Syntactic elements of groups
Nominal groups, adjectival groups and adverbial groups are composed of three primary elements or functions: a head (h) preceded by a pre-modifier (m) and followed by a post-modifier (m). We also distinguish ‘complement’ (c) as a special type of post- head element. Complements of nouns and adjectives are introduced by a preposition or by a that-clause which is controlled by the head-word of the group. For example, the adjective good controls a complement introduced by at: good at chess. The noun belief controls a that-clause: the belief that he is always right. In the case of nominal groups, we also distinguish between ‘modifiers’, which describe or classify the head, and ‘determiners’ (d), which specify it in terms of definiteness, quantity, possessiveness, etc. Thus, we give the determiner and the pre- and post-modifiers equal syntactic status as primary elements of nominal groups. The following are examples of these group structures:
In Verbal Groups, the lexical verb is regarded as the main element (v), which either functions alone, whether in finite or non-finite form, as in the example Walking along the street, I met a friend of mine, or is preceded by auxiliaries (x), as in will go or has been reading. The first auxiliary (or the auxiliary, if there is only one) is called the ‘finite operator’ (o). It is the element that contributes information about tense, modality, number and person, and so helps to make the VG finite and fully ‘operative’. It is also the element that operates in the syntactic structure to make the clause interrogative and/or negative, and to make ellipted responses:
Have you been driving for many years? – Yes, I have.
Do you enjoy driving? – Yes, I do.
In the more complex verbal groups, each element is telescoped into the following one:
The lexical verb is sometimes followed by an adverbial particle (symbolized by ‘p’) as in ring up, break out, take over. Many such combinations form integrated semantic units which are idiomatic. Transitive combinations can be discontinuous as in I’ll ring you up, They’ve taken it over.
In Prepositional Phrases (PP) there are two obligatory elements: the prepositional head (h) and the complement (c). There is also an optional modifier (m), which is typically realized by an adverb of degree (e.g. right, quite). The structure of PPs is illustrated as follows:
