In Russian, a predicative, in addition to the valency of the Experiencer (Mne xolodno / strašno / stydno ‘I’m cold’ / ‘I’m afraid’ / ‘I’m ashamed’), can have a propositional valency P (Stimulus-Content). Propositional valency is expressed by a dependent clause (Prijatno, čto oni do six por menja pomnjat ‘It’s nice that they still remember me’) or a dependent infinitive (Prijatno zasypat’ pod šum doždja ‘It’s nice to fall asleep to the sound of rain’). The possibility of combining a predicative with an infinitive depends on the semantics of the predicative.
Modal predicatives can subordinate the infinitive: Neobxodimo zakončit’ rabotu v pjatnicu ‘It is necessary to finish work on Friday’. Perceptual predicatives do not subordinate the infinitive: *Mne vidno čitat’ ‘I can see to read’.
Predicatives with physiological state semantics subordinate the infinitive, which represents the situation V (channel of Stimulus’ influence), cf. Bylo sladko est’ jagody ‘It was sweet to eat berries’, or the situation R (the stimulus affects the implementation of R), cf. Temno čitat’ ‘It is dark to read’.
Predicatives with the semantics of emotional state can subordinate the infinitive. This construction has three types: (1) the infinitive P corresponds to the valency P of the predicative (Stimulus-Content): Grustno pokidat’ rodnoj dom ‘It’s sad to leave home’; (2) the infinitive V is the link between the predicative and its valency P (channel of Stimulus’ influence; V≠ P): Grustno dumat’, čto my bol’še nikogda ne uvidimsja ≈ Grustno, čto my bol’še nikogda ne uvidimsja ‘It’s sad to think that we will never see each other again’ ≈ ‘It’s sad that we will never see each other again’; (3) the infinitive T (transfer) is an intermediate situation between Experiencer and Stimulus: Strašno otkryvat’ dver’ ‘I’m afraid to open the door’.
Predicatives with the semantics of interpretation subordinate the infinitive P (semantic restriction: P is an action (a controlled situation) for which a person is responsible): Neprilično podslušivat’ čužie razgovory ‘It’s indecent to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations’ (interpretative semantics is often represented by an adjective, cf. neėtičnyj ‘unethical’, nepriličnyj ‘indecent’, neumestnyj ‘inappropriate’, and by single-root adverbs; instead of a non-existent single-root verb, the predicative is used). In the second half of the 20th century and at the beginning of the 21st century, the number of interpretative predicatives in this construction increases.
