Ergative verbs

An ergative verb has the following

features:
• it has two patterns
• only one of these patterns has a noun phrase following
the verb
• the person or thing indicated by that noun phrase may
also be indicated by the Subject of the other pattern
For example,
• the verb break has two patterns, V and V n.
• Only one of these patterns, V n, has a noun phrase
following the verb. An example of the pattern V
n is John broke the vase. The noun phrase following the
verb, the vase, may also be the Subject of the verb: The
vase broke.
• Ergative verbs can be transitive (= used with
an object) or intransitive (= used without
an object), with the object of
the transitive verb used as the subject of the
intransitive verb.
• Another example: close
• I closed the door| The door closed
 Again:
Some ergative verbs have symmetrical
combinations of patterns. For example, the
verb break has a combination of two
patterns, V and V n. This combination is
symmetrical because the only difference
between the two patterns is that one has a
noun phrase following the verb and the other
does not. You say
The stick broke.
She broke the stick.
Some ergative verbs have combinations of
patterns that are asymmetrical, that is, the
patterns are different in more ways than the
presence or absence of a noun phrase. For
example, the verb puff has the pattern V n but
not the pattern V. Instead, it has the pattern V
prep/adv. Therefore, you say:
The chimney puffed smoke
Smoke puffed out of the chimney
but you do not say Smoke puffed.
 What the patterns indicate
When you use an ergative verb, you have a choice
between two (or more) patterns. These patterns
allow you to talk about the world in very different
ways. For example, you can choose to indicate
that something just happens, perhaps as a
natural occurrence, without indicating that
someone or something is responsible for it.
Or you can indicate that someone or something is
the cause of what happens and so is responsible
for it.
Compare the following examples:
 Analyze:
• The vase broke. John broke the vase.
• The volume often varies. The technician can
vary the volume.
• Many factories closed. The government's
policies closed many factories.
In the first example in each pair there is only one noun
phrase. This noun phrase indicates something that
does something or has something happen to it: the
vase breaks, the volume varies, and the factories close.

We can call the vase, the volume, and the factories the
`doer'. In these examples with only a `doer', you are
not told what the cause of the action is. In fact, you
may understand that the action has no cause. You may
think, for example, that the vase broke by itself. Or you
may understand that there is a cause but that the
speaker or writer has chosen not to mention it. You
may think, for example, that someone caused the vase
to break but that the speaker or writer is deliberately
hiding that information.
In the second example in each pair there are two noun
groups. One of them is the `doer' and the other
indicates the person or thing that causes the action:
John causes the vase to break, the technician causes
the volume to vary, and the government's policies
cause the factories to close. We can call John, the
technician, and the government's policies the `causer'.

In these examples with both a `doer' and a `causer',

you can understand the clause in only one way: that
someone or something caused something to happen.
How the `doer' and the `causer' relate to the action
depends on who or what they are. Here are some more
examples:
 (i) `Doer' and `causer' are both
animate
Where the `doer' and the `causer' are both animate and the action is
something that is under the control of the `doer', the exact roles of the
`doer' and the `causer' vary according to the verb.
The `causer' may be someone in authority who encourages or orders the
`doer' to do the action.
• The horse galloped down the hill. The rider galloped his horse down the
hill.
• The squad marched down the hill. The sergeant marched the squad down
the hill.
The `causer' may provide conditions that allow the `doer' to do the
action.
• The cows grazed in the water meadows. The farmer grazed the cows in
the water meadows.
The `doer' and the `causer' may both be involved in the action, with
different responsibilities.
• She auditioned on Tuesday. I auditioned her on Tuesday.
• He enrolled on a two-year course. The tutor enrolled him on a two-year
course.
 (ii) `Doer' is inanimate, `causer' is
animate
Where the `doer' is inanimate, or is animate but the action is not under
their control, and the `causer' is animate, the exact roles of the `doer' and
`causer' vary according to the verb.
The `causer' may hold ultimate responsibility for the action, even though he
or she does not intend to cause the action.
• The vase broke when it fell on the floor. He broke the vase when he
dropped it on the floor.
• The car crashed. He crashed his car.
The `causer' may provide the conditions in which a natural process takes
place.
• Raspberries freeze well. She froze some raspberries.
The `causer' may not cause the action at all, but may be affected by the
action, for example by suffering an injury.
• His leg fractured. He fractured his leg.
The `doer' may not do anything, but may be affected by the action.
• The bucket filled in two minutes. He filled the bucket in two minutes.
 (iii) `Doer' may be animate or
inanimate depending on the verb,
`causer' is inanimate
When the `causer' is inanimate, it may be the
immediate cause of the action.
• The vase broke. The impact broke the vase.
Alternatively, the `causer' may be an indirect
cause of the action.
• Her spirits lifted as if by magic. The
party lifted her spirits as if by magic.
 Patterns with reflexive pronouns
With many ergative verbs, the noun phrase following
the verb is sometimes a reflexive pronoun. When this
is the case, the `doer' and the `causer' are the same
person or thing. Sometimes this means that there is
little difference in meaning between this pattern and
the pattern which mentions only the `doer'. For
example, the first two examples below mean almost
the same thing, although they have different patterns,
but the third example has a different meaning.
• The symptoms of the illness manifested ten days later.
• The symptoms of the
illness manifested themselves ten days later.
• She manifested all the symptoms of the illness.
• Sometimes, however, the pattern with a reflexive
pronoun emphasizes that the Subject of that
pattern is the cause of an event and also the
person or thing that is affected by it. This is true
particularly when the verb involved indicates that
a person suffers harm. For example, the first
example below suggests that the drowning was
an accident, the second example suggests that it
was suicide, and the third example suggests that
it was murder.
• He drowned in the river.
• He drowned himself in the river.
• She drowned him in the river.
 The following ergative verbs often have a reflexive
pronoun following the verb.
• acclimatize
• assimilate
• attach
• beach
• disengage
• drown
• hang
• manifest
• overstretch
• plunge
• resolve
 Ergative verbs and the passive
In patterns where there is a noun group (the
Object) following the verb, the `causer' is
indicated by the Subject and the `doer' is
indicated by the Object. If that structure is made
passive, however, the `doer' becomes the Subject
and the `causer' may not be mentioned. Compare
the following examples:
The vase broke.
John broke the vase.
The vase was broken.
The third example is the passive of the second
example. We said before that in the first
example, you may understand that the vase
broke by itself or that someone caused the
vase to break, whilst in the second example,
you must understand that John caused the
vase to break. In the third example, you
understand that the vase did not break by
itself, but do not know who caused the
breakage. The Subjects of the first and the
third examples are the same, but the
meanings are different.
 Actual and potential events
Most ergative verbs can be used to indicate events that have taken place
(actual events), or events that might take place (potential events). An
example of an actual event is:
• The glass broke.
Examples of potential events are:
• This kind of glass tends to break in cold weather. This kind of
glass breaks easily.
Some ergative verbs, in the pattern with the `doer' as Subject, are usually
used only to indicate potential events. The pattern with the `causer' as
Subject can be used to indicate both actual and potential events.
• This cream smells clean and fresh, and applies easily. After you have
stepped from a warm bath, apply the cream evenly over your body.
• These eye shadows won't fade or crease and contain herbal extracts to
soften the skin. Ultraviolet light will fade the colours in organic materials.
 There are six symmetrical
combinations of patterns.
• Pattern combination 1: V; V n
The vase broke. John broke the vase.
• Pattern combination 2: V prep/adv; V n prep/adv
The boat sailed up the river. We sailed the boat up the river.
• Pattern combination 3: V adj; V n adj
The door slammed shut. She slammed the door shut.
• Pattern combination 4: V as adj; V n as adj
That score counts as successful. We count that score as
successful.
• Pattern combination 5: V to-inf; V n to-inf
She trained to compete. They trained her to compete.
• Pattern combination 6: V ord prep; V n ord prep
They rank sixth in the world. Most people rank them sixth in
the world.
 There are four asymmetrical
combinations
• Pattern combination 7: V prep/adv; V n; V n prep/adv
Light reflects on the water.
The mirror reflects light.
The glass reflected light onto the wall.
• Pattern combination 8: V prep/adv; V n
Smoke puffed out of the chimney.
The chimney puffed smoke.
• Pattern combination 9: V adv; V n
This carpet cleans easily.
We cleaned the carpet.
• Pattern combination 10: V adj; V n
The chair folds flat.
He folded the chair.
 REFERENCE
THE COBUILD SERIES - THE BANK OF ENGLISH
COLLINS COBUILD
GRAMMAR PATTERNS 1: VERBS
© HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1996