Verb phrase (VP) is a structure composed of the predicative elements of a sentence and
its function is to provide information about the subject of the sentence. A
verb phrase contains of verbs which can be lexical, auxiliary or modal. The
head is the first verb in the verb phrase. The verb in a verb phrase may be
either transitive, intransitive and Verb phrase parts can
be often split (What is he doing?).
Simple verb phrase consists of only one verb which may be
imperative, present or past (Work harder!
He works hard. He worked hard.) Complex verb phrase takes auxiliaries with
further define the action/state so it consists of two or more verbs (John has worked hard. John can work hard.)
Unlike simple verb phrases, complex ones can form interrogatives and negatives
and express aspect and passive voice.
We have
six variations of a verb phrase:
Tense - present (sees),
past
(saw)
Aspect - perfect (has seen), progressive (is seeing), perfect progressive (has been seeing)
Voice - active (sees),
passive
(is seen)
Modality - combined with a modal verb (will/can/might see)
Negation (doesn't know)
Mood - declarative (you saw), interrogative (did you see?), imperative/subjunctive
Verbs and types of clause
Finite verb phrase show a particular tense, reveals its subject
and can include modal auxiliaries. It can occur as the verb phrase of independent
clauses and there is person and number concord between the subject and the
finite verb phrase. (Tom reads the paper
every morning.)
Non-finite verb phrase does not show a particular tense, cannot occur
with modal auxiliaries and does not reveals its subject. In main clauses, they
can occur only where a finite verb is first element of the verb phrase.
However, they can occur in other elements in the main clause, such as subject
and object.
Infinitive non-final clause To call
the police was probably the best idea.
ING participle non-final clause Leaving
the room, I tripped over the mat.
ED participle non-final clause Covered
with dust, it must have been lying there for ages.
Verb classes
Copular verbs like “to be” and others when used as a main
verb are called the
copula because of their special coupling function. Most copula verbs
occur with an adjective phrase as the subject predicative. (You are very stupid.) Copular verbs can locate the subject in time
or space, expressed by adverbials. (I was
in the kitchen.)
Current copular can express
a state of existence (be, seem, appear, keep,
remain, stay) and identify
attributes that are in continuing state of existence (We are all human. My remained honest. It was funny) or about a sensory perception (look, feel, sound, smell, taste) that reports sensory perception (It really does look awful. That feels good.)
Result copular verbs (become, get, go, grow, prove, come, end up, turn
out…) describe
process of change. (Raymond soon became
aware of it. It turned up in the test.)
Transitive
verbs take an object. Within this category we distinguish:
1.
Monotransitive verbs take one direct object.
S + V + Od
Peter is going to write a letter.
2. Distransitive verbs take two objects, one direct and
one indirect.
S +V +Oi +
Od My mother sent him a letter.
3.
Complex transitive verbs take a direct object and
an complement that says something about the direct object.
S + V + Od + Co You made me nervous. They have painted their
house purple.
Intransitive
verbs cannot take an object.
S +V (+A) They
arrived at time. The children are
crying. She laughed.
Compare:
He turned. intransitive
He turned red. copular
He pushed the button.
monotransitive
She gave him a present. ditransitive
He let the
dog loose. complex transitive
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