M. Iriskulov, A. Kuldashev a course in Theoretical English Grammar Tashkent 2008

End-of-Scale Constraint: the endpoint must be clearly delimited. It may be 
on some absolute scale (in this case nongradable adjectives are used) or on a scale 
of functionality, in which case continued functioning is impossible beyond it. Most 
of the adjectives which can occur in the construction are nongradable. If gradable 
adjectives are used they receive a nongradable interpretation, e.g.: He talked 
himself hoarse. (implies that the patient argument has “gone over edge” beyond the 
point where normal functioning is possible). The type of adjectives that occur as a 
resultative is fairly limited. The adjectives which occur regularly are: 
asleep/awake, open/shut, flat/straight/smooth, free, full/empty, dead/alive, sick, 
hoarse, sober, crazy.
The resultatives cannot be adjectives derived from either present or past 
participles, e.g.: * She kicked the door opening. * She kicked the door opened. The 
restriction has been attributed to a semantic clash of aspect. 
“W a y” C o n s t r u c t i o n 
The “Way” Construction is generally used to render literal or metaphorical 
motion, e.g.: Frank dug his way out of the prison. The players will maul their way 
up the middle of the field. Their customers snorted and injected their way to 
oblivion. Lord King … joked and blustered his way out of trouble at the meeting. 
The verbs cannot be used with other than “way” valences: * Chris mauled / 
bludgeoned into the room. The same is not true of verbs which clearly do lexically 
code literal or metaphorical motion, e.g.: to inch and to worm – Lucky may have 
inched ahead of Black Stallion. He can’t worm out of that station. 
The “Way” Construction admits two interpretations: means interpretation as a 
basic one and manner interpretation as extension (means interpretation 
diachronically preceded the manner interpretation by several centuries). 

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The Means Interpretation: Creation of a Path
This interpretation means that the path through which motion takes place is 
not preestablished, but rather is created by some action of the subject referent. In 
other words the motion must be through a literal or metaphorical self-created path, 
e.g.: Sally made way into the room. – implies that Sally moved through a crowd or 
other obstacles. 
The most common interpretation involves motion through a crowd, mass, 
obstacle, e.g.: He pushed his way past the others. Troops have been shooting their 
way through angry, unarmed mobs. Another interpretation (a metaphorical case) 
involves situations in which a path may need to be created, if there are social 
obstacles standing in the way, e.g.: Joe bought his way into the exclusive country 
club. 
The semantics of the construction involves both the creation of a path and 
movement along that path and can be defined as Subject (Creator-Theme) –