UNIT 6.

PART OF SPEECH: VERB

UNIT OUTLINE
1. Form
2. Types

I. FORM
1. Finite: agrees with subject. Ex: I am a teacher. You are students. He is a singer
2. Non-finite: not agree with subject (infinitive, gerund, participle)
Ex: Being a student, you have to study hard
Being a singer, she has to practice very hard
II. TYPES
A. AUXILIARY
 Primary or semi-auxiliaries: the ones that can act as auxiliary or main verb: be, have,
do.
Ex: I am a teacher (main verb)
I am teaching English. (auxiliary)
My friend has a beautiful car. (main verb)
He has just bought it from a friend (auxiliary)
I do housework everyday (main verb)
What do you want? (auxiliary)
 Modal auxiliaries: Always auxiliaries
Always finite
Always the 1st aux., if any
No ‘s’ at 3rd person singular present tense
No ‘do’ in negative & interrogative
Followed by bare infinitive (no ‘to’); exception: ought to
Ex: can, could, may, might, shall, should, …
 Semi-modal: may be modal or main verb: need, dare
 Compound auxiliaries: have to; have got to; had better; be to; be able to; be about
to; be going to; be supposed to; be expected to; be due to …

Some special cases

Must obligation
deduction

Must as obligation Affirmative, past: had to. Ex: Yesterday I had to go to school.
Negative, present: don’t have to; don’t need to; need not
Ex: Tomorrow you don’t have to go to school (not necessary)
Negative, past: Didn’t have to: not necessary & not done yet
Ex: Yesterday I didn’t have to go to school. It was Sunday
(not go)
Needn’t have + Past participle: not necessary but already

done
1
 Ex: Yesterday I needn’t have gone to school, but I did.

Must as deduction Affirmative, past: must have + PP

Ex: I phoned you many times yesterday but no answer.
You must have been out
Negative, present: can’t. Ex: This can’t be my dog. It died 2 months ago
Negative, past: can’t/couldn’t have + PP
Ex: Yesterday your dog came to my house.
That can’t/couldn’t have been my dog. It died 2 months

ago
Modal auxiliaries can be used with different purposes by speakers: request, offer, suggestion,
asking permission, giving permission, prediction, obligation, deduction, certainty, possibility,
prohibition….

B. MAIN VERBS
1. Linking verbs: Describe the subject (quality, feeling, state: How?)
Ex: The girl is beautiful. She is married. She looks very happy
Identify the subject. What? => S = SC (both refers to the same
person)
Ex: The girl is a student (girl = student) (what?)
The girl made a fruit cake. (what? => girl # fruit cake)
Tr.V
The fruit cake makes a nice gift (what? => fruit cake = nice gift)
Linking V
2. Action verbs: describe an action
a. Types
 Intransitive: can stand alone with full meaning => no object, no passive, no
complement, may have modifier as an adverb (adverbial). Ex: to die, to work,
to sleep…
 Transitive: cannot stand alone with full meaning, need an object or
complement to be complete, passivized.
Ex: My father bought a car yesterday (bought what? – a car: direct object
A car was bought by my father yesterday
 Process verbs: describe a change in state + adjective and have the same
meaning as ‘become’
Some common ones: become, come, fall, go, get, grow, run, turn, wear.
Ex: When I grow old, I hope I’ll have a lot of grandchildren
Be careful. Don’t get ill when you’re traveling
I think this milk has turned sour
Exercise 14
Supply suitable forms of the verbs in the following box

2
 become – come – fall – go – get – grow – run – turn – wear - make

1. When I ……grow………..old, I hope I’ll have lots of grandchildren.

2. You must be very careful you don’t……get………..ill when you’re traveling.
3. I think this milk…has…turned………..sour.
4. Food……goes……….. bad very quickly in hot weather.
5. It hasn’t rained for months and our local river……is running……….. dry.
6. It’s no good ………becoming…….. impatient every time I ask you a question.
7. She always wanted to retire before the age of 40 and her dream …came………….. true.
8. I have to cut my trip short because I ……got……….. ill.
9. I must get these shoes repaired. The soles ………has worn…….. rather thin.
10. Don’t you ……get……….. bored listening to political broadcasts.
11. My son is determined to ……become……….. a pilot when he grows up.
12. Personally, I think he’ll ……making……….. a very good pilot.

Exercise 15
Supply must be, can’t be, or mustn’t be.
1. The meeting is at 10 o’clock sharp and you ……mustn’t be…… late.
2. You ……must be…………. at the station 10 minutes before the departure of the train.
3. The children ……cant be…………. tired already! We’ve only been walking for 10 minutes.
4. The children……must be………….thirsty. They haven’t had a drink for hours.
5. Did you hear that? It ……must be………….someone walking about in our garden.
6. I don’t recognize the hand writing on this envelope. It …cant be…………….from anyone we
know.
7. You handwriting ……must be………….clear; otherwise no one will be able to read it.
8. you……mustnt be………….a nuisance when you’re a guest in someone’s house.
9. Don’t panic! we………cant be……….late for the train. It doesn’t leave till 10:05.
10. we……mustnt be………….late for the train or we’ll miss our connection.

Exercise 16
Supply must have been, can’t / couldn’t have been, have to / had to (be), didn’t have
to (be)
1. he knows a lot about flying planes. He ….must have been….a pilot when he was young.
2. Vera ……couldnt have been……………..at the supermarket this morning. I didn’t her there.
3. John ………had to…………..at the bank till 10, so he only arrived here 5 minutes ago.
4. When ………did………(she)…have to…….at the hospital? – Early this morning.(ko co tien de)
5. We gad enough foreign currency left at the end of the holiday, so……didn’t have
to……………..buy any more.
6. Monica knew exactly what to do. I …………………..tell her twice.
7. There are so many nice things for tea. I think you……must have been……………..expecting us.
8. There ……must have been……………..an accident on South Street because the road is closed
off.
9. You …………cant have been………..waiting long. After all, I’m only 5 minutes late.
10. When I was boy, we ……had to……be………..sitting at our desks working before the boss got
in.
11. I left a message on your answer phone last night. You …must have been………………..out.
3
12. The fire alarm went and we ……had to…be…………..out of the building in 2 minutes. ob k

Exercise 17
State the functions of the italicized parts in the following utterances
1. Would you like something to eat, Nigel?_____offer______
2. Shall I build a castle for you, Nigel? ______offer_______
3. I’m cold. Will / would you shut the window for me, Nigel. ____request _________
4. Would you like to watch the TV with me Nigel? _____sug________
5. Can/ could I borrow your crayons, Nigel? _____AP________
6. Shall we play a game together? _____sug________
7. Shall I get a glass of water for you, Nigel? _____offer________
8. Could you get a glass of water for me, Nigel? ___request__________
9. Would you like to go to the moon, Nigel? ___sug__________

EXPRESSING PREFERENCES

I. TO PREFER
a. To prefer noun to noun: I prefer tea to coffee.
b. To prefer V-ing to V-ing: I prefer staying at home to going out tonight.
c. To prefer to infinitive (rather) than to infinitive: I prefer to stay at home (rather) than
to go out tonight.

II. WOULD PREFER, WOULD RATHER, and WOULD SOONER

1. Same subject
 Would prefer + to infinitive
Ex: I’d prefer to stay at home tonight.
I’d prefer to have stayed at home last night than gone out.
 Would rather / sooner + bare infinitive
Ex: I’d rather / sooner be a farmer than a king. (in the present or future)
If I could choose a gain, I’d rather / sooner have been a builder than an
architect
(in the past)

2. Different subjects (about other people’s actions)

 In the present or future: would prefer / rather / sooner + subject + past
simple
Ex: I’d rather Jack left on an early train.
 In the past: would prefer / rather / sooner + subject + past perfect
Ex: I’d rather you had been present then.
I’d rather you hadn’t told me about it.

Exercise 18
Supply the correct form of the verb in brackets
1. Which would you sooner ……be………….? A pilot or a passenger? (be)
2. My career is nearly over, but I’d much rather………have been……….in the navy than in the
army (be).
4
 3. If I had lived in the past, I’d sooner……have been………….a peasant than a king. (be)
4. I’d rather ……have lived………….in the 18th century than in the 19th century.(live)
5. I like my job. I’d rather….make my living as a teacher than anything else. (make)
6. I wish my job were secure. I’d sooner …not have to…………….worry about it. (not have to)
7. Jim had to break the bad news to her. I know he’d rather ……not…have had to……….do it.
(not have to)

Exercise 19
Supply the correct form of the verb in brackets
1. You might late for the meeting. I’d rather you …caught………..an early train. (catch)
2. I won’t be home till very late. I’d sooner you …didnt wait up………..for me. (not wait up)
3. He took a risk investing money with them. I’d rather he…hadnt done………..it. (not do)
4. I don’t mind your borrowing my ladder, but I’d sooner you …asked………..me first. (ask)
5. I know our daughter is enjoying herself, but I’d rather she …was………..here than abroad.
(be)
6. I’d rather you ……had been……..present when we signed the agreement. (be)

MUST, HAVE TO, HAVE GOT TO

We often use must, have to and have got to in place of each other to talk about a duty
or obligation, but sometimes not.
1. We tend to prefer must:
 When we refer to ourselves (with I / we): I really must weed this garden.
 With you to express urgency: You must phone home at once.
 In public notices: Cyclists must dismount.
 To show strong disapproval: Must you interrupt me like that?
 Pressing invitations or advice: You must come to my birthday party tomorrow.
2. We often use have to (or have got to) to refer to outside authority
Ex: I have (got) to pay my road tax soon.

MUSTN’T, NEEDN’T, DON’T HAVE TO, HAVEN’T GOT TO (present & future)
Must, have to, have got to generally mean the same in the affirmative
 Mustn’t means ‘it’s forbidden’
Ex: You mustn’t be late to an interview.
 Needn’t, don’t need to, don’t have to, haven’t got to mean ‘it is not necessary
Ex: I don’t have to / don’t need to / haven’t got to / needn’t go to school tomorrow.

NEEDN’T HAVE, DIDN’T HAVE TO / DIDN’T NEED TO (past)

 Didn’t have to / didn’t need to: not necessary and not do
Ex: I didn’t have to / didn’t need to go to school yesterday. It was Sunday (not necessary
& not go).
 Needn’t have + past participle (v3): not necessary but already done
Ex: I needn’t have gone to school yesterday (but I went)

5
Exercise 20
Supply mustn’t, don’t have to, didn’t have to, or needn’t have
1. You ……………………..work such long hours. You won’t earn any more.
2. You really ……………………..waste money like that. It worries your parents.
3. You ……………………..go to the party if you don’t want to. Nobody’s forcing you.
4. Passengers ……………………..smoke in the toilets.
5. You ……………………..attend the meeting tomorrow. It’s not important.
6. You ……………………..attend the meeting tomorrow. It’s for union officials only.
7. I ……………………..the plumber. I learnt later that john had already phoned him. (phone)
8. I ……………………..the plumber. I knew John had already phoned him. (phone)
9. You …………………….. your umbrella after all. It hasn’t rained. (bring)
10. The forecast was for fine weather, so I knew I ……………………..my umbrella. (bring)
11. I ……………………..these clothes. I didn’t know they had already been washed. (wash)
12. I ……………………..a meal last night because we went out and the food I prepared was
uneaten. (cook)

EXPRESSING HABIT
1. Present habit
 Present simple + adverbs of frequency
Ex: I always get up early in the morning.
2. Past habit
 Used to infinitive
Ex: As a boy, I used to steal my neighbor’s mangoes.
Note: in negative and interrogative, we use ‘did’
Ex: Did you use to smoke when you were young?
When I was a boy, I didn’t use to get up early.
 Past simple + adverbs of frequency
Ex: As a boy, I usually stole my neighbor’s mangoes.
 Would + bare infinitive: normally, we use ‘would’ for an activity only.
Ex: As a boy, I would steal my neighbor’s mangoes.

BE USED TO AND GET USED TO

 Be used to + noun
Trạng thái Tĩnh v-ing means to be familiar with
Ex: When I first moved to HCM city, I couldn’t stand the so hot weather, but now, no
more problem I am used to the hot weather.
 Get used to + noun
Trạng thái động v-ing means becoming familiar with (process verb
for a changing state)
Ex: HCM city is very hot, but now I am getting used to the hot weather (little by little)

Exercise 21
Read the situations and complete the sentences using (be / get) used to
Ex: As a child, I used to get up very late; Now, I am still not used to getting up early.
1. Jane is American. She came to Britain and at first she found driving on the left difficult.
6
 When she arrived in Britain, she ………wasnt used to……………on the left, but she soon……
got used to………………to it. Now she has no problems. She …is used to…………………on the
left.
2. Juan is Spanish and came to live in England. In Spain he always had dinner late in the
evening, but in England dinner was at 6 o’clock. This was very early for him.
When Juan first came to England, he ……………………dinner so early, but after some time he
……………………it. Now he finds it quite normal. He ……………………at 6 o’clock.
3. Julia is a nurse. A year ago she started working nights. At first she found it hard.
At first, Julia didn’t like it. She ……………………nights and it took her a few months
to……………………it. Now, after a year, she’s quite happy. She ……………………nights.

Exercise 22
Complete the sentences with only one word each time
1. John had to get used to …………………..on the left.
2. We used to …………………..in a small village but now we live in London.
3. Tom used to…………………..a lot of coffee. Now he prefer tea.
4. I feel very full after that meal. I’m not used to…………………..so much.
5. I wouldn’t like to share an office. I am used to…………………..my own office.
6. I used to…………………..a car but I sold it a few months ago.
7. When we were children, we used to…………………..swimming everyday.
8. There used to …………………..a cinema here but it was knocked down a few years ago.
9. I’m the boss here! I’m not used to…………………..told what to do.