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44
passive counterpart of its active version. CF.:
They began the fight. > The fight was begun (by them).
They began to fight.
> (*)*
To fight was begun (by them).
* The transformation is unacceptable.
Link-verbs introduce the nominal part of the predicate (the predicative) which is commonly expressed by a
noun, an adjective, or a phrase of a similar semantico-grammatical character. It should be noted that link-verbs,
although they are named so, are not devoid of meaningful content. Performing their function of connecting
("linking") the subject and the predicative of the sentence, they express the actual semantics of this connection,
i.e. expose the relational aspect of the characteristics ascribed by the predicative to the subject.
The linking predicator function in the purest form is effected by the verb be; therefore be as a link-verb can
be referred to as the "pure link-verb". It is clear from the above that even this pure link-verb has its own
relational semantics, which can be identified as "linking predicative ascription". All the link-verbs other than
the pure link be express some specification of this general predicative-linking semantics, so that they should be
referred to as "specifying" link-verbs. The common specifying link-verbs fall into two main groups: those that
express perceptions and those that express non-perceptional, or "factual" link-verb connection. The main
perceptional link-verbs are seem, appear, look feel, taste-, the main factual link-verbs are become, get, grow,
remain, keep.
As is to be seen from the comparison of the specifying link-verbs with the verbid introducer predicators
described above, the respective functions of these two verbal subsets are cognate, though not altogether
identical. The difference lies in the fact that the specifying link-verbs combine the pure linking function with
the predicator function. Furthermore, separate functions of the two types of predicators are evident from the fact
that specifying link-verbs, the same as the pure link, can be used in the text in combination with verbid
introducer predicators. E.g.:
The letter seemed to have remained unnoticed. I began to feel better. You shouldn't try to look cleverer than
you are.
Cf. the use of verbid introducer predicators with the pure link-verb:
The news has proved to be true. The girl's look ceased to be friendly. The address shown to us seemed to be
just the one we needed.
Besides the link-verbs proper hitherto presented, there are some notional verbs in language that have the
power to perform the function of link-verbs without losing their lexical nominative value. In other words, they
perform two functions simultaneously, combining the role of a full notional verb with that of a link-verb. Cf:.
Fred lay awake all through the night. Robbie ran in out of breath. The moon rose red.
Notional link-verb function is mostly performed by intransitive verbs of motion and position. Due to the
double syntactic character of the notional link-verb, the whole predicate formed by it is referred to as a "double
predicate" (see Ch. XXIX).
§ 7. Notional verbs undergo the three main grammatically relevant categorizations. The first is based on the
relation of the subject of the verb to the process denoted by the verb. The second is based on the aspective
characteristics of the process denoted by the verb, i.e. on the inner properties of the process as reflected in the
verbal meaning. The third is based on the combining power of the verb in relation to other notional words in the
utterance.
§ 8. On the basis of the subject-process relation, all the notional verbs can be divided into actional and
statal.
Actional verbs express the action performed by the subject, i.e. they present the subject as an active doer (in
the broadest sense of the word). To this subclass belong such verbs as do, act, perform, make, go, read, learn,
discover, etc. Statal verbs, unlike their subclass counterparts, denote the state of their subject. That is, they ei-
ther give the subject the characteristic of the inactive recipient of some outward activity, or else express the
mode of its existence. To this subclass belong such verbs as be, live, survive, worry, suffer, rejoice, stand, see,
know, etc.
Alongside the two verbal sets, a third one could be distinguished which is made up of verbs expressing
neither actions, nor states, but "processes". As representatives of the "purely processual" subclass one might
point out the verbs thaw, ripen, deteriorate, consider, neglect, support, display, and the like. On closer
observation, however, it becomes clear that the units of this medial subclass are subject to the same division