A clausal function: a constituent that ascribes a property, state, or role to an NP within the clause. It may be primary, predicated of the subject, or secondary, predicated of the object.
A primary predicative is a predicative that:
Is predicated of the subject
Is licensed by a copular verb
Forms the core predicate of the clause
Canonical example:
The sky is blue.
blue → primary predicative (subject predicative)
is → copular verb
is blue → predicate
These verbs license a complex complement structure*:
Object NP + secondary predicative
The predicative is predicated of the object, not selected by the noun and not a free adjunct.
CGEL criteria for a secondary predicative, a secondary predicative must:
Be predicated of an NP (usually the object)
Attribute a property, state, or role
Allow a paraphrase like:
NP is/was Adj/NP
Secondary predicative
She placed the book open.
open attributes a state to the book
Paraphrase: The book was open ✔️
Not a secondary predicative
She placed the book on the table.
on the table expresses a locative relation
No property is attributed to the book
Predicative paraphrase fails:
✗ The book was on-the-table (as a property)
> She carefully placed the book on the table.
Predicate: carefully placed the book on the table
Complements: the book → object complement
placed is a transitive lexical verb taking an object (the book) and adjuncts (carefully, on the table).
No predicative complement is licensed.
> She was careful while placing the book on the table.
Predicate: was careful while placing the book on the table
Complements: careful → **predicative complement (primary), predicated of the subject (she).
was is a copular verb.
careful is a primary predicative predicated of the subject (she).
> She carefully placed the book open on the table.
Predicate: carefully placed the book open on the table
placed is used as a complex-transitive verb.
open is a secondary predicative predicated of the object (the book).
Complements:
- the book → object complement
- open → predicative complement (secondary), predicated of the object the book.
> She carefully placed the book on the table.)
on the table is not a secondary predicative because it does not predicate a property of an NP (it expresses location, not attribution).
> They finished the report
You could say:
> The finished the report *early* (not predicative, )
Object = NP complement of a verb that is not predicative.
If it describes an NP → predicative
If it fills an argument slot → object