Verbal units
A verbal unit is a verbal idea with a subject and predicate (either of which might be implicit or explicit). We annotate each verbal unit with
- semantic type
- syntactic type
- level of subordination
Semantic type
We annotate the semantic type of a verbal expression as one of:
- transitive
- intransitive
- linking
Syntactic type
We also annotate the syntactic type of a verbal expression. For each syntactic type, the following table summarizes the syntax of its construction, and of its connection to its larger context. (In all cases, either subject or predicate may be explicitly expressed or may be implied.)
| Type | Verbal construction | Syntactic connection to context |
|---|---|---|
| independent clause | finite verb with nominative subject | clause-initiating particle or conjunction, or asyndeton |
| subordinate clause | finite verb with nominative subject | subordinating conjunction |
| circumstantial participle | participial form agreeing with a substantive functioning as subject of the verbal idea | agreement in gender, case, number with subject |
| attributive participle | participial form agreeing with a substantive that functions as subject of the verbal idea | in attributive position to and agrees in gender, case, number with subject |
| indirect statement with infinitive | accusative subject plus infinitive, or nominative subject if the same as subject of superior clause | verb of superior clause expresses speaking, thinking, believing |
| indirect statement with participle | accusative subject plus participle | verb of superior clause expresses perceiving or knowing |
Every sentence has at leastone verbal unit of type independent clause.
Level of subordination
We annotate each verbal unit with an integer indication the level of subordination of the verbal unit.
Within the context of a sentence, only one verbal unit is independent. Its level of subordination is 1. All other verbal units depend syntactically on another verbal unit, and have a level of subordination 1 greater than the unit they depend on.
Content
The content of a verbal unit is represented by a set of tokens.