MATTER

The main member of this type is matter, which is often used in the negative, doesn’t matter. It carries the meaning that the event or state referred to by a complement clause (in subject relation to matter) is important to the Arbiter, e.g. That John won doesn’t matter (one little bit) (to Fred). Note that, unlike SEEM verbs, matter does not take a following adjective, but may be followed by something like at all, one little bit or one iota.

Matter takes THAT and WH- complement clauses, which are frequently extraposed, e.g. It doesn’t matter (to John) that Mary won the prize, Whether or not we are to be allowed to compete matters a hell of a lot to me; ING complement clauses are also admissible, e.g. John’s voting Conservative doesn’t matter. Matter may also take an indefinite NP as subject and then the Arbiter may be introduced by to or by for, e.g. Nothing/lots of things matter(s) to/for John.

One sense of count may also belong to this type (and may have to or for before the Arbiter). It appears to be restricted to a THAT complement in subject slot, e.g. That John was a churchgoer counted for a lot, That John was a churchgoer didn’t count for anything ( for Mary) (he had still killed a man).

It is worth noting that very few languages have ideas such as ‘happen’ and ‘matter’ expressed through verbs. This kind of qualification is more often achieved by adverbs, verbal clitics or some other grammatical means.