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Auxiliary + Predicative Phrase
In GPSG ([#!gazdar85!#], [#!sag85!#]) the copula is treated as an auxiliary
verb that takes an X2 category with a + value for the head feature
[PRD] (predicative). AP, NP, PP and VP can all be [+PRD], but a
Feature Co-occurrence Restriction guarantees that a [+PRD] VP will be
headed by a verb that is either passive or a present participle.
GPSG follows [#!chomsky70!#] in adopting the binary valued features [V] and
[N] for decomposing the verb, noun, adjective and preposition categories. In
that analysis, verbs are [+V,-N], nouns are [-V,+N], adjectives [+V,+N] and
prepositions [-V,-N]. NP and AP predicative complements generally pattern
together; a fact that can be stated economically using this category
decomposition. In neither [#!sag85!#] nor [#!chomsky70!#] is there any
discussion of how to handle the complete range of complements to a verb like
seem, which takes AP, NP and PP complements, as well as infinitives. The
solution would appear to be to associate the verb with two sets of rules for
small clauses, leaving aside the use of the verb with an expletive subject and
sentential complement.
Next: Auxiliary + Small Clause
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XTAG Project
http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~xtag