UNIT 5:

2. Indicate the arguments and predicator(s) in each sentence.

h. John stood near the bank
- argument: John, the bank
- predicator: stand
(How should the ambiguity be handled?) The “bank” means an organization that
provides various financial services, for example keeping or lending money. Besides,
“bank” also has a meaning as sloping raised land, especially along the sides of a river.
6. What are the functions of the verb be in these sentences (i.e. does it function as an
identity predicate or as a grammatical device for linking a non-verbal predicate to
its first argument)?
a. Mary is happy
a grammatical device
b. A tulip is a flower
a grammatical device
c. George W. Bush is the US President
an identity predicate
d. God is
a grammatical device
Do all instances of be carry tense?  Yes.
Entry test
(1) Say which of the following sentences are equative (E), and which are
not (N).
(a) My parrot is holidaying in the South of France
N (Despite 2 referring expression, they can not be reversed)
(b) Dr Kunastrokins is an ass
N (There is only one referring expression “ Dr Kunastrokins”)
(c) Tristram Shandy is a funny book
N (There is only one referring expression “Tristram Shandy”)
(d) Our next guest is Dr Kunastrokins
E (There are 2 referring expression, and they also can be reversed without loss
acceptability.)
(2) Circle the referring expressions in the following sentences.
(a) I am looking for any parrot that can sing
(b) Basil saw a rat
(c) These matches were made in Sweden
(d) A dentist is a person who looks after people’s teeth  None