Communicative Verbs say, speak, talk & tell

This volume provides a comprehensive examination of the valency properties of four English communication verbs. The author systematically analyzes their complementation patterns, establishing a connection between syntactic structures and underlying semantics. Despite the polysemy of communicative verbs, the author argues that valency attributes depend on specific meanings in context, influencing syntactic compatibility. Each communication verb exhibits distinct preferences; 'tell' and 'speak' lean towards succinct narratives, while 'say' and 'talk' favor spoken discourse. The author also examines their deployment in adverbial clauses, detailing associated clause types and subordinators.