English Verbs

Linguistics Girl

A verb is a word that “denotes an action or state of being.” A verb phrase consists of a verb plus any auxiliaries (modals, operators, perfects, progressives, passives), modifiers, complements, objects, particles, and determinatives.

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  • English Sentences: From Declarative to Interrogative
    in English Verbs, Information, Linguistics

    English Sentences: From Declarative to Interrogative

    Two types of sentences in English are declarative sentences and interrogative sentences. Declarative sentences, or declarations, convey information or make statements. Interrogative sentences, or questions, request information or ask questions. Periods indicate declarative sentences in written English. Question marks indicate interrogative sentences in written English. Declarative Sentences Declarative sentences are subject-verb (SV) in word order. […] More

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  • The Habitual 'be'
    in English Verbs, Information, Linguistics

    The Habitual ‘be’

    What is the habitual be? Who uses the habitual be? I began writing this post a few months ago as I investigated verb constructions outside the tense-aspect paradigm of the mythical standard English for the grammar book that I am writing. Writing about a topic helps me with my understanding. Habitual be refers to the […] More

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  • Using Verbs and Verb Phrases as Noun Phrase Complements
    in English Verbs, Information, Linguistics

    Using Verbs and Verb Phrases as Adjunct Adverbials

    Notional grammars traditionally verbs as “words that denote actions and states of being.” A verb phrase consists of a verb plus any auxiliary verbs, particles, modifiers, complements, and objects. In grammar, an adjunct adverbial is a word, phrase, or clause that modifies or describes an entire clause by providing additional information about time, place, manner, […] More

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  • Adjectives Versus Verbs: Participial Adjectives
    in English Adjectives, English Verbs, Information, Linguistics

    Adjectives Versus Verbs: Participial Adjectives

    As I have written many times before, the line between grammatical forms is blurry at best, especially among lexical categories like adjectives and verbs. Adjectives are “words that describe nouns.” Verbs are “words that denote actions, occurrences, and states.” Participles are nonfinite verbs that share characteristics and functions of verbs, adjectives, and nouns. A present […] More

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  • Grammatical Aspect
    in English Verbs, Information, Linguistics

    Grammatical Aspect

    Grammatical aspect is the grammaticalized expression of the temporal structure of an action or state. Temporal structure roughly relates to duration. Four grammatical aspects exist in the English language: simple aspect, perfect aspect, progressive aspect, and perfect-progressive aspect. Grammatical Tense Grammatical Aspect in English describes the four grammatical aspects of the English language. Tense and […] More

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  • English Auxiliary Verbs
    in English Verbs, Information, Linguistics

    English Auxiliary Verbs

    Auxiliary verbs are a subcategory of English verbs that provide additional semantic or syntactic information about the main verb in the verb phrase such as tense, aspect, modality, and voice. The seventeen auxiliary verbs in English grammar are have, be, do, nine modal verbs, and five quasi-modal verbs. Perfect Have The first auxiliary verb in […] More

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  • Ambitransitive English Verbs
    in English Verbs, Information, Linguistics

    Ambitransitive English Verbs

    Verbs are traditionally defined as “words that describe actions or states of being.” Main or principal English verbs may be either intransitive or transitive. Ambitranitive verbs are English verbs that may be either transitive/ditransitive or intransitive depending on the context. Ambitransitive verbs can occur within passive constructions when transitive or ditransitive. Most English verbs are […] More

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  • Ditransitive English Verbs
    in English Verbs, Information, Linguistics

    Ditransitive English Verbs

    Verbs have traditionally been defined as “action or state of being words.” Main verbs, or principal verbs, fall into five categories in English grammar. Transitive verbs are English verbs that take an object. Ditransitive verbs take two objects: (1) a direct object and an indirect object or (2) a direct object and an object complement. […] More

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  • Monotransitive English Verbs
    in English Verbs, Information, Linguistics

    Monotransitive English Verbs

    Notional grammars describe verbs as “action or state of being words.” Main verbs, or principal verbs, fall into five categories in English grammar. Monotransitive verbs are a subcategory of transitive verbs that take only one object: a direct object. Some common monotransitive English verbs include the following: accomplish achieve address begin bother continue create damage […] More

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