Verbs in general - přednáška

VERBS

Verbs in verb phrases function as main verbs = can constitute a verb phrase on their own, or as auxiliary verbs = cannot stand on their own, are always followed by a main verb.

Auxiliary verbs perform the functions of progressive, perfect, passive, and modal operators within verb phrases. The twelve auxiliary verbs in English are have, be, do, and the nine modal verbs (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, and would).

Modal | Perfect | Passive | Progressive | Verb

should | have | been | being | watched

Based on the two functions verbs can be classified into three groups:

• full verbs: can occur alone in a verb phrase = act as main verbs

• primary verbs: BE, HAVE, DO - can act both as main verbs and auxiliary verbs

• modal verbs: act only as auxiliary verbs

Full verbs : semantically "words that designate actions (run ), processes (grow, change), experiences (know), or states of being (be, have)”

• action (dynamic): activities – run, jump, say, read

processes – become, improve, get, turn

bodily feelings: ache, hear

• state (stative): pure states – love, fear, know

relations – involve, deserve

other: own, resemble

- generally not used in progressive form

(but one verb can have more meanings from which some of them are dynamic and some stative)

I have a car.

She is having a bath at the moment.

Formal characteristics of verbs: four inflectional endings: -s: present

-ed: past

-ing: progressive

-ed (en): past participle

Subclasses of verbs: - transitive – require an object (* I like going to a pub with my friends to discuss)

- intransitive: are not followed by an object

- linking (copula): they belong among full verbs only on formal basis, they have nearly no meaning, they add some characteristics to the subject, but the characteristics itself is expressed by a complement (adjective, noun) or an adverbial

Morphological categories of verbs: person, number, tense

mood - indicative

- imperative

- subjunctive

(- conditional )

aspect

voice - active

- passive

Subjunctive mood:

• present subjunctive: is used to express a command, request, or suggestion

Content clauses expressing commands, requests, or suggestions commonly use the present subjunctive in US English, but this usage is now very rare in speech and rare in writing in UK English. Such clauses may be introduced by a verb like propose, suggest, recommend, move (in the parliamentary sense), demand, or mandate, by an adjective like imperative, important, adamant, or necessary, or by a noun like insistence or proposal. This use of the subjunctive is known as the mandative subjunctive.

Instead, UK standard English uses a construction with "should". Therefore, instead of American No wonder the Tory Party turned him down as a possible candidate, suggesting he go away and come back with a better public image in British English we would find No wonder the Tory Party turned him down as a possible candidate, suggesting he should go away and come back with a better public image.