RANGE
Range is a non-prototypical participant: the nominal concept that is implied by the process as its scope or range: song in sing a song, games in play games, race in run a race. Some, such as live a happy life, die a martyr’s death, are derived from a related verb; others such as games in play games are not.
Perhaps the most common type of Range element today are the deverbal nominals which complement lexically ‘light’ verbs such as have and give:
Have an argument, a chat, a drink, a fight, a rest, a quarrel, a smoke, a taste, an experience
Give a push, a kick, a nudge, a shove, a smile, a laugh, a kiss; a presentation, a lecture
Take a sip, a bath, a nap, a photograph, a selfie, a shower, a walk.
Do a dance, a handstand, a sketch, a translation, some work, some cleaning, some painting
Ask a question, favor
Make a choice, a comment, a contribution, a mistake, a payment, a reduction, a suggestion. American English: a left/right turn.
Using this type of range participant (a kick, a push, etc.) with a ‘light’ verb entails the meaning of the nominal as verb. In other words, if you take a sip of the juice, you sip the juice. If we have a chat, we chat. In some cases, such as make an effort, there is no corresponding verb. One reason for the popularity of this construction today is the potential that the noun has for being modified in various ways. It would be difficult to express by a verb, even with the help of adverbs, the meanings of specificness, quantification and quality present in she took a long, relaxing hot bath, they played two strenuous games of tennis, I had such a strange experience yesterday.
As a result of modification, the nominal is longer and heavier than the verb which precedes it. This allows us to have the important information at the end, where it receives end. Furthermore, the Range nominal can initiate a wh-cleft structure more easily than a verb can as in A good rest is what you need.
