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cop: copula

A copula is the relation between the complement of a copular verb and the copular verb. Copular heads are avoided when possible.

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input
    
brat
    
info
  
Bill is an honest man
cop(man, is)
nsubj(man, Bill)
amod(man, honest)
det(man, an)
{
    "text": "Bill is an honest man ",
    "entities": [
        [ "embedded-1-T1", "token", [ [ 0, 4 ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-1-T2", "token", [ [ 5, 7 ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-1-T3", "token", [ [ 8, 10 ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-1-T4", "token", [ [ 11, 17 ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-1-T5", "token", [ [ 18, 21 ] ] ]
    ],
    "relations": [
        [ "embedded-1-R1", "cop", [ [ "arg1", "embedded-1-T5" ], [ "arg2", "embedded-1-T2" ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-1-R2", "nsubj", [ [ "arg1", "embedded-1-T5" ], [ "arg2", "embedded-1-T1" ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-1-R3", "amod", [ [ "arg1", "embedded-1-T5" ], [ "arg2", "embedded-1-T4" ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-1-R4", "det", [ [ "arg1", "embedded-1-T5" ], [ "arg2", "embedded-1-T3" ] ] ]
    ],
    "attributes": [],
    "error": false,
    "sentlabels": [ "1" ]
}

Prepositional phrases are annotated similarly, the only difference being that the nominal predicate has an additional case marker.

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input
    
brat
    
info
  
Bill is from California
case(California, from)
cop(California, is)
nsubj(California, Bill)
{
    "text": "Bill is from California ",
    "entities": [
        [ "embedded-2-T1", "token", [ [ 0, 4 ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-2-T2", "token", [ [ 5, 7 ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-2-T3", "token", [ [ 8, 12 ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-2-T4", "token", [ [ 13, 23 ] ] ]
    ],
    "relations": [
        [ "embedded-2-R1", "case", [ [ "arg1", "embedded-2-T4" ], [ "arg2", "embedded-2-T3" ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-2-R2", "cop", [ [ "arg1", "embedded-2-T4" ], [ "arg2", "embedded-2-T2" ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-2-R3", "nsubj", [ [ "arg1", "embedded-2-T4" ], [ "arg2", "embedded-2-T1" ] ] ]
    ],
    "attributes": [],
    "error": false,
    "sentlabels": [ "2" ]
}

When an adjective or adverb is being predicated of a nominal phrase, the adjective/adverb is the root, the nominal phrase is the nsubj, and the copula is the cop.

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input
    
brat
    
info
  
Bill is honest
nsubj(honest, Bill)
cop(honest, is)
{
    "text": "Bill is honest ",
    "entities": [
        [ "embedded-3-T1", "token", [ [ 0, 4 ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-3-T2", "token", [ [ 5, 7 ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-3-T3", "token", [ [ 8, 14 ] ] ]
    ],
    "relations": [
        [ "embedded-3-R1", "nsubj", [ [ "arg1", "embedded-3-T3" ], [ "arg2", "embedded-3-T1" ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-3-R2", "cop", [ [ "arg1", "embedded-3-T3" ], [ "arg2", "embedded-3-T2" ] ] ]
    ],
    "attributes": [],
    "error": false,
    "sentlabels": [ "3" ]
}

edit

  

    
input
    
brat
    
info
  
It was yesterday
nsubj(yesterday, It)
cop(yesterday, was)
{
    "text": "It was yesterday ",
    "entities": [
        [ "embedded-4-T1", "token", [ [ 0, 2 ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-4-T2", "token", [ [ 3, 6 ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-4-T3", "token", [ [ 7, 16 ] ] ]
    ],
    "relations": [
        [ "embedded-4-R1", "nsubj", [ [ "arg1", "embedded-4-T3" ], [ "arg2", "embedded-4-T1" ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-4-R2", "cop", [ [ "arg1", "embedded-4-T3" ], [ "arg2", "embedded-4-T2" ] ] ]
    ],
    "attributes": [],
    "error": false,
    "sentlabels": [ "4" ]
}

Prepositions may also project a cop dependent.

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input
    
brat
    
info
  
The light is on
cop(on, is)
nsubj(on, light)
det(light, The)
{
    "text": "The light is on ",
    "entities": [
        [ "embedded-5-T1", "token", [ [ 0, 3 ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-5-T2", "token", [ [ 4, 9 ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-5-T3", "token", [ [ 10, 12 ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-5-T4", "token", [ [ 13, 15 ] ] ]
    ],
    "relations": [
        [ "embedded-5-R1", "cop", [ [ "arg1", "embedded-5-T4" ], [ "arg2", "embedded-5-T3" ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-5-R2", "nsubj", [ [ "arg1", "embedded-5-T4" ], [ "arg2", "embedded-5-T2" ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-5-R3", "det", [ [ "arg1", "embedded-5-T2" ], [ "arg2", "embedded-5-T1" ] ] ]
    ],
    "attributes": [],
    "error": false,
    "sentlabels": [ "5" ]
}

In predicative wh-constructions, the fronted wh-word is the head, and the copula is another cop.

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input
    
brat
    
info
  
What is that ?
cop(What, is)
nsubj(What, that)
{
    "text": "What is that ? ",
    "entities": [
        [ "embedded-6-T1", "token", [ [ 0, 4 ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-6-T2", "token", [ [ 5, 7 ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-6-T3", "token", [ [ 8, 12 ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-6-T4", "token", [ [ 13, 14 ] ] ]
    ],
    "relations": [
        [ "embedded-6-R1", "cop", [ [ "arg1", "embedded-6-T1" ], [ "arg2", "embedded-6-T2" ] ] ],
        [ "embedded-6-R2", "nsubj", [ [ "arg1", "embedded-6-T1" ], [ "arg2", "embedded-6-T3" ] ] ]
    ],
    "attributes": [],
    "error": false,
    "sentlabels": [ "6" ]
}

However, whenever the copula has a clausal argument/adjunct, the copula becomes the root, so the cop relation is not used.

It was because Bill is honest
nsubj(was, It)
mark(honest, because)
ccomp(was, honest)
nsubj(honest, Bill)
cop(honest, is)

My question is : was that really true ?
nsubj(is, question)
ccomp(is, true)
cop(true, was)
nsubj(true, that)
advmod(true, really)

This is to inform you of our decision
nsubj(is, This)
advcl(is, inform)
aux(inform, to)
dobj(inform, you)
nmod(inform, decision)
case(decision, of)
poss(decision, our)

Predicative “be” is the only verb recognized as a copula; other copula-like verbs,such as “become”, “get”, and “seem”, are treated as regular raising verbs, and thus take xcomp arguments. Non-predicative uses of “be”–e.g., “be” when used in periphrastic verbal constructions, presentationals, or existentials–is annotated as an aux instead. of a cop.

Bill got rich
nsubj(got, Bill)
xcomp(got, rich)

Bill is speaking
nsubj(speaking, Bill)
aux(speaking, is)

Here are some bags
advmod(are, Here)
nsubj(are, bags)
det(bags, some)

There 's a cow in the field
expl('s, There)
nsubj('s, cow)
det(cow, a)
nmod('s, field)
det(field, the)
case(field, in)

---

Treebank Statistics (UD_English)

This relation is universal.

5608 nodes (2%) are attached to their parents as cop.

5365 instances of cop (96%) are right-to-left (child precedes parent). Average distance between parent and child is 2.16422967189729.

The following 13 pairs of parts of speech are connected with cop: ADJ-VERB (2804; 50% instances), NOUN-VERB (1997; 36% instances), ADV-VERB (286; 5% instances), PROPN-VERB (187; 3% instances), PRON-VERB (133; 2% instances), NUM-VERB (92; 2% instances), VERB-VERB (35; 1% instances), SYM-VERB (23; 0% instances), DET-VERB (22; 0% instances), ADP-VERB (17; 0% instances), VERB-AUX (5; 0% instances), X-VERB (5; 0% instances), INTJ-VERB (2; 0% instances).

# visual-style 2	bgColor:blue
# visual-style 2	fgColor:white
# visual-style 3	bgColor:blue
# visual-style 3	fgColor:white
# visual-style 3 2 cop	color:blue
1	That	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	3	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
5	folks	folks	NOUN	UH	_	3	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_

# visual-style 2	bgColor:blue
# visual-style 2	fgColor:white
# visual-style 5	bgColor:blue
# visual-style 5	fgColor:white
# visual-style 5 2 cop	color:blue
1	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	on	on	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	to	to	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	wedding	wedding	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
9	fearing	fear	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	1	acl	_	_
10	death	death	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	dobj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
12	basically	basically	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_

# visual-style 2	bgColor:blue
# visual-style 2	fgColor:white
# visual-style 1	bgColor:blue
# visual-style 1	fgColor:white
# visual-style 1 2 cop	color:blue
1	Here	here	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	excerpt	excerpt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	_
5	from	from	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	article	article	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	1	punct	_	_

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