1. MAJOR COMPLEMENTATION
PATTERNS AND VALENCY
By:
Teddy Fiktorius (F5221 2025)
Postgraduate Study of English Language Education
Teacher Training and Education Faculty
University of Tanjungpura
Pontianak
2013

2. 1. Introduction
Complementation of the verb
syntactic patterns
a Subject and a Predicator
Intransitive,
Copular, and
transitive.

3. Type of
complementation
Structural
pattern
Illustration
Intransitive S-P Paijo cried
They slept
Copular S-P-C The solution is illogical
It was great
Transitive
Monotransitive S-P-O He sold his car
She sang a song
Ditransitive S-P-O-O Surti gave Tejo the book
They wrote me a letter
Complex-transitive S-P-O-C They find the idea crazy
I considered the risk too
great

4. Some verbs (get, turn and make )
more than one type of complementation
different types of situation/meanings
Let’s take “make” as an example…..

5. S
I
They
P
will make
are making
Od
some tea.
soup.
S
I
She
P
will make
made
Oi
you
him
Od
a pizza.
orange juice.
S
He
We
P
made
made
Od
the coffee
the meat
Co
too strong.
over-cooked.
S
They
He
P
make
would make
Cs
a good couple.
a good husband.
S
It
It
P
makes
makes
Op
for good relations.
for a happy marriage.

6. semantic valency
- The potential number of participants
- the subject (the number of ‘places’ in the clause that the
verb controls)
Different classes of verbs
different semantic valencies
Let’s take “eat” as an example…..

7. “eat”
a two-place verb
a semantic valency of two
an eater and a thing eaten
in any event of eating

8. One-place verb
a subject only (the SP pattern)
Two-place verb
a subject and one other element
(the SPC and SPO patterns)
Three-place verb
a subject and two other elements
(the SPOO and SPOC patterns)
Compare:
1. They came.
2. She eats the cake.
3. We gave them the book.

9. MODULE 9:
INTRANSITIVE AND COPULAR PATTERNS
intransitive
verbs with no complementation (S-P)
compare:
1. She arrived
2. It snows
3. The cats blink
4. We eat. ----We eat some bread.
5. I drove. ---- I drove a car.
6. She was reading. ---- She was reading a novel.

10. intransitive verbs
(position: live, lie) or (movement: go, walk)
a Locative or Goal Complement
compare:
1. I live. ---- I live in the jungle.
2. They went . ---- They went to the zoo.

11. The S-P-Cs pattern
a copular verb that links the subject to a Complement
copula:
- be
e.g. You are insane; She is mad.
- Some verbs
(look, feel, smell, sound, taste, become, get, go, grow,)
Compare:
1. She is tired. ----She is feeling tired.
2. They are ill. ---- They become ill.

12. 9.1. SUBJECT – PREDICATOR (S-P)
a one-place verb
a subject but no complement
Types of intransitive verb:
1. verbs of behaviour:
laugh, smile, cry, blink, blush, cough, sneeze, sigh, tremble, yawn; wait, stay; die,
collapse, faint, fall,
e.g. They all laughed, someone yawned, one soldier fainted.
2. verbs of weather: rain, snow
e.g. It’s raining. It’s snowing. The sun rose.
3. verbs of occurrence: appear, disappear, go, come, arrive, depart, vanish, fade,
happen:
e.g. Has everyone arrived?
Hopes of avoiding war are now fading.

13. 9.2. SUBJECT–PREDICATOR–LOCATIVE COMPLEMENT (Cloc)
Complement of place, direction or destination
• Location in place or time: be, stand, live, lie, remain
e.g. 1. The National Theatre stands near the river.
2. The amusement park is just over there.
3. She is lying in a hammock.
4. Lunch was at one o’clock.
• Movement + manner of movement: walk, run, stroll, crawl, fly
e.g. 1. We walked home.
2. The soldier crawled under the wire fence.
Compare:
He is lying in a hammock vs He is lying to me.
…pure intransitive or with a Locative/Goal Complement?

14. 9.2.1 Pragmatic inference of circumstantial
meanings
verbs of position (wait and stay)
verbs of movement (go, leave, come and walk)
either pure intransitives or be followed by a Locative/Goal
Complement.
depends on whether there is sufficient support from the context to
sustain the intransitive.
Compare:
1. Do you want to leave or would you rather stay?
2. They are asked to walk to school.
Sentence 1: the intransitive verb alone is sufficient, because the
location is pragmatically inferred as being the place where the
addressee is.

15. If the location or destination are not inferrable, a locative or Goal
Complement becomes necessary as in:
1. They are asked to walk to school.
2. We went home.
Without the specification ‘home’, the verb would carry insufficient
semantic ‘weight’ and informativeness to complete the predicate.

16. 9.3 SUBJECT – PREDICATOR – ADJUNCT (S-P-A)
a circumstantial Adjunct is commonly added, but it is not a
requirement
Compare:
S-P-A S-P
Tom works in London. Does his sister work?
We arrived late. The guests are arriving.
He retired last year. He has retired.
We stopped at the Equator. The clock has stopped.

17. 9.4 SUBJECT – PREDICATOR –
COMPLEMENT OF THE SUBJECT
Copular verbs link the subject with a complement which
characterises or identifies the subject referent:
- A couch potato (S) is (P) someone who lies watching
television all day (Cs).
- This new game (S) is (P) incredibly simple and
endlessly gripping (Cs).

18. 9.4.1 Verbs of being and becoming
Verbs of being
stative and introduce current or existing attributes
e.g. 1. Lloyd George was a man of principle.
2. We have to remain optimistic about the future.
Verbs of becoming
dynamic and introduce resulting attributes.
e.g. 1. Her latest novel has become a best-seller.
2. We began to grow uneasy. (grow=gradual change)
3. His face went white. (went= drastic changes)

19. 9.4.2 Other linking verbs
A small number of verbs
without a complement (fall, come, run)
copulas with specific adjectives as Cs:
e.g. 1. The child fell flat on its face.
2. The soldiers all fell asleep/ fell ill.
3.The label has come unstuck.

20. MODULE 10
TRANSITIVE PATTERNS
Key note:
Monotransitive patterns
a two place verb (carry, say) + one object
Ditransitive patterns
a three-place verb (give, offer, rob, blame)
+
three participants are involved (1 subject + 2 objects)
complex-transitive patterns
one Object +one Complement, after verbs such as appoint, name and
find.

21. 10.1 SUBJECT – PREDICATOR –
DIRECT OBJECT
S P Od
I
She
They
We
ate
was wearing
don’t watch
must put away
a toasted cheese sandwich
one of her father’s T-shirts.
kids’ TV programmes.
all this stuff

22. 10.2 VERBS USED TRANSITIVELY AND INTRANSITIVELY
1. Verbs with an implied Object
e.g. moke (cigarettes), drive (a car), park (a car),
drink (alcohol), save (money), wave (one’s hand)
valency reduction
normal valency of two of these verbs is reduced to one.
E.g. 1. Drinking and driving don’t match.
2. It is impossible to park in the city centre.
3. They are saving to buy a house.
4. He waved to us from the bridge.
2. Causatives with an intransitive counterpart, constituting an ergative
pair
He opened the door. (SPOd) The door opened. (SP)
She clicked the camera. The camera clicked.
3 Verbs with a reflexive meaning:
He shaved (himself), She dressed (herself).
4 Verbs with a reciprocal meaning:
Tom and Jo met at a concert. (met each other)

23. 10.3 SUBJECT – PREDICATOR – PREPOSITIONAL
OBJECT
Common verbs that can be followed by a preposition
for on to at with in of after
account
allow
hope
long
look
bank
call
count
rely
admit
consent
keep
refer
resort
aim
get
hint
look
deal
reason
believe
confide
dispose
think
hear
look
take
S P Op
The Prime Minister
We
He
can’t account
are banking
would never resort
for the loss of votes.
on everyone’s support for the rally.
to cheating.

24. 10.4 SUBJECT – PREDICATOR – INDIRECT OBJECT –
DIRECT OBJECT
10.4.1 Verbs of transfer (give, lend )
and intended transfer (buy, get)
Type: give + Od + Oi
Type: get + Od + Oi
10.4.2 Less prototypical three-place verbs
Type: explain + NG + Prepositional Object
Type: wish + NG + NG

25. 10.4.1 Verbs of transfer (give, lend )
and intended transfer (buy, get)
Three-place verbs
a subject and two Objects
Type 1: give + Od + Oi ----- I gave her a gift. I gave a gift to her.
Type 2: get + Od + Oi ---- I got her a gift. I got/bought a gift for her .
the indirect Object has a prepositional counterpart
more verbs like ‘give’:
Hand; lend; offer; owe; pass; promise; read; send; show;teach; throw ;write
e.g. 1. He showed the policeman his driving licence.
(He showed his driving licence to the policeman.)
2. We offered our clients an opportunity. ( . . . to our clients)
3. She owes them large sums of money. ( . . . to them)

26. With the ‘give’ type, two passives are usually
possible:
Active: I gave Jo a copy.
Passive 1: Jo was given a copy.
(Oi in active clause → S in passive clause)
Passive 2: A copy was given to Jo.
(Od in active clause → S in passive clause)

27. 10.4.2 Less prototypical three-place verbs
prepositional object as a second object.
Type: explain + NG + Prepositional Object
COMPARE:
1. He explained the problem to us.
2. He explained us the problem. (acceptable?)
Typical verbs are: announce, confess, deliver, mention, return and
say.
e.g. 1. What did she say to you?
2. I never mentioned your name to anyone.

28. Type: wish + NG + NG
We wish you luck
no prepositional counterpart with to
Other verbs: allow, cost, wish, refuse and ‘light’ uses of give.
Compare:
They allow me a break. * They allow a break to me.
He gave the door a push. * He gave a push to the door.
Let’s ask someone the way. * Let’s ask the way to someone.

29. 10.5 SUBJECT – PREDICATOR – DIRECT OBJECT –
PREPOSITIONAL OBJECT
Some verbs taking Prepositional Object as well as Direct Object
Only the direct object constituent can become subject in the passive clause:
e.g. 1. Your skin will be protected from the sun’s rays.
2. She was robbed of her watch.
3. He was charged with assault.
4. Janet was congratulated on her success.
For from of to with on
blame
thank
prevent
protect
accuse
convince
deprive
rob
introduce
help
sentence
charge
compare
supply
blame
compliment
congratulate
S P Od Op
This sunblock
They
They
I
will protect
robbed
charged
congratulated
your skin
her
him
Janet
from the sun’s rays.
of her watch.
with assault.
on her success.

30. 10.6 FRAME, PERSPECTIVE AND ATTENTION
frame perspective attention
frame conceptualises a situation from different perspectives
perspective draws on the cognitive ability to direct one’s attention
e.g. Fillmore’s ‘commercial event’ frame for [BUY]
four other variables, namely to a BUYER, a SELLER, GOODS and MONEY.
Tom bought some old CDs from Phil for twenty euros.
Other verbs with the same frame: SELL, CHARGE or PAY
compare:
1. Phil sold some old CDs to Tom for twenty euros.
2. Phil charged Tom twenty euros for some of his old CDs.
3. Tom paid Phil twenty euros for some old CDs.

31. 10.7 SUBJECT – PREDICATOR – DIRECT OBJECT – OBJECT
COMPLEMENT
10.7.1 Current and Resulting Attributes
stative verbs : Hold, keep, believe, consider, think, find, imagine, presume, hold, want,
like and prefer
resulting verbs :bake, drive (mad), get, leave, make, paint, turn, wipe, appoint, elect, call,
name, declare, report and certify
compare:
Keep your hands steady! ---------- It wipes the windscreen dry.
I imagined him much older. --------- That barking dog is driving me mad.
Do you want the meal hot? ---------- The heat has turned the milk sour.

32. 10.8 SUBJECT – PREDICATOR – DIRECT OBJECT – LOCATIVE
COMPLEMENT
Verbs with a Locative/Goal Complement:
put, place, stand, lead , talk, take, bring and show
e.g. 1. I put the dish in the microwave.
2. Stand the lamp near the desk.
3. The track led us to a farm.
while keep and hold can function with both
Attributes and in Locative/Goal patterns.
Compare:
Keep your hands on the wheel! (Cloc) Keep your hands steady! (Co)
Hold your head up! (Cloc) We hold you responsible. (Co)

33. MODULE 11
COMPLEMENTATION BY FINITE CLAUSES
The four main types of dependent complement clause with
monotransitive verbs:
1. finite that-clause: He believes that he’s right.
2. finite wh-clause: He asked what I meant.
He believed what I told him.
I said how nice it was.
3. non-finite to-infinitive clause:
without dep.cl subject He wants to stay.
with dep.cl. subject He wants us all to stay.
4. non-finite -ing clause:
without dep. cl. subject He doesn’t like driving in fog
with dep. cl. subject He doesn’t like her driving in fog

34. 11.1 MEANINGS AND PATTERNS OF THAT-CLAUSE
COMPLEMENTS
11.1.1 Verb + that-clause
11.1.2 Dropping or retaining the complementiser that
11.1.3 Verb + NG + that-clause

35. 11.1.1 Verb + that-clause
Facts, beliefs, doubts, perceptions
• Verbs of cognition – knowing, doubting, perceiving:
think, know, believe, imagine, see, doubt; with doubt, don’t know,
e.g. 1. We know that you have lived abroad for some time.
2. He could see that she was not at all happy.
• Verbs of expectation – expect, hope, suppose and wish –take a modal
auxiliary in the indicative that clause.
e.g. 1. I expect (that) you would like something to drink .
2. I suppose (that) he must have lost his way.

36. 11.1.2 Dropping or retaining the complementiser that
- Omission of that :
(a) when think or say is the main verb
e.g. I think it’s nice, Tim says it’s easy
(b) when the subject refers to the same entity in the main clause and in the
that-clause
e.g. Tim promised he’d do it
(c) when there is a pronoun rather than a noun head in the that-clause
e.g. I think I’ll have a cola, She knew he would do it
- Retaining that :
(d) coordinated that-clauses:
e.g. Many people believe that war is right.
(e) passive voice in the main clause:
e.g. It is believed that peace is in sight.
(f) a NG or PP (or clause containing a NG) placed between the main clause
and the that-clause:
e.g. Can you prove to them that the effects are not harmful?

37. 11.1.3 Verb + NG + that-clause
- verbs of communicating (tell, inform)
- verbs of causing someone to think or believe or know something
(convince, persuade, remind, teach)
- performative verbs promise and warn
take a that-clause after the direct object:
e.g. 1. He finally convinced the jury that he was telling the truth.
2. Experience has taught them that a back-up copy is essential.

38. 11.2 SAY AND TELL
‘Say ‘
monotransitive
controlling a direct object
e.g. Say that number again; He said he was sorry
‘tell ‘
ditransitive
with two objects
e.g. 1. Tell me your name.
2. Tell me you love me.

39. 11.3 MEANINGS AND PATTERNS OF WH-CLAUSE
COMPLEMENTS
11.3.1. Indirect interrogatives
11.3.2. Nominal relatives
11.3.3. Non-finite variants
11.3.4. Indirect exclamatives

40. 11.3.1 Indirect interrogatives
V + wh-clause
‘ask, wonder, doubt, enquire, don’t know ‘
indirect interrogatives
compare:
1. We asked what we should do/what to do.
2. The tourist enquired why the museum was closed.
3. Pat wondered whether/if her friends would recognise her.

41. 11.3.2 Nominal relatives
V + NG + wh-clauses
Give them what they want
‘advise, give, show, teach and tell ‘
control nominal relative clause complements
represent factual information
e.g. 1. He told me what I already knew.
2. Tom will show you where you can send it.
3.The instructor taught the dancers how they should breathe.

42. 11.3.3 Non-finite variants
V + NG + wh + to-infinitive clause
Ask (him) how to do it
The NG recipient is obligatory with tell, show and teach,
optional with ask, and not used at all with know and wonder.
e.g. 1. We didn’t know where to go. (indirect interrogative)
2. Tom told us what to do. (nominal relative)
11.3.4 Indirect exclamatives
V + (NG) + what + NG or how + AdjG
I said how nice it was
verbs of communicating such as say and tell
mental verbs such as believe and think.
emotive quality:
e.g. 1. You’ll never believe what a good time we had.
2. I told her how sorry I was.

43. MODULE 12
COMPLEMENTATION BY NON-FINITE CLAUSES
12.1 CATENATIVE COMPLEMENTS
12.2 MEANINGS EXPRESSED BY TO-INFINITIVE
CLAUSES
12.2.1 Type 1: V + to-infinitive
12.2.2 Type 2: V + NG + to-infinitive clause with
subject
12.2.3 Type 3: V + NG + to-infinitive

44. 12.1 CATENATIVE COMPLEMENTS
‘Catenative’ means ‘chaining’
controls a non-finite complement
e.g. We decided to try to rent a house near the sea.
a chain of three verbs
to try to rent a house near the sea the catenative complement of decide
to rent a house near the sea the catenative complement of try.
Check this one out!!!
We decided to try to persuade Bill to help us rent a house near the sea.

45. 12.2 MEANINGS EXPRESSED BY TO-INFINITIVE CLAUSES
12.2.1 Type 1: V + to-infinitive
(a) Want, wish, intend, arrange
(b) like, love, prefer, can’t bear, hate
(c) promise, agree, learn, forget, decide
1. The boss wants to see us immediately.
2. I have arranged to go to London tomorrow.
3. I would have preferred to invent something which helps people.
4. I promise to ring you later. (compare: I promise that I will ring you later)
5. They agreed to wait a bit longer. (compare: they agreed that they would wait a bit
longer)
potential situation

46. 12.2.2 Type 2: V + NG + to-infinitive
want, like, love, prefer, can’t bear, dislike, hate, wish, arrange.
E.g. 1. The people want the troops to leave.
2. Her mother did not like her to be out for too long.
3. I only want us to be together.
4. I have arranged for the students to go to London tomorrow.

47. 12.3 MEANINGS EXPRESSED BY BARE INFINITIVE
CLAUSES
12.3.1 Type 3: V + NG + bare infinitive
let, have, make; see, hear, feel; help.
E.g. 1. we let them go, we saw them go.
2. Don’t let anxiety spoil your life.
3. They made the prisoners stand for hours.
4. I’ll have my secretary make you a reservation.

48. 12.4 MEANINGS EXPRESSED BY -ING CLAUSES
12.4.1 Type 4: V + -ing clause
like, love, avoid, dislike, hate, enjoy, miss, resent, risk, can’t, help.
e.g. 1. They disliked living in a big city.
2. I avoid travelling in the rush hour.
3. We enjoy listening to rock music

49. 12.4.2 Type 6: V + NG + -ing clause
See, hear, feel, smell, find, leave, catch, discover, come across, keep
e.g. 1. She found the child sleeping peacefully.
2. The child was found sleeping peacefully.
COMPARE:
I remembered to turn off the gas.
(I remembered that I had to turn off the gas and I did.)
I remembered turning off the gas.
(I remembered that I had turned off the gas.)
I forgot to turn off the gas.
(I forgot that I had to turn off the gas and didn’t turn it off.)
I regret telling/having told you the bad news.
(I am sorry that I told you the bad news.)
I regret to tell you there is some bad news.
(I am sorry to have to tell you bad news.)

50. 12.4.3 Potential and factual meanings contrasted:
to-infinitive and -ing clauses
Emotive verbs: like, love, hate and prefer (but not enjoy, detest and dislike,
which admit only -ing clauses)
COMPARE:
I like listening to music. ------ I’d like to buy a good stereo.
Most people hate standing in queues. -----Most car-owners would
hate to be without a car.

51. 12.5 PAST PARTICIPIAL CLAUSES
12.5.1 V + NG + -en clause
1. the causative verbs get and have
e.g. We’ll have some repairs done to the house,
2. volitional verbs: want, like, prefer
e.g. The boss wants these records updated;
3. verbs of perception: see, hear, feel
e.g. I felt my arm grasped from behind; and
4. verbs of finding and leaving
e.g. Airport officials have found an unidentified bag abandoned in the
coffee-shop.

52. THANK YOU….