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A predicative expression (or just ''predicative'') is (part of) a clause predicate. The term is used more specifically to denote expressions that typically follow a copula (= linking verb), e.g. ''be'', ''seem'', ''appear'', or that appear as a second complement of a certain type of verb, e.g. ''call'', ''make'', ''name'', etc.〔See for instance Burton-Roberts (1997:79).〕 The most frequently acknowledged types of predicative expressions are predicative adjectives (also ''predicate adjectives'') and predicative nominals (also ''predicate nominals''). The main trait of all predicative expressions is that they serve to express a property that is assigned to a "subject", whereby this subject is usually the clause subject, but at times it can be the clause object.〔See for instance Radford (2004:353).〕 A primary distinction is drawn between predicative (also ''predicate'') and attributive expressions. Further, predicative expressions are typically ''not'' clause arguments, and they are also typically ''not'' clause adjuncts. There is hence a three-way distinction between predicative expressions, arguments, and adjuncts. The terms ''predicative expression'' on the one hand and ''subject complement'' and ''object complement'' on the other hand overlap in meaning to a large extent. ==Examples== The most widely acknowledged predicative expressions are adjectives and nominals:〔For an insightful discussion of predicative adjectives and nominals, see Lester (1971:86ff.).〕 ::The idea was ridiculous. - Predicative adjective over the subject ::He seems nice. - Predicative adjective over the subject ::Bob is a postman. - Predicative nominal over the subject ::They were all happy campers. - Predicative nominal over the subject ::That shrimp dish made him sick. -Predicative adjective over the object ::We painted the door white. - Predicative adjective over the object ::They elected him president. - Predicative nominal over the object ::They called Jill a thief. - Predicative nominal over the object The formulations "over the subject" and "over the object" indicate that the predicative expression is expressing a property that is assigned to the subject or to the object.〔Concerning the fact that predicative expressions express some property of another entity in the sentence, see Hudson (1984:95f.).〕 For example, the predicative expression ''a thief'' in the last sentence serves to assign to ''Jill'' the property of being a thief. Predicative nominals over subjects are also called ''predicate nominatives'', a term borrowed from Latin grammars and indicating the morphological case that such expressions bear (in Latin). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Predicative expression」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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