Il sintagma verbale: verbi introduttivi

I verbi introduttivi (reporting verbs in inglese) sono verbi usati per comunicare pensieri altrui, ovvero citazioni, idee o posizioni di altri autori. Sul piano grammaticale, tali verbi si dividono in cinque classi, ognuna con una costruzione sua propria: 1) VERBO + INFINITO Agree, decide, refuse, promise, offer, threaten

Besedovsky and co-authors decided to investigate the effects of a diverse group of signaling molecules known as Gαs-coupled receptor agonists. Sixty-three patients agreed to participate in the survey.

2) VERBO + COMPLEMENTO OGGETTO + INFINITO Advise, remind, warn, forbid, instruct, request, challenge, exhort

We instructed participants to relax and look at a blank screen for 40 seconds. We remind clinicians to include foreign body granulomas in the differential diagnosis of apparent cellulitis. The IOM report also challenged physicians to provide individuals and families with appropriate and accurate information.

3) VERBO + GERUNDIO Suggest, recommend, consider, justify, propose, insist on

The authors suggest adopting several clinical measures to prevent or treat myelosuppression. A sizable number of patients insist on taking antibiotics for sinusitis Half of the consultants surveyed would consider prescribing antipsychotics for the treatment of aggressive behaviour.

4) VERBO + THAT + PROPOSIZIONE OGGETTIVA Admit, claim, suppose, argue, predict, reckon, agree, believe, consider, estimate, remark, state, report, demonstrate, determine, discuss, explain, indicate

Some authors argue that doxapram could be useful to some patients. In vitro studies have predicted that cells will fail to proliferate in the absence of diffusible growth factors. Researchers reckon that a child with two righthanded parents has a 91% probability of being righthanded.

5) VERBO + SINTAGMA NOMINALE Address, mention, question, show, emphasise, imply, discuss, note

Cooper et al discuss the role of αvβ3 in prostate cancer progression. Recent evidence questions the validity of the reported association between CYP2D6 genotype and treatment response in breast cancer. Our study addresses the potential shortcomings of physician recall bias.

Di queste cinque classi di verbi, soltanto la terza (VERBO + GERUNDIO) potrebbe porre qualche problema ai parlanti italofoni. Non è raro, ad esempio, che la preposizione to che introduce il complemento di termine venga omessa per analogia con l’italiano:

*This change in levels suggests researchers that the proteins may actually serve to inhibit such extra growth

laddove la frase corretta sarebbe

This change in levels suggests to researchers that the proteins may actually serve to inhibit such extra growth.

Altro errore comune è l’uso dell’infinito in luogo del gerundio:

*Some authors suggest to cut the styloid group of muscles and to retract the mandible anteriorly

invece di

Some authors suggest cutting the styloid group of muscles and retracting the mandible anteriorly.

Per finire, si noti che, quando i verbi della terza classe nella proposizione principale sono coniugati al passato, il verbo della proposizione oggettiva può essere preceduto da should

Some patients suggested that clinicians should be more open to homeopathy

oppure coniugato al congiuntivo:

Some patients suggested that clinicians be more open to homeopathy.

La prima versione, quella con should, è più comune nell’inglese britannico e piuttosto rara nella variante statunitense; la costruzione con il congiuntivo è invece quella più usata negli Stati Uniti. Riferimenti Crystal, David The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, CUP, Cambridge, 2003