
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