Alternative Constructions With Full Verbs
Many light verb constructions are closely similar in meaning to a corresponding full verb, e.g.
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- a. Sam did a revision of his paper.
- b. Sam revised his paper.
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- a. Larry wants to have a smoke.
- b. Larry wants to smoke.
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- a. Jim made an important claim that....
- b. Jim claimed that...
- a. Mary is taking a nap.
- b. Mary is napping.
Alternative formulations such as these lead to the insight that light verb constructions are predicates just like the corresponding full verb alternatives. There can be, however, nuanced differences in meaning across these alternative formulations. The light verb constructions produce possibilities for modification that are less available with the corresponding full verb alternatives.
Read more about this topic: Light Verb
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