valency patterns

english grammar: valency patterns

1. VALENCY PATTERNS
SUMMARY
Lidia Norese

2. Definition:
Themainverbinaclausedeterminestheotherelementsthatare
requiredinthatclause.
Thepatternoftheclauseelementsiscalledthevalencypatternand
theyaredifferentiatedbytherequiredclauseelementsthatfollow
theverbwithintheclausee.g.directobject,indirectobject,subject
predicative.
Allvalencypatternsincludeasubject,andoptionaladverbialscan
beadded.

3. Types
•INTRANSITIVE
•MONOTRANSITIVE
•DITRANSITIVE
•COMPLEX TRANSITIVE
•COPULAR OR LINKING VERB

4. INTRANSITIVE
•PATTERN: Subject+ Verb
•INTRANSITIVE verbsoccurwithno obligatoryelementfollowingtheverb
Ej: More peoplecame
Thetrainarrived.

5. MONOTRANSITIVE
•PATTERN: Subject+ Verb+ DirectObject
•MONOTRANSITIVE verbsoccurwitha single directobject
•Ej: Mark cookeda deliciousmeal
Alice boughta book.

6. DITRANSITIVE
•PATTERN: Subject+ Verb+ IndirectObject+ DirectObject
•DITRANSITIVE verbsoccurwithtwoobjectphrases: anindirectobjectand a
directobject.
•Ej: Themangavethekida red balloon.
Mymothertookme to thedentist.

7. COMPLEX TRANSITIVE
•PATTERN: Thereare twoposible patternsforthistype:
•Subject+ Verb+ DirectObject+ ObjectPredicative
With verbs of perception: declare, choose, make, call, name, elect, appoint,
imagine
Ej: ThechildrennamedthedogRobert
Theyelectedme ClassPresident.
•Subject+ Verb+ DirectObject+ ObligatoryAdverbial
Ej: He puthishandonhershoulder
Shelaidthebabyontheblanket.

8. COPULAR OR LINKING VERB
COPPULAR VERBS: Appear, feel, keep, look, remain, seem, smell, sound, become,
get, go, grow, turn, change.
Thereare twoposible patterns:
•Subject+ Verb+ SubjectPredicative(noun, adjective, adverborprepositional
phrase)
Ej: James seemeda Little frustrated.
•Subject+ Verb+ ObligatoryAdverbial. (usuallyplace ordirection)
Ej: Mark livesin Spain