Abstract:
This study investigates the
semantic implications of catenative verbs in three selected political
interviews granted by Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai between 2017 and 2019.
Although catenative constructions have received considerable attention in
English grammar, their semantic functions in authentic Nigerian political
discourse remain underexplored. Data were purposively selected from interviews
published in Daily Trust, Vanguard, and Premium Times. The study adopted a
qualitative descriptive research design, while Downing and Locke's (2006)
semantic framework guided the analysis. The identified constructions were
classified as simple and complex catenative constructions and examined
according to four non-finite complement forms: the to-infinitive, present participial,
bare infinitive, and past participial. The analysis shows that the
to-infinitive complement is particularly important in expressing intention,
commitment, expectation, obligation, and projected action. Present participial
complements mainly represent ongoing and continuous activities, while bare
infinitive complements, particularly in let constructions, express causation,
permission, facilitation, and discourse-organising functions. Past participial
complements foreground affected participants, completed actions, and
institutional outcomes. The findings demonstrate that catenative verbs function
beyond grammatical complementation as important semantic and communicative
resources through which political actors project authority, justify policies,
persuade audiences, express commitment, and organise political discourse. The
study concludes that catenative constructions contribute significantly to
meaning-making in Nigerian political communication.
DOI: https://www.doi.10.57233/djfafais.2026.v22i01.002
author/Musa Mohammed IZGE
journal/Degel 22(1) | October 2026 |
