CHAPTER III

VERB IN ENGLISH
LANGUAGE
Presented by Ngo Phuong Thao
 Table of contents

01 DEFINITION AND 03 MODAL VERBS

CATEGORIES

02 VERB FORMS 04 THE MODALS

& FUNCTIONS AND ASPECT
 01
DEFINITION
&
CATEGORIES
 1. Definition

VERBS

AUXILIARIES MAIN VERBS

 1. Definition
Auxiliaries
• May belong to smaller groups:

(a) those used to form negative and interrogative sentences,

different aspects and tenses, the passive voice, and
emphasis

(b) modal auxiliaries

• Have no lexical meanings => used with a lexical verb.

 1. Definition
Verbs

Are semantically defined as words that designate actions

(kiss, run), processes (grow, change), experiences
(know), or states of being (be, have).
 1. Definition
Two types of verbs

Finite (tensed verb) Non-finite (tenseless)

● Verbs in the present or ● Verb-forms without a
past tense tense
● Must have a subject and ● Include infinitives,
a tense present participles, past
participles, and gerunds
E.g. E.g. non-finites of ‘do’
I know her to do
She knows me done
We knew it to have done
doing
Other verb categories/notions

Notional verbs
• Also called main verbs, lexical
verbs, or contentive verbs

• Are verbs that have a lexical

meaning
e.g.
know
go
give
 Other verb categories/notions
Stative/state verbs
● Are used to show relatively
permanent situations
e.g.
They own their own house

● Are not used in

progressive/continuous tenses

● In practice some stative verbs

are used with dynamic
meaning
e.g.
We are having a party
 Other verb categories/notions
Transitive and intransitive verbs
a, Transitive verb
- Must be followed by a direct object and can sometimes be followed by indirect
objects
e.g.
George found a kite.
George found us a kite.
- Only a transitive verb can have an object or be used in the passive
e.g.
He was driven away in a police car.
 Other verb categories/notions
Transitive and intransitive verbs
b, Intransitive verb
- Are not followed by direct objects, predicative adjective or noun.
- Many English verbs can be used both as transitive and intransitive
e.g.
Nora ran to work this morning, (intransitive)
Nora runs a small business in town, (transitive)
Other verb categories/notions
Link verbs
● Can be followed directly by
an adjective.
e.g.
get, go, turn, grow, look
It's getting cold.

Phrasal verbs
● Is a verb followed by a particle
e.g.
I got up at 11 o'clock.
I will look into that.
• 3 types: literal phrasal verbs,
completive phrasal verbs, and
figurative phrasal verbs.
 Other verb categories/notions
Phrasal verbs
Literal phrasal verbs
- Are verbs in which its particle retains its literal adverbial meaning
e.g. I hung up the picture on the wall.
I hung the picture up on the wall.
Completive phrasal verbs
- Are those where the particle indicates completed action.
e.g. I tore up the piece of paper.
I tore the piece of paper up.

Figurative phrasal verbs

- Are verbs that cannot semantically associate the verb and the particle
in a systematic way
e.g. She looked up the information.
She looked the information up.
 Other verb categories/notions
Agreement

● Agreement or concord are

used to indicate grammatical
links between words
● A singular noun 'agrees with'
a singular verb in the present
tense
e.g.
the man walks
the men walk
the door is open
the doors are open
 02
VERB FORMS
& FUNCTIONS
 Present participle and Gerund
● The present participle and the gerund are identical in form:
- formed from verbs
- always end in –ing

● To simply identify these verb forms, we focus on their function in

the sentence:
- If the –ing form functions as a noun => Gerund
- If the –ing form functions as an adjective => Present participle
 Present participle and Gerund
E.g.
I like swimming
flying Gerunds
flying planes

This is a running stream Present participle

- Also, a gerund usually shows the purpose to which the head

noun is put, while a present participle refers to an action
e.g.
an ironing board
flashing lights
 Present participle constructions
can be used in place of:
Co-ordinate clauses Clauses of time Clauses of reason
e.g. Can be used after time e.g.
conjunctions.
She lay awake all night, E.g. Being anxious to please
(and) recalling the events Since phoning you this him, I bought him a nice
of the day. morning, I have change present.
my plans.
Conditional clauses Clauses ofconcession Clauses of manner
e.g. e.g.
e.g.
If travelling north, you While admitting that he had
received the stolen Why don't we go
must change at Leeds.
jewellery, he denied having swimming?
taken part in the robbery
 Present participle
- In addition, the present participle can be the complement in the
sentence
e.g.
They were seen waiting on the corner.
I can hear him coughing.
I saw him being taken away by the police.
 (Present) Perfect participle
- The action described in this contruction has always taken place before the
action described in the main clause

e.g.
(active) Having invited him here to speak, we'd better go to his lecture.

(passive) Having been made redundant, I'm going abroad.

  Note

(a) The subject of the participle is not the same as the

expressed subject of the main verb => participle
construction results in lacks of concord => incorrect.

dangling participles
(unrelated participles)
e.g.
x Watching TV, time passes quickly
x Reading my newspaper, the doorbell rang
  Note

However, there are some exceptions:

Generally speaking, he is a kind man.

Taking everything into consideration, they ought to be given
another chance.
Judging from past performances, he is not likely to do very
well in his exams.
  Note

(b) When there is a time difference between the actions

of the two verbs, participle contructions cannot be used in
place of relative clauses:

e.g.
x Do you know anybody having lost a cat?

x I want to talk to the person breaking that cup.

 Past Participles
Past participle constructions often occur in formal and literary style in place of:

The passive Adverbial Relative

clauses clause
e.g. e.g. e.g.

Viewed from a Unless changed, The system used

distance, the island this law will make in this school is
of Nepenthe looked life difficult for the very successful.
like a cloud. farmers.
 Participle constructions with
'being' and ’having been'
● Being can be used in place of the finite forms is/are/was/were
● Having been can be used in place of the finite forms have been and had
been.
e.g.
Being so ill, he can't go back to work yet.
Having been ill for a very long time, he needs more lime to recover before
he can go back to work.
 Gerunds
In the sentence the gerund can have the following functions:

Subject
Subject Direct object
complement
Making new friend Paul's favorite sport is Paul likes running.
can be difficult. running.

Object of a
Object preposition in a
complement phrase
The teacher called the Paul likes most sports
children's play learning. except fishing.
 Gerunds
Gerunds (without an article) can be followed by:

direct object Making new friends can be difficult.

Giving Jim a new soccer ball would please

indirect object
him.

adverbial Eating fast is bad for the digestion.

predicative adj. Feeling happy makes Ray sing.

perfect form I'm sorry for having wasted your time.

I can't forgive myself for having been

passive
cheated.
 Gerunds
● A gerund often functions in a general statements as an uncountable
noun with no article.
● It can also be replaced by it: Dancing is fun. I love it.
● Sometimes a gerund functions as a countable noun which can be
replaced by it (singular) or they (plural):
Dickens often gave readings of his work. They were very popular.
● We can use a gerund after determiners like a, the, this, a lot of and
some, or after possessives and adjectives:
 Infinitives
● The base form of a verb is called the bare infinitive because it is
used without "to".
● Is mainly used after modal verbs and in imperative sentences or
commands
e.g.
He might be late.
Come in and shut the door.
 Infinitives

- Bare infinitives as complement Tense Active Passive

Present (to) be doing (to) be done
e.g.
progressive
He didn't let his wife go out in the
(to) have been
evening. Perfect/ past (to) have done
done
- bare infinitives in fixed
Perfect/past (to) have been
expressions (to) have/had
progressive
doing been being
e.g. done

The dog's got a stick between his e.g.

We'd better be going.
teeth and he won't let go. I must be leaving now.
Menu

03
MODAL VERBS
 Definition
• Are a set of verbs used to politely make requests,
offers, or suggestions, or to express our wishes or
intentions.
• English modals include: can; could; may; might; must;
ought to; shall; should; will; would
• ‘dare’, ‘need’, ‘used to’ are called semi-modals in
some grammars as these three verbs can either be
used as modals or as full verbs.
 The Use of Modal Auxiliaries
CAN - COULD
Modal The use Example

Can Ability: be able to, be capable of, know how to He can speak English but he can write it very
well.

Permission: be allowed to, be permitted to Can/May I smoke in here?

(can is less formal than may in
this sense)

Theoretical possibility Anybody can make mistakes.

(Contrast may = factual possibility) The road can be blocked.

Could
I never could play the banjo
Past ability

Present or future permission Could I smoke in here?

Present possibility We could go to the concert.

(theoretical or factual) The road could be blocked

Contingent possibility or ability in unreal If we had more money, we could buy a car
conditions
 The Use of Modal Auxiliaries
MAY - MIGHT
MAY – MIGHT

May Permission: (- be allowed to) You may borrow my car if you like. You
mustn't borrow my car/ an not allowed
(In this sense may is more formal
to borrow my car/ may not borrow my
than can. Instead of may not or rare
car.
mayn't, the stronger mustn't is often
used in the negative to express
prohibition.)
Possibility (usually factual) The road may be blocked.
Might Permission (rare) Might I smoke in here?

Possibility (theoretical or factual) a.We might go to the concert.

b.What you say might be true.
 The Use of Modal Auxiliaries
SHALL – SHOULD
Shall Willingness: (on the part of the speaker in 2nd a.He shall get his money.
and 3rd person. Restricted use)
b.You shall do exactly as you wish.
Intention: (on the part of the speaker, only in 1st a.I shan't be long.
person)
b.We shall let you know our decision. c.We shall
overcome.
a. Insistence. (Restricted use) a.You shall do as I say.
b.He shall be punished.
b. Legal & quasi-legal injunction The vendor shall maintain the equipment in
good repair.
Should Obligation & logical necessity: (= ought to) a.You should do as he says. B.They should be
home by now.
‘Putative’ use (after certain expressions, e.g.: it is a.It is odd that you should say this to me.
a pity that, I am surprised that ... b. I am sorry that this should have happened.
Contingent use: (1st person only and especially We should love to go abroad. (if we had the
BrE) in the main clause (= would) chance).
In rather formal real conditions If you should change your mind, please let us
know.
 The Use of Modal Auxiliaries
Will Willingness. Used in polite requests
Intention. Usually contracted ’ll; mainly
1st person
Insistence. Stressed, hence no ’ll contraction
Prediction
Cf. the similar meanings of other expressions
for logical necessity and habitual present.
The contracted form ’11 is common
a.He'll help you if you ask him Will you have
another cup of coffee? b.Will you (please,
kindly,
etc.) open the window?
I'll write as soon as I can.
We won't stay longer than two hours.
He will do it, whatever you say. (He insists on
doing it... He shall do it, whatever you say = I
insist on his doing it...) He will keep
interrupting me.
a. Specific prediction:
The game will/must/should be finished by now.
b. Time prediction: Oil will float/floats on water.
c. Habitual prediction:
He'll (always) talk for hours if you give him the
chance.
 The Use of Modal Auxiliaries

Would Willingness Would you excuse me?

Insistence: a. It's your own fault; you would take the

baby with you.
Characteristic activity in the past b. Every morning he would go for a long
(often aspectual in effect) walk (i.e. it was customary). John would
make a mess of it. (informal = it was typical)

Contingent use: (in the main clause of a He would smoke too much if I didn’t stop
conditional sentence) him.

Probability That would be his mother

 The Use of Modal Auxiliaries
Must Obligation or compulsion (in the present tense) You must be back by 10 o'clock. Yesterday you had to
be back by 10 o'clock.
(=be obliged to, have (got) to); except in reported speech, Yesterday you said you had to/must be back by 10
only had to (not must) is used in the past. There are two o'clock. You needn't/don't have to/are not obliged to
negatives: be back by 10 o'clock.
’ ’ There must be a mistake, but: There cannot be a
(1) = not be obliged to: needn t, don t have to;
mistake.
’
(2)= be obliged not to: mustn t. (Logical) necessity Must is Mustn't there be another reason for his behavior?
not used in sentences with negative or
interrogative meanings, can being used instead.
Must can occur in superficially interrogative but
answer- assuming sentences.

Ought Obligation; logical necessity or expectation a.You ought to start at once.

to b.They ought to be here by now
Note: Ought to and should both denote obligation and logical necessity, but are less categorical than must and
have to. Ought to is often felt to be awkward in questions involving inversion, and should is preferred. Still
less categorical than ought is had better/best (plus bare infinitive):
A: Must you go?
B: Well, I don't have to, but I think I'd better (go).
 04
THE MODALS
AND ASPECT
● The perfect and progressive aspects are normally
excluded when the modal expresses 'ability' or
'permission', and also when shall or will express 'volition'.
● These aspects are freely used with other modal
meanings

e.g.

Possibility: He may have missed the train.

Necessity: He must have left his umbrella on the bus.

Prediction: You must have been sitting in the sun.

Semi-modals: DARE, NEED, USED TO DARE & NEED
Inflected forms
- Dare has some inflected forms which are occasionally used:
What nobody dares suggest is that women be told to stay
at home.
He dared not show he was pleased.

Use with other modals

- Dare can be used with will, would, should, and might.
I wouldn't dare to go to Europe.

Use with "do“

- Dare can be used with the auxiliary verb “do”
Don't you ever dare come here again!
 USED TO

● Has no inflected forms, and cannot be used with other

modals.

● Used to can be used with the auxiliary "do“.

e.g.
She used to get quite cross with her son.
 Social interactional uses of modals
1. One major system in the social use of modals entails making
requests:
- general requests:
Will/Would/Can/Could you help me with this math problem?
=> Yes, I can/could/will/would

- requests for permission:

May/Might/Can/Could I leave the room?
=> Yes, You may/might/can/could

2. Modals can also be used to give advice:

You must see a doctor.
 Logical probability uses of modals
The logical use of some of the same modals typically deals with
an inference or prediction
e.g.
Donna: Someone's at the door.
Mary: It may be Sydney.

It will rain tomorrow.

 Other uses of modals

● Ability - can: I can speak Vietnamese.

● Desire - would like to: Sarah would like to travel around the
world.

● Offer - would you like: Would you like anything to drink?

● Preference - would rather ... than , would prefer to:

Van would rather study languages than mathematics.

Periphrastic modal counterparts
Multiword forms ending in to, which function semantically much
like true modals, are called periphrastic modals.

formal informal
THANKS!