Semantic and synttax of copula verb content introduction

Object of the coursework: the process of introducing the semantics and syntax of the copula verb
The subject of the course work: the skills of introducing the semantics and syntax of the copula verb
Practical importance of course work. It serves to effectively use the ideas, approaches and results of the course work, which ensure their effectiveness, in the preparation of lectures on pedagogical subjects, in the creation of manuals, as well as in the creation of methodological recommendations, in popularizing work experiences.
The structural structure and volume of the course work: the work consists of an introduction, 2 chapters, 4 sections, general conclusions and recommendations, a list of used literature.

Chapter I. General information and characteristics of the copula verb

1.1. General information about the copula verb
A copular verb is a special kind of verb used to join an adjective or noun complement to a subject. Common examples are: be (is, am, are, was, were), appear, seem, look, sound, smell, taste, feel, become and get.
A copular verb expresses either that the subject and its complement denote the same thing or that the subject has the property denoted by its complement.
For example in the sentence ‘Peter is my boyfriend’ the copular verb is asserts that Peter and my boyfriend are the same person whereas in the sentence ‘Peter is British’ the copular verb is assigns the quality of Britishness to Peter.
More examples are given below.
Honey is sweet. (Here the copular verb is assigns the quality of sweetness to honey.)
The stew smells good.
The milk turned sour.
The night grew dark.
She became a writer.
After copular verbs we use adjectives, not adverbs.
Compare:
She spoke intelligently. (Here the adverb intelligently modifies the ordinary verb spoke.)
She appears intelligent. (NOT She appears intelligently. Appears is a copular verb. It should be followed by an adjective, not an adverb.)
The copular verbs like become, get, grow, go, turn, stay, remain, keep etc., are used to talk about change or the absence of change.
I am becoming older.
I am getting older.
I am growing older.
The leaves are going yellow.
The leaves are turning yellow.
In English grammar, a copula is a verb that joins the subject of a sentence or clause to a subject complement. For example, the word "is" functions as a copula in the sentences "Jane is my friend" and "Jane is friendly." The primary verb "be" is sometimes referred to as "the copula." However, while forms of "being" (am, are, is, was, were) are the most commonly used copulas in English, certain other verbs (identified below) have copular functions as well. Copular verbs can occur in both main and subordinate clauses." Unlike auxiliary verbs (also called helping verbs), which are used in front of other verbs, copular verbs function by themselves in the manner of main verbs.
Examples of Copulas
The weather is horrible.
That car looks fast.
The stew smells good.
I do feel a fool.
She became a racehorse trainer.
It's getting late.
Copular Verbs in Common Usage
Some of the most frequently used copular verbs are: be, feel, seem, appear, look, sound, smell, taste, become, get. Adjectives follow copular verbs, not adverbs.
He looks intelligent. (Intelligent is an adjective in a predicative position. It tells you about the person himself. You're making the assumption "He is intelligent" based on observation. Here, the "look" is a copular verb.
Copular verbs are complemented by a subject predicative in a sentence or clause structure. A copular prepositional verb is a prepositional verb (the combination of a verb plus preposition) that is complemented by a subject predicative. For example:
That doesn't sound like him.
Don't turn into a glutton.
Let that serve as a warning.
Copulas that describe the condition the thing or person referred to by the subject is in include: be, remain, seem, and appear. Copulas that describe the result of change affecting the thing or person referred to by the subject include: become, turn, grow, and get.
Further Study
Inversion
Linking Verb
Stative Verb
Verb of Being
Zero Copula

1.2. Features of the copula verb

A copular verb links the subject to an identity or a description. For example (copular verbs highlighted):
John is a pirate.
(Here, "a pirate" is an identity of the subject "John.")
John looks dangerous.
(Here, "dangerous" is a description of the subject "John.")
More specifically, a copular verb (commonly called a linking verb) links the subject to a subject complement. In the examples above, the subject complements are "a pirate" and "dangerous."
Copula or Copular?
The noun "copula" means "link" or "connector." "Copular" (with "r" on the end) is the adjective of "copula." When discussing grammar, the terms "copula" and "copular verb" are used interchangeably. For example:
In the sentence "John seems happy," the copula is "seems." 
In the sentence "John seems happy," the copular verb is "seems." 
Key Observation
A copular verb tells us what the subject is, not what the subject is doing. For example:
John is the captain. 
(Here, "is" is a copular verb. It links John (the subject) to an identity.)
John is talented. 
("Is" is a copular verb. It links John to a description.)
The words "the captain" and "talented" are called subject complements. Subject complements are always words that function as nouns or adjectives.

Now look at these examples with action verbs:

John plays football. 
(In this example, "plays" is an action verb, not a copular verb. It tells us what John (the subject) is doing.)
John is running a marathon. 
(Here, "is running" is an action verb, not a copular verb. It tells us what John is doing.)
Easy Examples of Copular Verbs
In each example, the copular verb is highlighted and the subject is bold.
Alfred was a wizard.
(Here, the subject is identified as a wizard.)
Alfred was impatient.
(Here, the subject is described as impatient.)
A Copular Verb Links the Subject to a Subject Complement
The word, phrase, or clause that follows a copular verb to identify or describe the subject is called the subject complement. Remember that a subject complement is a word or group of words that functions as either a noun (when identifies) or an adjective (when it describes).
Her solution is madness!
(Here, the subject complement identifies. It is a noun.)
Molly is a future star.
(Here, the subject complement identifies. It is a noun phrase.)
She seems happy.
(Here, the subject complement describes. It is an adjective.)
The sauce tastes too spicy for me.
(Here, the subject complement describes. It is an adjective phrase.)
Real-Life Examples of Copular Verbs
The most common copular verb is the verb "to be" (in all of its forms, e.g., "am," "is," "are," "was," "were," "will be," "was being," "has been").
My mother is a strong woman.
Lawyers were children once. (Poet Charles Lamb)
Other common copular verbs relate to the senses ("to look," "to feel," "to smell," "to sound," and "to taste").
Farming looks easy when you're a thousand miles from the corn field. (US President Dwight Eisenhower)
It sounds really corny but inner beautiful shows on the outside, for sure. (Model Kate Moss)
"To appear," "to become," and "to seem" are also common copular verbs.
Once made equal to man, woman becomes his superior. (Greek philosopher Socrates)
It always seems impossible until it's done. (President of South Africa Nelson Mandela)
Copular Verbs Are Not Action Verbs
Copular verbs do not express actions. Of note, some verbs can be copular verbs or action verbs depending on the context.
Mark smells like the soup.
(Here, "smells" is a copular verb. It describes "Mark," the subject.)
Mark smells the soup.
(Here, "smells" is not a copular verb. It is an action verb.)
Anna felt nervous when she felt the cold.
(Here, the first "felt" is a copular verb, but the second "felt" isn't.)
Remember that a copular verb tells us what the subject is, not what the subject is doing.

Chapter II. Semantics and syntax of the copula verb

2.1. Semantics of the copula verb
In the English language, we have nine word classes: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, pronouns, determiners, conjunctions, and interjections. These different types of words all perform different functions in sentences. For example, nouns and pronouns are used to represent the subjects and objects of sentences such as Zara and flowers in the sentence: 'Zara bought flowers.'
In this sentence, we also have the verb bought. Verbs are regarded as doing words and are used to express actions, feelings, states, or processes.
There are four types of verbs: main, auxiliary, copula, and imperative. In this article, we will look at copula verbs and how to use them in sentences.
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Copula Verb Definition
So, what is a copula verb? A copula verb links the subject to the subject complement in a sentence. They are also known as linking verbs.
A subject complement is a word or phrase that adds detail to and enhances our idea of the subject.
The word 'copula' comes from the Latin prefix 'co-' (meaning together) and the Latin word 'apere' (meaning fasten). From these meanings, we can understand a copula verb to fasten the subject and subject complement together.
'The grass was dewy.'
Here, the copula verb is was. It connects the subject (the grass) with its complement (dewy).
To properly understand this, let's refresh ourselves on what subjects and subject complements are.
Subject
The subject of a sentence is the person, object, or place performing an action on something else. Subjects are the main focus of a sentence and can be represented by either a noun or a pronoun. They are often placed at the beginning of a sentence (but this isn't a steadfast rule).
'The flowers smell beautiful.'
In this sentence, the subject is the noun phrase the flowers
Subject complement
The subject complement in a sentence is the word or phrase that gives us more information about the subject, i.e. complementing it. Subject complements can be either single words or multi-word phrases, adjectives, nouns, or pronouns.
In 'The flowers smell beautiful', the subject complement is the adjective beautiful as it gives us more information about the subject (the flowers).
As we've identified the subject and subject complement of 'The flowers smell beautiful,' we can state that smell is used here as a copula verb. It links the subject complement to the subject.
Copula Verb Types
In the English language, multiple verbs are used to link the subject and subject complement in a sentence. Some examples include; become, appear, look, taste, smell, and sound. Despite this, English, like many other languages, is considered to have one main copula: to be.
The verb to be is an irregular verb and can appear in different forms depending on tense and person:
to be (infinitive)
am (first person present tense)
is (third person present tense)
are (second person present tense or first person present tense (plural))
was (first and third person past tense)
were (second person past tense or first person past tense (plural))
The different forms of to be can all be used as copula verbs. For example, is can be used to link two nouns (or nouns to pronouns) such as:
Toni is my friend.
subject → is → subject complement
Or, was can be used to link a noun and an adjective such as:
The weather was stormy.
subject → was → subject complement
Copula and Auxiliary Verbs
Copula verbs can be easily mistaken for auxiliary verbs. These are both types of verbs that perform specific functions within sentences.
Copula verbs link subjects and subject complements.
Auxiliary verbs add functional or grammatical meaning to main verbs.
Auxiliary verbs consist of words such as be, might, do, have, and can, which work in conjunction with other verbs to create a verb phrase such as would have run in the sentence: 'Sienna would have run for the bus if she knew it was early.'
This is also an example of how multiple auxiliary verbs, i.e. would and have can be used together to add meaning to a single main verb.
Let's have a look at the main differences between copula and auxiliary verbs: