verb valency

Verb valency refers to the number of arguments a verb can have in a sentence, indicating how many participants are involved in the action. For example, in the sentence "She kicks the ball," the verb "kicks" has a valency of two: the subject "She" and the object "the ball." Some verbs can take more participants; for instance, "give" requires three: a giver, a receiver, and an object (e.g., "He gives her a gift"). Understanding verb valency helps clarify how actions relate to the people or things involved.