Paradoxical
Predicates in Traditional Grammar and Semantics
A. Maryanto
EFL teacher education program has to face up several conflicting problems in grammar, traditional vs. modern, and semantics. There are confusing terminologies in both areas. One of them is the label predicate. In grammar, predicate always consists of a verb phrase indicating mental or physical activities; whereas in semantics, it consists of adjectives, nouns, prepositions, and verbs.
In grammar, verb phrases shortened to VPs are dubious. Two-word verbs such as look after, and three-word verbs such as look down upon can be regarded as VPs. VPs may also cover one or more adverb expressing manner, place, and time, all of which follow object(s) or NP if any. In the sentence: My sister is looking after her niece, the VP can be confined to: is looking after, or extended to her niece as an object, which is, of course, disputable. In modern grammarians consider language efficiency important, so the VP is looking after her niece.
In semantics, a predicate is any word (or sequence of words) which (in a given single sense) can function as the predicator of a sentence. For example, a verb such as wait is a one-degree predicate, whereas wait for is a two-degree predicate. Both can be predicators of different sentences such as: She is waiting and She’s waiting for the bus. Predicates and predicators are two different concepts. There are still two concepts to be critically attended in semantics; they are arguments and referring expressions; both are notionally distinctive from objects in traditional grammar.
A thorough knowledge of grammar and semantics is inevitably required by EFL teachers and in TEFL curricula.
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Maryanto, A. (2003, October).
Paradoxical predicates in traditional
grammar and semantics. Paper presented at the 51st TEFLIN
International Conference,
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