Verb Predicate Classification in Descriptive Texts of the Publicistic Style

The article aims to make a semantic classification of verb predicates in descriptive texts of the publicistic style. The interest in the publicistic style is due to the fact that most research in the field of speech types is focused on the study of literary and scientific descriptions. The empirical base of the work consists of 684 descriptive texts of the publicistic style (from the Russian National Corpus, books of memoirs, essays, tourist brochures), in which 1,128 verb predicates are used. According to the linguo-cognitive method, the text model of the description includes the observer, who perceives some space, background (semantics of existence verbalized by verb predicates) and cognitively highlighted figures (actants). The article uses an integrated approach that combines semantic-contextual and descriptive techniques, and methods of component and quantitative analysis in the study of the semantics of verb predicates of description. The article proposes to identify three main groups of predicates functioning in descriptions of the publicistic style, which include: 1) predicates traditionally associated with the category of space - predicates of visual perception (the house is located close, is distanced from the fence, the windows shine in the sun, etc.); 2) units of intermodal semantics (flowers are fragrant. sounds are heard, skin is stinging, etc.); 3) action predicates (boy is reading a book. is running down the street, etc.). In the first group, two subgroups of predicates are subject to characterization. The first is predicates that call the spatial parameters of one object in relation to another. This subgroup of predicates includes units with specific meanings of location in space, position, scope of the object, filling of space, boundaries of space, direction, spatial relations of objects. The second subgroup is verb predicates that present their own spatial characteristics of the object, among which there are units with the semantics of the object’s shape, characteristics of a flat surface, the position of objects in space, and selectivity in space based on light/color characteristics. Quantitative analysis allows stating the high frequency of positional predicates (18.9%), directional predicates (18.5%), and predicates of spatial position (16.5%). Intermodal verb predicates express spatial relations in the opposition “far-close”. Within this group, predicates of sound, designation of the olfactory state of the environment, touch, taste, and undifferentiated modality are distinguished. Most often, descriptions in the publicistic style include predicates of sound and smell, which is explained by the special significance of auditory and olfactory sensations for a person. Action predicates are used to denote the existence of an acting object in space. Thus, verb predicates of visual perception, intermodal and action semantics serve to indicate the existence of objects in space in descriptions in the publicistic style.

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