D. V. Demidov

2. The system of verbs’ subclasses. 
The complexity of the verb is also manifested in the 
intricate system of its grammatically relevant subclasses.
According to their semantic (nominative) value all the 
verbs fall into two big subclasses: the subclass of notional verbs 
and the subclass of functional and semi-functional verbs. 
Notional verbs have full nominative value and are independent in 
the expression of the process, e.g.: to work, to build, to lie, etc. 
Functional and semi- functional verbs make a group of verbs of 
partial nominative value. They are dependent on other words, but 
through their forms the predicative semantics of the sentence is 
expressed (they function as predicators).
On the basis of subject-process relations the notional verbs 
are subdivided into actional and statal verbs. Actional verbs denote 
the actions performed by the subject as an active doer, e.g.: to go, 
to make, etc.; statal verbs denote various states of the subject or 
present it as the recipient of a reality, e.g.: to love, to be, to worry. 
Another subdivision of notional verbs is based on their 
aspective meaning, which exposes the inner character of the 
process denoted. According to the mode of realization, the process 
may be instantaneous (momentary), (e.g.: to drop, to click), 
durative (continual), repeated, starting, completed, uncompleted, 
(e.g.: to begin, to continue). 
All these minor subdivisions are generalized into two big 
groups: the so-called limitive verbs and unlimitive verbs. Limitive 
verbs present a process as potentially limited, beyond which the 
process denoted by the verb is stopped or ceases to exist, e.g.: to 
come, to sit down, etc. Unlimitive verbs present the process as 
potentially not limited by any border point, e.g.: to go, to sit, to 
carry, etc. 
The next subdivision of the notional verbs is based on their 
combinability features, or their valency. O n this basis, verbs are 

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divided into transitive and intransitive: transitive verbs denote an 
action directed toward a certain object; in a sentence they are 
obligatorily used with a direct object. Constructions with 
transitive verbs are easily transformed from active into passive, 
e.g.: He wrote a letter. – The letter was written by him. 
Functional and semi- functional verbs are also subdivided 
into a number of groups.
Auxiliary functional verbs are used to build the analytical 
grammatical forms of notional verbs, e.g.: have done, was lost.
Link verbs connect the nominative part of the predicate 
with the subject, e.g.: He was pale.
Modal verbs are predicators denoting various subject 
attitudes to the action, for example, obligation, ability, permission, 
advisability, etc.: can, must, may, etc.
The subdivision of verbs into notional and (semi-) 
functional is grammatically relevant since the verbs of the two 
subclasses perform different syntactic functions in the sentence: 
notional verbs function as predicates, semi- functional and 
functional verbs as parts of predicates (predicators).
In conclusion, it should be stressed once again that many 
verbs in English in different contexts migrate easily from one 
group to another, and the boundaries between the subclasses are 
less rigid than in any other language.