Abstract

Applying the method of morpheme analysis and valency - argument analysis, the article aims to classify causative verbs based on the semantics of the verb and the syntactic structure of that verb’s construction. Semantically, causative verbs are divided into two groups: causative verbs and directive verbs, based on the inevitability of the result and the “delay” between the causative event and the resulting event. With causative verbs, the resulting event happens inevitably and immediately when the causative event occurs, whereas with directive verbs, the resulting event only occurs according to the subject's cognitive decision, and there is a certain “delay” depending on the subject's cognitive decision for the event to occur.

Causative verbs are further divided into two subgroups: caused-motion verbs, which have two syntactic structures indicating the resulting event: [N1 - V1 {N2 - V2}] and [N1 - V1 {V2 - N2}]; and verbs causing psychological change, with the syntactic structure [N1 - V1 {N2 - V2}]. Directive verbs have only one linear syntactic structure [N1 - V1 {N2 - V2}] but are also divided into two subgroups: direct directive verbs and indirect directive verbs. The subgroups of both causative verbs and directive verbs also contain two types of verbs with integrated manner [+manner] indicating actions done and non-integrated manner [-manner] where cognitive transfer is focused on the resulting event.