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Verb phrases

Verb phrases. Main reference: Randolph Quirk and Sidney Greenbaum, A University Grammar of English , Longman: London, 1973. (3.23 – 3.55). How many elements?. A noun phrase has the potential to be extremely long A verb phrase will never have more than 6 elements

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Verb phrases

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  1. Verb phrases Main reference: Randolph Quirk and Sidney Greenbaum, A University Grammar of English, Longman: London, 1973. (3.23 – 3.55)

  2. How many elements? • A noun phrase has the potential to be extremely long • A verb phrase will never have more than 6 elements • Those naughty children might have been being told off This kind of verb phrase is RARE A verb phrase may be simple and consist of just a lexical verb

  3. Tense, aspect and mood • Time is a universal, non-linguistic concept with three divisions: past, present and future. By tense we understand the correspondence between the form of the verb and our concept of time. Aspect concerns the manner in which the verbal action is experienced or regarded (for example as completed or in progress), while mood relates the verbal action to such conditions as certainty, obligation, necessity, possibility. (Quirk: 40)

  4. Tense • It is a grammatical ending on a verb stem NOT a semantic reference to a particular time • There is no future tense in English • The expression of future is closely bound up with mood. • The expression of time present and past cannot be considered separately from aspect.

  5. I … with a special pen • Present • TIMELESS simple present • I (always) write with a special pen • LIMITED present progressive • I am writing (on this occasion) with a special pen (since I have mislaid my ordinary one) • INSTANTANEOUS simple or progressive • Watch carefully now: first I write with my ordinary pen; now I write with a special pen • As you see, I am dropping the stone into the water

  6. An action in the past may be seen • As having taken place at a particular point in time; or • over a period; if the latter, the period may be seen as • extending up to the present, or • relating only to the past; if the latter, it may be viewed as • having been completed, or as • not having been completed FUTURE PRESENT PAST 1 2a 2bi 2bii

  7. Examples 1 I wrote my letter of 16 June 1972 with a special pen 2a I have written with a special pen since 1972 2bi I wrote with a special pen from 1969 to 1972 2bii I was writing poetry with a special pen FUTURE PAST PRESENT 1 2a 2bi 2bii

  8. PRESENT perfect • In relation to 2a it is not the time specified in the sentence, but the period relevant to the time specified that must extend to the present. • John lived in Paris for ten years • John has lived in Paris for ten years • Through its ability to involve a span of time from earliest memory to the present, present perfect has an indefiniteness which makes it an appropriate verbal expression for introducing a topic of discourse.

  9. But where is John now? • John lived in Paris for ten years entails that the period of residence has come to an end and admits the possibility that John is dead • John has lived in Paris for ten years entails that John is still alive but permits the residence in Paris to extend either to the present (the usual interpretation) or to some unspecified date in the past.

  10. Past Perfect • What has been said in the previous slides applies to past perfect as well, BUT The point of current relevance to which the past perfect extends is a point in the past: PAST PRESENT FUTURE Relevant point in the past

  11. Tense and aspect • Tense is ALWAYS marked on the first element of the verb phrase • Progressive aspect = primary auxiliary BE + -ing form • Perfect aspect = primary auxiliary HAVE + -ed participle

  12. The first element of the VP • If the VP contains a modal auxiliary, tense will be marked on the modal. • Each auxiliary dictates the form which the following element takes • Jane likes music • Jane *might likes music • Jane *might liked music • Jane might like music BASE FORM

  13. Table 5.1 and 5.2 • Shows that each element (from left to right) triggers the next one. • 5.2 > pay attention to the primary auxiliary verb BE, which can trigger both the –ing form and the –ed form, depending on what be marks (either progressive aspect or passive voice)

  14. Voice (active /passive) • voice: deals with the relationship between the VP and the NP as subject • voice: the contrast between active (voice) and passive (voice) • > active • e.g. Tom eats an apple • > passive • e.g. An apple is eaten by Tom

  15. Voice (active /passive) • The passive phrase contains an additional auxiliary from the primary verb to be • When be marks the progressive, it triggers the –ing form • When be marks the passive voice, it triggers the –ed form • Compare tables 5.1 and 5.2: the passive voice always has one extra verb form.

  16. Finite and non-finite verb phrases • Finite verb phrases have tense distinction He • Finite verb phrases occur as the verb element of a clause. There is person and number concord between the subject and the finite verb She reads They read studies studied English the paper every morning

  17. Finite and non-finite verb phrases • The non -finite forms of the verb are the infinitive (to call), the -ing participle (calling) and the –ed participle (called) > See p. 109-110

  18. What will a VP comprise? • A lexical verb + any auxiliary • There’s an exception: When an adverb interrupts the verb phrase have certainly been told off

  19. Homework • Ex 2 and 4-6 p 177-8 • Read p. 101-111 (5.3) • Revise tenses on your grammar book (Inside Grammar pages 30-33 and 68-71)

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