ENGLISH VP
Home Up MICROCONCORD English verb in 18th-19th grammars MODO Y MODALIDAD ENGLISH VP SISTEMICA SUBJUNTIVO EN BROWN J.R. FIRTH SUBJUNTIVO INGLES THE UNIT"GROUP" R.J. DI PIETRO LINGUISTICA Y DIDACTICA HENRY SWEET

 

 

 

LUIS QUEREDA RODRIGUEZ-NAVARRO

 

   

A MORPHOSYNTACTIC

STUDY OF THE

ENGLISH VERB PHRASE

  

 

G R A N A D A

1 9 9 3  

 

 Contents

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................................................. xvii

PREFACE.................................................................................... xix

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS......................................................... xxi  

CHAPTER 1: THE STRUCTURE OF THE ENGLISH VERB PHRASE  

1. Scope of study............................................................................. 1

2. The structure of verb phrases...................................................... 2

3. Full and shortened verb phrases.................................................. 4

4. The Main Verb.............................................................................. 6

5. The Auxiliary Element.................................................................... 7

6. Conclusions................................................................................. 15

 

CHAPTER 2: TENSED AND NON_TENSED VERB PHRASES  

1. Tensed and non_tensed verb phrases......................................... 17

2. The structure of tensed verb phrases.......................................... 20

3. The structure of non_tensed verb phrases.................................. 24

            3.1 The structure of infinitive verb phrases........................... 24

            3.2 The structure of _ing verb phrases................................. 26

            3.3 The structure of _ed2 verb phrases................................ 29  

 

CHAPTER 3: CRITERIA FOR AUXILIARYHOOD  

1. Functional classification of verbs................................................. 33

2. Criteria for auxiliaryhood.............................................................. 34

            2.1 Criterion no.1................................................................ 34

            2.2 Criterion no.2 ................................................................37

            2.3 Criterion no.3.................................................................41

            2.4 Criterion no.4................................................................ 43

            2.5 Criterion no.5................................................................ 44

            2.6 Criterion no.6................................................................ 45

            2.7 Conclusions.................................................................. 48

3. Recursiveness............................................................................. 48

 

CHAPTER 4: FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF VERBS  

1. Auxiliary, semiauxiliary, catenative and lexical verbs...................... 51

2. The auxiliary system..................................................................... 52

            2.1 Auxiliary verbs 

                        2.1.1 Primary auxiliary verbs: be and have................ 53

                        2.1.2 Pro_auxiliary do .............................................. 55

                        2.1.3 Central modal verbs........................................  56

            2.2 Semiauxiliary verbs........................................................  57

                        2.2.1 Marginal modals .............................................. 58

                        2.2.2 Modal semiauxiliaries....................................... 60

                        2.2.3 Aspectual and voice semiauxiliaries .................. 64

3. Catenative verbs........................................................................... 65

     3.1 Catenative verbs that do not accept a 'different Subject'

                        for the non-tensed concatenated verb ......................... 66

     3.2 Catenative verbs that accept a 'different Subject' for

                        the non-tensed concatenated verb .............................. 68

4. Lexical verbs................................................................................. 69

5. Simple and complex full verb phrases.............................................. 70

 

CHAPTER 5: ENGLISH VERB MODIFICATIONS  

1. Tense............................................................................................ 73

            1.1 Time and tense................................................................  73

            1.2 The tense system in English ..............................................74

            1.3 Will and future in English ...................................................74

            1.4 Semantic implications of tense ...........................................77

            1.5 Semantic implications of remote and non-remote forms .........79

2. Phase............................................................................................. 81

            2.1 The phase system in English............................................... 81

            2.2 Semantic implications of phase.........................................    82

3. Aspect.............................................................................................85

            3.1 Lexical aspect.................................................................... 85

            3.2 The aspect system in English.............................................  86

            3.3 Semantic implications of aspect .........................................  86

4. Mood............................................................................................... 90

            4.1 The mood system in English ............................................... 90

            4.2 Mood realized by inflection................................................... 91

                        4.2.1 The imperative ..................................................... 91

                        4.2.2 The subjunctive  ...................................................94

            4.3 Mood realized by modal auxiliaries....................................... 99

            4.4 Semantic implications of mood  ..........................................  99

5. Voice............................................................................................. 100

            5.1 The voice system in English .............................................. 100

            5.2 Semantic implications of voice ........................................... 100

            5.3 Voice constraints............................................................... 101

6. The English verb conjugation............................................................ 102

 

CHAPTER 6: TENSE, PHASE AND ASPECT  

1. Introduction..................................................................................... 107

2. The present simple.......................................................................... 110

            2.1 Timeless reference............................................................. 111

                        2.1.1 Universal general truths ....................................... 111

                        2.1.2 Habitual occurrences .........................................  112

            2.2 Present time reference........................................................ 113

                        2.2.1 Contextual constraints .........................................114

                        2.2.2 Semantic constraints  ..........................................116

            2.3 Future time reference.......................................................... 119

                        2.3.1 Dependent clauses ............................................. 119

                        2.3.2 Independent sentences   ......................................120

            2.4 Past time reference ...........................................................122

3. The present progressive.................................................................. 123

            3.1 Present time reference...................................................... 124

            3.2 Future time reference........................................................ 125

            3.3 Timeless reference........................................................... 126

            3.4 Past time reference ......................................................... 128

4. The past simple............................................................................. 128

            4.1 Past time reference.........................................................  129

            4.2 Past habitual reference.................................................... 129

            4.3 'Future time' reference...................................................... 130

                        4.3.1 Future-in-the-past reference  .............................. 130

                        4.3.2 Hypothetical reference  ......................................131

            4.4 Present time reference......................................................132

5. The past progressive..................................................................... 133

            5.1 Past time reference  ........................................................133

            5.2 Past habitual reference.................................................... 136

            5.3 Future-in-the-past reference ............................................. 137

            5.4 Present time reference..................................................... 139

6. The present perfect simple............................................................. 140

            6.1 Present time reference..................................................... 140

            6.2 Past time reference  ........................................................ 143

            6.3 Future time reference........................................................ 146

7. The present perfect progressive....................................................... 146

            7.1 Present time reference....................................................... 147

            7.2 Past time reference  .......................................................... 150

8. The past perfect simple.................................................................... 151

            8.1 Definite past reference........................................................ 151

            8.2 Resultative, continuative, habitual past................................. 152

            8.3 Indefinite past reference...................................................... 153

            8.4 Future-in-the-past reference  ............................................... 154

            8.5 Hypothetical past reference ................................................ 155

9. Past perfect progressive................................................................... 155

            9.1 Definite past reference........................................................ 156

            9.2 Resultative, continuative, habitual past................................. 158

            9.3 Indefinite past reference...................................................... 159

            9.4 Hypothetical past reference ................................................ 159

 

CHAPTER 7:   MOOD (I) : THE IMPERATIVE AND THE SUBJUNCTIVE  

1. The imperative ................................................................................ 161

            1.1 The basic imperative construction........................................ 162

                        1.1.1 Imperatives and verb modifications......................... 162

                        1.1.2 Negative and emphatic imperative.......................... 164

                        1.1.3 Vocatives and Subjects ....................................... 165

                        1.1.4 Imperatives and question tags .............................. 168

                        1.1.5 Restrictions......................................................... 169

            1.2 The let-construction ............................................................ 170

2. The subjunctive................................................................................ 173

            2.1 The subjunctive in that-clauses............................................. 174

            2.2 The subjunctive in formulaic expressions............................... 177

            2.3 The subjunctive in hypothetical contexts............................... 177

            2.4 The subjunctive and tense................................................... 180

 

CHAPTER 8:     MOOD (II): THE SEMANTICS OF MODAL VERBS: KNOWLEDGE MODALITY  

1. The semantics of modal verbs......................................................... 183

2. Types of modality............................................................................184

3. Knowledge modality........................................................................ 186

            3.1 Neutral logical possibility: may and can...............................187

            3.2 Tentative logical possibility: might and could....................... 193

            3.3 Neutral logical necessity................................................... 196

                        3.3.1 Will and must ................................................... 196

                        3.3.2 Shall as a stylistic variant of will  ........................ 199

                        3.3.3 Will and be going to .........................................  200

                        3.3.4 Must and have (got) to ....................................... 201

                        3.3.5 Is to ...............................................................  202

            3.4 Tentative logical necessity................................................ 203

                        3.4.1 Would ............................................................  203

                        3.4.2 Should ............................................................ 204

                        3.4.3 Would and were to in hypothetical contexts .......  205

4. The 'imaginary' scale of knowledge modality..................................... 206

 

CHAPTER 9:  MOOD (III): THE SEMANTICS OF MODAL VERBS: INFLUENCE MODALITY  

1. Variables in influence modality....................................................... 209

2. Compulsion.................................................................................. 213

            2.1 Obligation....................................................................... 215

                        2.1.1 Is to  .............................................................. 215

                        2.1.2 Have (got) to  .................................................. 216

                        2.1.3 Must ...............................................................217

                        2.1.4 Need .............................................................. 219

            2.2 Desire ........................................................................... 219

                        2.2.1 Volition ........................................................... 220

                                    2.2.1.1 Shall ................................................ 220

                                    2.2.1.2 Will ................................................  221

                                    2.2.1.3 Be going to ...................................... 224

                        2.2.2 Advice ........................................................... 224

                                    2.2.2.1 Should and ought to .......................  224

                                    2.2.2.2 Had better ....................................  225

            2.3 Permission................................................................... 226

                        2.3.1 May and can ................................................. 226

                        2.3.2 Might and could ...........................................  229

 

CHAPTER 10: MOOD (IV): THE GRAMMAR OF MODAL VERBS

1. The grammar of modal verbs........................................................ 231

2. Tense and modal sentences......................................................... 231

            2.1 Tense and the two components in modal sentences.......... 233

            2.2 Knowledge modality........................................................ 236

            2.3 Influence modality............................................................239

3. Negation and modal sentences...................................................... 243

            3.1 Knowledge modality......................................................... 247

            3.2 Influence modality............................................................ 248

4. Interrogative sentences and modal verbs ........................................ 251

            4.1 Knowledge modality......................................................... 252

            4.2 Influence modality............................................................ 254

 

CHAPTER 11: THE PASSIVE VOICE  

1. Definition ...................................................................................... 257

2. The passive as a syntactic process................................................. 259

3. The three basic elements............................................................... 260

            3.1 The Subject .................................................................... 261

            3.2 The by-Agent................................................................... 262

            3.3 The Predicator................................................................. 265

                        3.3.1 Conjugation ..................................................... 265

                        3.3.2 Be + V_ed2 constructions ................................. 267

                        3.3.3 Get + V_ed2 constructions ................................ 276

4. The functions of the passive........................................................... 279

 

ADDENDUM: THE MORPHOLOGY OF ENGLISH VERB  

1. Morphological classification of verbs................................................ 281

            1.1 Regular verbs .................................................................. 282

            1.2 Irregular verbs ................................................................. 282

                        1.2.1 Spelling vs. pronunciation  ................................  283

                        1.2.2 Unpredictable vs. predictable variations ............... 284

                        1.3.3 Variations in other forms than -ed1 or -ed2 ..........  285

2. Pronunciation................................................................................. 286

            2.1 The -ing inflection  ............................................................ 286

            2.2 The -s inflection ............................................................... 286

            2.3 The -ed1 and -ed2 inflections.............................................. 287

3. Spelling ....................................................................................... 287

            3.1 Verbs ending in a consonant letter ................................... 288

                        3.1.1 Verbs ending in a single <l>   ........................... 290

                        3.1.2 Verbs ending in a single <c>  ........................... 291

                        3.1.3 Verbs ending in a single <s> ...........................  291

                        3.1.4 Verbs ending in a single <p>  ........................... 292

                        3.1.5 Other exceptions   ........................................... 293

            3.2 Verbs ending in a vowel letter  ......................................... 294

                        3.2.1 Verbs ending in -e   ......................................... 294

                        3.2.2 Verbs ending in _o   .......................................  296

                        3.3.3 Verbs ending in -w and -y  ................................ 297

4. Verbs with irregular -ed1 and/or _ed2 inflections.............................. 299

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY  

            (a) By topics  .....................................................................  301

            (b) In alphabetical order  ..................................................... 305