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47
to the imperfective verbs in Russian.
§ 11. The inner qualities of any signemic lingual unit are manifested not only in its immediate informative
significance in an utterance, but also in its combinability with other units, in particular with units of the same
segmental order. These syntagmatic properties are of especial importance for verbs, which is due to the unique
role performed by the verb in the sentence. As a matter of fact, the finite verb, being the centre of predication,
organizes all the other sentence constituents. Thus, the organizational function of the verb, immediately
exposed in its syntagmatic combinability, is inseparable from (and dependent on) its semantic value. The
morphological relevance of the combining power of the verb is seen from the fact that directly dependent on
this power are the categorial voice distinctions.
The combining power of words in relation to other words in syntactically subordinate positions (the
positions of "adjuncts" - see Ch. XX) is called their syntactic "valency". The valency of a word is said to be
"realized" when the word in question is actually combined in an utterance with its corresponding valency
partner, i.e. its valency adjunct. If, on the other hand, the word is used without its valency adjunct, the valency
conditioning the position of this adjunct (or "directed" to it) is said to be "not realized".
The syntactic valency falls into two cardinal types: obligatory and optional.
The obligatory valency is such as must necessarily be realized for the sake of the grammatical completion of
the syntactic construction. For instance, the subject and the direct object are obligatory parts of the sentence,
and, from the point of view of sentence structure, they are obligatory valency partners of the verb.
Consequently, we say that the subjective and the direct objective valencies of the verb are obligatory. E.g.: We
saw a house in the distance.
This sentence presents a case of a complete English syntactic construction. If we eliminate its subject or
object, the remaining part of the construction will be structurally incomplete, i.e. it will be structurally
"gaping". Cf:. *We saw in the distance. *Saw a house in the distance.
The optional valency, as different from the obligatory valency, is such as is not necessarily realized in
grammatically complete constructions: this type of valency may or may not be realized depending on the
concrete information to be conveyed by the utterance. Most of the adverbial modifiers are optional parts of the
sentence, so in terms of valency we say that the adverbial valency of the verb is mostly optional. For instance,
the adverbial part in the above sentence may be freely eliminated without causing the remainder of the
sentence to be structurally incomplete: We saw a house (in the distance).
Link-verbs, although their classical representatives are only half-notional, should also be included into the
general valency characterization of verbs. This is due to their syntactically essential position in the sentence.
The predicative valency of the link-verbs proper is obligatory. Cf:.
The reporters seemed pleased with the results of the press conference. That young scapegrace made a good
husband, after all.
The obligatory adjuncts of the verb, with the exception of the subject (whose connection with the verb
cannot be likened to the other valency partners), may be called its "complements"; the optional adjuncts of the
verb, its "supplements". The distinction between the two valency types of adjuncts is highly essential, since not
all the objects or predicatives are obligatory, while, conversely, not all the adverbial modifiers are optional.
Thus, we may have both objective complements and objective supplements; both predicative complements and
predicative supplements; both adverbial supplements and adverbial complements.
Namely, the object of addressee, i.e. a person or thing for whom or which the action is performed, may
sometimes be optional, as in the following example: We did it for you.
The predicative to a notional link-verb is mostly optional, as
in
the example: The night came dark and
stormy.
The adverbials of place, time, and manner (quality) may sometimes be obligatory, as in the examples below:
Mr. Torrence was staying in the Astoria Hotel. The described events took place at the beginning of the
century. The patient is doing fine.
Thus, according as they have or have not the power to take complements, the notional verbs should be
classed as "complementive" or "uncomplementive", with further subcategorizations on
the semantico-
syntagmatic principles.
In connection with this upper division, the notions of verbal transitivity and objectivity should be
considered.
Verbal transitivity, as one of the specific qualities of the general "completivity", is the ability of the verb to
take a direct object, i.e. an object which is immediately affected by the denoted process. The direct object is