Semantic and synttax of copula verb content introduction

Semantic and synttax of copula verb
CONTENT
INTRODUCTION
Chapter I. General information and characteristics of the copula verb
1.1. General information about the copula verb
1.2. Features of the copula verb
Chapter II. Semantics and syntax of the copula verb
2.1. Semantics of the copula verb
2.1. The syntax of the copula verb
CONCLUSION
REFERENCES

INTRODUCTION

The copula-verb in so-called nominal predicate has no independent meaning and functions to connect the subject with the predicative comple-ment expressing the categories of the finite verb: person, number, mood, aspect, tense and voice.
Grammarians estimate that there are about sixty copulative verbs in English. The oldest and most common copula is the verb to be, which in this use is practically devoid of semantic significance and serves to connect the predicative with the subject.
A large number of other verbs used in nominal predicates do not suffer such semantic decline as the true copula be. These may reasonably be called semi-copulative verbs.
When a verb is used as a link-verb, it weakens its primary lexical meaning and acquires the abstract meaning of being in a certain state (He is happy), of passing into a new state (He became a teacher) or of remaining in a certain state (The weather continued fine). There are in the main three kinds of compound nominal predicates: compound nominal predicates of being, becoming and remaining.
Entrance into a state may call attention to the first point or the final point in a development.
All the verbs doing duty as copulas are naturally intransitive. Several of them were originally transitive and are still frequently used as transitives in some of their applications. Their assuming the character of copulas often originated in throwing off the reflexive pronoun and thus becoming intransitive, e. g.: He felt much depressed, originally He felt himself much depressed.
It is to be observed that the classification of some of the combinations may appear more or less arbitrary or even open to exception. Besides the verbs which may be regarded as genuine copulas, there are not a few which serve this function only in some special sense. Such are, for instance, verbs of seeming and appearing quite different from the real copulas and the verbs which may be considered to do duty as such. The fact is that as regards their function they approach modal verbs and such adverbial adjuncts as seemingly and apparently, expressing as they do some attitude on the part of the speaker towards the fulfilment of the action or state referred to the subject. They have this modal force irrespective of the nature of the predicate, e. g.: He seems to know you; he seems to be happy; he seems happy.
But in whatever connection the verbs to seem and to appear are used, they naturally preserve their full meaning. This distinguishes them from copulas and the verbs doing duty as such whose outstanding feature, as has already been observed, is that their meaning is a more or less weakened reflex of that which they have in other functions.