List of tables xii
How to read this book xiii
Preface xiv
List of abbreviations xvii
Introduction 1
Orientation 3
Grammar and semantics 5
Semantic types and grammatical word classes 7
Semantic roles and syntactic relations 9
The approach followed 12
Words and clitics 16
Notes to Chapter 1 18
Grammatical sketch 19
Pronouns 19
Verb and verb phrase 22
Forms of the verb 22
Verb phrase 24
Verbal systems 25
Noun phrase 26
Main clauses 11
Imperative clauses 29
Adverbial elements 30
Relative clauses 32
Complement clauses 36
Omission of be 53
Types of -ing clause 54
Word derivations 56
Clause derivations 58
Questions 58
Causatives 59
Passives 61
Promotion to subject 61
Reflexives 62
Reciprocals 65
Have a Verb, Give a Verb and Take a Verb 66
Clause linking 67
Syntactic preferences and constraints 71
Summary of omission conventions 74
Notes to Chapter 2 17
The Semantic Types 79
Noun, adjective and verb types 81
Types associated with the Noun class 82
Types associated with the Adjective class 84
Comparison of adjectives 91
Introduction to verb types 93
Subject and object 93
Grammar versus lexicon 95
Primary and Secondary verbs 96
Primary-A verb types 102
Motion and Rest 102
Affect 110
Giving 119
Corporeal 124
Weather 127
Others 128
Notes to Chapter 4 130
Primary-B verb types 131
Attention 131
Thinking 139
Deciding 143
Speaking 146
Liking 160
Annoying 164
Others 169
Secondary verb types 172
Secondary-A types 172
Modals and Semi-Modals 172
Beginning 177
Trying 183
Hurrying 186
Daring 187
Secondary-B types 188
Wanting 188
Postponing 195
Secondary-C types 196
Making 196
Helping 201
Secondary-D types 202
Seem 203
Matter 205
Notes to Chapter 6 206
Some Grammatical Topics 207
Tense and aspect 209
Basic distinctions 210
Generic 211
Future 212
Present and past systems 215
Perfective verus imperfective 215
Actual versus previous 217
Present versus past 219
Irrealis and aspect 222
Back-shifting 223
Occurrence 225
Notes to Chapter 7 229
Completeness clauses 230
Parentheticals 233
Meanings of complement clauses 238
that and wh- 238
that and ing 240
Modal (for) to, Judgement to, and that 242
The role of for in Modal (for) to complements 247
Omitting to from Modal (for) to complements 251
Omitting to be from to complements 253
ing and Modal (for) to 255
wh-to 255
(from) ing 257
Summary 258
Complement clauses with Secondary verbs 260
Modals and Semi-Modals 260
Beginning, Trying, Hurrying and Daring 261
Wanting and Postponing 264
Making and Helping 268
Seem and Matter 269
Complement clauses with Primary-B verbs, and with adjectives 270
Attention 270
Thinking 272
Deciding 274
Speaking 275
Liking, Annoying and Adjectives 279
Other Primary-B types 283
Notes to Chapter 8 285
Transitivity and causatives 286
The semantic basis of syntactic relations 287
Prepositions and transitivity 289
Verbs with an inherent preposition 290
Phrasal verbs 293
Inserting a preposition 297
Omitting a preposition before non-measure phrases 299
Omitting a preposition before measure phrases 303
Dual transitivity 305
S = A: transitive verbs that can omit an object 305
S = O pairs: which is basic? 309
Causatives 311
Notes to Chapter 9 315
Nominalisations and possession 317
Possession 317
Varieties of deverbal nominalisation 322
Nominalisations denoting unit of activity and activity itself 323
Nominalisations denoting a state or a property 327
Nominalisations describing a result 328
Object nominalisations 329
Locus nominalisations 332
Agentive nominalisations 333
Instrumental nominalisations 336
Possession of a nominalisation: summary 337
Derivational processes 338
Nominalisation of phrasal verbs 343
Agentive nominalisations 344
Unit and activity nominalisations 346
Nominalisation by semantic type 348
Primary-A types 348
Primary-B types 349
Secondary verbs 351
Notes to Chapter 10 352
Passives 353
The nature of passive 354
Which verbs from Primary types may passivise 360
How verbs from Secondary types passivise 364
Complement clauses as passive subjects 367
Prepositional NPs becoming passive subjects 369
Notes to Chapter 11 374
Adverbs and negation 375
Adverbs 376
Forms and types 379
Adjective types and derived adverbs 381
Positioning 385
Position 'A' and other medial positions 389
Positions 'F' and 'O' 392
Adverbs modifying NPs 394
Adverbs with sentential but not manner function 402
Time adverbs 405
Spatial adverbs 410
Adverbs with manner but not sentential function 413
Adverbs with both sentential and manner function 418
Adverbs modifying adjectives and adverbs 422
Other properties 423
Comparatives 423
An adverb as a complete utterance 426
Combinations of adverbs 427
Negation 432
Sentential and manner-type negation 432
Negative attraction 435
Constituent negation 436
Inherently negative verbs 441
Negation and sentential adverbs 441
Complex negators 443
Negative modifier to a noun 444
Notes to Chapter 12 445
Promotion to subject 446
General characteristics 446
The circumstances in which promotion is possible 449
Which roles may be promoted 451
Notes to Chapter 13 458
Give a Verb, have a Verb and take a Verb constructions 459
Criteria adopted 462
Syntax 467
Meaning 469
Occurrence 476
Notes to Chapter 14 483
List of adjective and verb types, with sample members 484
References 492
Books R. M. W. Dixon 501
Index 503