Part of speech "Verbs"

Unit8 Verb

 

 

I-   Definition

    Verb is a word that expresses action or state of being and is necessary to make a sentence.

     A verb in syntax is a part of speech which conveys

1. action (bring, read, walk, run, learn)
2. or state of being (exist, stand)

Sentences in English have a main verb which is stated in a tense (simple present, simple past, simple future...)

·       Inflections

          Verbs are inflected, modified in form, when conjugated. For example, verbs take s, ed or ing in some of its forms depending on the tense and the subject-verb agreement.

·       Agreement

          In English a verb may agree with the person and number of its subject. For example, verbs take s in the third person singular of the simple present:

Bare Infinitive	Third Person Singular
play	he she it plays
work	he, she, it works

     When the verb to have conjugates in the third person singular of the simple present, the right inflection is has NOT haves

II-    Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

§  Transitive verbs

Transitive verbs are verbs that require one or more objects.

Examples:

• She cut the cake.
• They climbed the mountain.
• He gave her a flower.

The verbs cut, climbed, and gave have objects.

Transitive verbs	Objects
cut	the cake
climbed	the mountain
gave	her and a flower

Transitive verbs can be categorized into two types: monotransitive and ditransitive:

1. Monotransitive verbs are verbs that require exactly one object.
   Example:
   He wrote a poem
2. Ditransitive verbs are verbs that may require two objects, a direct object and an indirect object.
   Example:
   She offered him (first object) her car (second object).

§  Intransitive verbs

     By contrast, intransitive verbs do not require an object.

Examples:

• They run.
• He died.
• She slept.
• It snows.

The verbs run, died, slept and snows have no objects. They are intransitive.

III- Finite Verbs and Non-Finite Verbs

§  Finite Verbs

     A finite verb is a form of a verb that has a subject and exhibit tense and number in an independent clause or sentence. Finite verbs are distinguished from non-finite verbs which do not show a distinction in tense and number, and cannot stand alone as the main verb in an independent clause.

Examples:

-   They watched the match. - They is a subject; watched is a finite verb; the match is an object.

-   They are watching the match. - They is a subject; are is a finite verb; watching is a non-finite verb (which does not exhibit tense and number); the match is an object.

§  Non-Finite Verbs

     A non- finite verb is a form of a verb that does not have a subject and and does not exhibit tense and number in an independent clause or sentence. In English, the non-finite verb forms are infinitives and gerunds and participles. Non-finite verbs are distinguished from finite verbs which show a distinction in tense and number, and may stand alone as the main verb in an independent clause.

Examples:

-     They are writing the letter. - They is a subject; are is a finite; writing is a non-finite verb (which does not exhibit tense nor number); the match is an object.

-   They wrote the letter . - They is a subject; wrote is a finite verb; the letter is an object.

 

IV- Auxiliary verbs

     Basically, auxiliary verbs are function words, a type of closed class which is constituted of words that have a grammatical function as opposed to content words, which are an open class of lexical words. An auxiliary verb is used to add functional or grammatical content to the information expressed by another verb, considered to be the main verb. Auxiliary verbs are also called helping verbs

Examples:

• I am writing a book.
• He has done the work.
• We will be there in a minute.
• Would you help me with this homework?
• Can you open the door?
• Did you visit New York last holiday?
• Do you like chocolate?
• They must get there on time.

 

·       List of auxiliary verbs

       This is a list of English auxiliary verbs:

be (am, are, is, was, were, being), can, could, do (did, does, doing), have (had, has, having), may, might, must, shall, should, will, would.

 

·       Auxiliary verb or full verb?

       To distinguish a full verb from an auxiliary verb, you can carry out the following test:

If the verb

1. allows subject-auxiliary inversion
2. and can take can take not in the negative form,

then it is an auxiliary verb.

Examples:

• You are going to travel to London. --
  Are you going to travel to London?
  You are not going to travel to London.
  = are is an an auxiliary verb
• You see what I mean. --
  *See you what I mean.
  *You see not what I mean.
  = see is not an auxiliary verb; it is a full verb.
  (The asterisk * indicates that the sentence is not grammatical.)

 

V-     Linking verbs

Linking verbs (also referred to as copulas or copular verbs) don't show action like ordinary verbs. They rather link or connect the subject to a subject complement, the part of the sentence that follows the verb. This complement which contains additional information describes and identifies the subject.

Examples:

• Larry looks happy. (looks is a linking verb; happy is a complement that describes and identifies Larry, the subject)
• The play was good. (was is a linking verb; good is a complement that describes and identifies the play, the subject

 

·       List of linking verbs

       This is a list of common linking verbs:

Appear, be, become, feel, get, grow, look, prove, remain, seem, smell, stay, sound, taste, turn.

·       Linking verb?

       Some of the verbs listed above can function as linking verbs and as ordinary verbs. One trick that you can use to identify whether a verb is a linking verb or an ordinary verb is to see the relation between the subject and complement. If the relation is indicative of an equal sign (=), then it is a linking verb. Consider the following examples:

• He looks angry. (He = angry | linking verb)
• He looked at the man. (He = at the man | action verb)

Examples:

look:

• Nadia looked happy. (linking verb)
• Nadia looked at the window. (ordinary verb)

taste

• The food tastes delicious. (linking verb)
• They tasted the food. (ordinary verb)

appear

• She appeared quiet. (linking verb)
• She appeared in the room. (ordinary verb)

VI- Phrasal verbs

     Phrasal verbs are mainly used in spoken English and informal texts. (The more formal a conversation or text, the less phrasal verbs are found.)

     Phrasal verbs consist of a verb and a particle (preposition, adverb). The particle can change the meaning of the verb completely.

     Example:

• look up – consult a reference book (look a word up in a dictionary)
• look for – seek (look for her ring)
• look forward – anticipate with pleasure (look forward to meeting someone)

There are no rules that might explain the meaning of phrasal verbs. All you can do is look them up in a good dictionary and study their meanings.

 

Ø Position of the Particle:

       In some cases the particle is placed either after the verb or after the object.

Example:

• Write down the word
• Write the word down

       If the object is a pronoun, however, the particle has to be placed after the pronoun (object).

       Example:

• Write it down.
• Your photo album. Put it down
• Your jacket. Take it off