Verb Patterns1) Subjective Complement Patterna) NP + Vc + NPsc Eg. Mary is a teacher a) FN + Vc + FNsc Ej. Mary es maestrab) NP + Vc + Adj Eg. Mary is pretty Mary is nice (Adj. indicating behaviour) (*These examples are ambiguous in isolation. To disambiguate: Eg.#1 be + Adv. of time look ( + Adv. of time) Eg #2 use the progressive or the infinitive: Mary is being nice. Mary be nice! (this indicates temporary state)

b) FN + Vc + Adj. Ej. Mary es linda (permanent state) Ej. Mary está linda (temporary state)

c) NP + Vc + ADVsc Eg.#1 Susana is here Eg.#2 The food is here Eg.#3 The meal is today

c) FN + Vc + ADVsc Ej.#1 Susana está aquí Ej.#2 La comida está aquí Ej.#3 La comida es hoy

Nconcrete => estar Nevent => ser2) Intransitive PatternNP + Vt + (ADVadj) Eg. Birds fly It* is late It* is raining It* is a long way to NY Detergents sell well This horse runs well ambiguous*2

* Why do we have to mention the Subject in English. Chomsky: because there are no inflections of the verb in English, therefore, there are no indicators of person. That’s why we have an obligatory explicit subject. In Spanish, the Subject is duplicated in the desinence of the verb.*2 ergative sentences: the door opened, the stone moved => Es más natural poner el verbo antes del sujeto en español: se abrio la puerta, se movio la piedra.

FN + Vi + (ADV) Ej. Los pájaros vuelan. Es tarde. Llueve. Hay un largo camino hasta NY. Los detergentes se venden bien. Este caballo corre bien. ó Este caballo es de buena monta.

3) Transitive patternsa) NP + Vt + NPdo I will see Peter tomorrow

I made a chocolate cake last week Peter killed a bear Peter killed John

a) FN + Vt + (DET: a) Fnod Voy a ver a Peter... (el OD personal siempre es preposicional) Hice una torta de chocolate la semana pasada Peter mató un oso Peter mató a John

b) Vt Prepositional verb. Eg. Look after (The

particle cannot be moved) Phrasal verb Eg. Put up = erect Put off (the particle is stressed and it can be moved) Exception: see sb. Off *see off sb. I couldn’t put up with Mary in England = I couldn’t stand her = I couldn’t lodge her

c) Word order: NP + Vt + PRONdo I saw him

Lo ví

4) Transitive Directional PatternNP + Vt + NPio + NPdoNP + Vt + NPdo + for/to + NPio

In informal English, in oral discourse, there is a tendency to omit the particle “to” as in:Give it ø meShe had me ø do it

In English the OI is post verbal

FN + Vt + a FNio + FNdo a) Entregó un regalo a los novios.b) Les entregó un regalo a los novios.

“b” es más natural en la variedad rioplatense.

Se (=le) lo dí ayer: In Spanish it’s preverbal.

Leísmo: Le ví. / Le llamé Laismo: La pegaba.Omisión de la preposición “a” para evitar ambigüedad: Entregó ø la niña a sus padres Le presentó ø su mujer a Juan Pedro le vendió a María a Juan.

5) Objective Complement Pattern: emphasizes factual meaning.a) NP + Vt + NPdo + INFoc

I made Peter come (Verb: Complex Transitive. Predica algo del objeto)

a) FN + Vt + INFoc + FNdo Hice venir a PedroLo hice venir.Ó:Vt + Noun ClauseHice que Pedro viniera.

b) NP + Vt + NPdo + INGocI saw the child climbing the stairs.

Praphrasing:I saw that the child was climbing the stairs.Wrong paraphrasing:- I saw the child who was climbing...- I saw the child while he was climbing...

b) FN + Vt + FNdo + ANDO/ENDOoc Ví al niño subiendo las escaleras.

c) NP + Vt + NPdo + ADJoc I found the class empty (no ambiguity)

I found the empty classroom.

c) FN + Vt + FNdo + ADJocEncontré el aula vacía (ambigüedad:- Encontré que el aula estaba vacía- Encontré el aula que estaba vacía

6) Indefinite Equational Patterna) There + be + NP + ADVEg. There are some books on the table.You cannot use “the”. It must not be preceded by a Definite article.There is some milk in the fridge (This doesn’t mean that there is a little milk)

Idea of uncertainty:There must be some pen over there.He must be in some place in Afrika.

For Emphasis:You’re some friend! (with intonation) Some weather!

Exception: The case when you can use “the”- In a list: There is the butler, the maid, the

chauffeur. There is the garden to water, the car to wash the food to cook.- There + be + the + abstract noun

There’s the danger that + NCLAUSE in apposition: the ceiling will collapse.There’s the possibility that I might arrive late.There’s the rumour that she’s resigning.There’s always the misusing of wine that leads to drunkenness.

a) Hay + FN + ADVEg. Hay unos libros sobre la mesa.

Debe haber una lapicera por ahí.Debe estar en algún lado de África.

¡Qué buen amigo, eh!¡Qué tiempo horrible!

- Tenemos / está el mayordomo, la mucama, etc.

- Hay que / Falta regar el jardín

- Existe la posibilidad de que llegue tarde.

- Corre el rumor de que va a renunciar.

b) There + be + NP + to INF.There are many things to do.

b) Hay + FN + que hacerHay muchas cosas que hacer.(Hay + que + INF = obligación.)