The Verb.

General Information

Page 1 of 5

THE VERB I. The verb is a part of speech which denotes an action. The verb has the following grammatical categories: person, number, tense, aspect, voice and mood. These categories can be expressed b means of affixes, inner flexion !change of the root vowel" and b form words. Verbs ma be transitive and intransitive. Verbs have finite forms which can be #sed as the predicate of a sentence and non-finite forms which cannot be #sed as the predicate of a sentence. II. $ccording to their morphological structure verbs are divided into: !a" simple (read, live, hide, speak); !b" derived, i. e. having affixes (magnify, fertilize, captivate, undo, decompose); !c" compound, i. e. consisting of two stems (daydream, browbeat)% !d" composite, consisting of a verb and an adverb or preposition (sit down, go away, give up). The adverb or preposition often changes the meaning of the verb with which it is associated. Th#s, there are composite verbs whose meaning is different from the meaning of their components: to give up & '()*+,-, .(/0(+1+,-% to bring up & 2)*.3,42+,-% to do away & 5302363()2+,-. There are other composite verbs in which the original meaning of its components is preserved: to stand up, to come in, to go out, to put on. III. The basic forms of the verb in 7odern 8nglish are: the Infinitive, the Past Indefinite and Participle II to speak & spoke & spoken. $ccording to the wa in which the Past Indefinite and Participle II are formed, verbs are divided into three gro#ps: reg#lar verbs, irregular verbs, and mi!ed verbs. 1. Regular verbs form the Past Indefinite and Participle II b adding - ed to the stem of the verb. to want wanted to open opened to unite united to live lived

The pron#nciation of - ed depends on the so#nd preceding it. It is prono#nced: "#d$ "d$ "t$ after t, d wanted , landed% after voiced consonants !except d" and after vowels: opened, played% after voiceless consonants !except t" worked.

The following spelling r#les sho#ld be observed: %a& 9inal is changed into i before the addition of -ed if it is preceded b a consonant: to carry carried remains #nchanged if it is preceded b a vowel: to en!oy en!oyed

%b& If a verb ends in a consonant preceded b a short stressed vowel, the final consonant is do#bled. to stop stopped to stir stirred to plan planned to submit submitted

9inal r is do#bled if it is preceded b a stressed vowel. to occur occurred to prefer preferred to refer referred

9inal r is not do#bled when preceded b a diphthong. to appear appeared

The Verb. General Information

Page : of 5

9inal l is do#bled if it is preceded b a short vowel, stressed or #nstressed: to compel compelled to "uarrel "uarrelled :. Irregular verbs. ;ere belong the following gro#ps of verbs: %a& verbs which change their root vowel. to sing sang sung to meet met met to win won won

%b& verbs which change their root vowel and add - en for Participle II. to speak spoke spoken to write wrote written to take took taken

%c& verbs which change their root vowel and add -d or -t. to sell sold sold to bring brought brought

%d& verbs which change their final - d into - t. to send sent sent to build built built

%e& verbs which have the same form for the Infinitive, Past Indefinite and Participle II. to put put put to set set set to shut shut shut

%f& verbs whose forms come from different stems. to be was, were been %g& special irreg#lar verbs. to have & had & had to ma<e & made & made to do & did & done to go went gone

%h& defective !anomalo#s" verbs. can could must ought may might will would shall should

=. 'i!ed verbs. Their Past Indefinite is of the reg#lar t pe, and their Participle II is of the irreg#lar t pe: to show showed shown to sow sowed sown

IV. $ccording to their s(ntactic function verbs are divided into notional verbs, au!iliar( verbs and lin) verbs. 1. *otional verbs are those which have a f#ll meaning of their own and can be #sed witho#t an additional words as a simple predicate. ;ere belong s#ch verbs as to write, to read, to speak, to know, to ask. #he knew what he was thinking. ($alsworthy) %e study at &omrat #tate 'niversity. :. +u!iliar( verbs are those which have lost their meaning and are #sed onl as form words, th#s having onl a grammatical f#nction. The are #sed in anal tical forms. ;ere belong s#ch verbs as to do, to have, to be, shall, will, should, would.

The Verb. General Information

Page = of 5

( havent seen her recently. )ane didnt remember him doing anything of that kind before. *ll this time )im was thinking + =. ,in) verbs are verbs which to a smaller or greater extent have lost their meaning and are #sed in the compo#nd nominal predicate. ,he house was too big. ($alsworthy) ,he old face looked worn and hollow again. ($alsworthy) -ate felt badly ill, but was full of hopes and e.pectations. In different contexts the same verb can be #sed as a notional verb and an a#xiliar verb or a lin< verb: >he turned her head awa from me. !?@TI@?$A V8BC" >he turned pale. !AI?D V8BC" ?o one -as there to meet him. (/indsay) !?@TI@?$A V8BC" >he -as not a tenE earEold girl an more... (0reiser) !AI?D V8BC" There is a special gro#p of verbs which cannot be #sed witho#t additional words, tho#gh the have a meaning of their own. These are modal verbs s#ch as can, may, must, ought, should, would etc. + ,hough he could not, dared not question the consul1s strict command, its purpose lay beyond his comprehension. 2%e ought to have stayed in (taly,3 he said. 2%e ought never to have come back to 4anderley.3 The same verb in different contexts can be modal and a#xiliar . ( crouched against the wall of the gallery so that I should not be seen. (*'5(/(*67 896:) %e should be honest to each other. (4;0*/ 896:) )ane had no idea what she would do without 4ike.(*'5(/(*67 896:) ( would sit on the sea coast and listen to the sea waves+ (4;0*/ 896:) V. $ verb can be transitive and intransitive. Transitive verbs can ta<e a direct obFect, i. e. the express an action which passes on to a person or thing directl . ;ere belong s#ch verbs as to take, to give, to send, to make, to see, to show, to bring, to love etc. )on had never loved her so much as in that minute. :ill sent )ane a letter. There are verbs which can be #sed either with or witho#t a direct obFect, s#ch as to read, to write, to hear, to see. ;n <riday night about eleven he had packed his bag and was leaning out of his window... when he heard a tiny sound, as of a finger-nail, tapping on his door. ($alsworthy) ,he starch, as he soon heard, was valued at ten dollars a barrel and it only brought si.. (0reiser) Intransitive verbs cannot ta<e a direct obFect. ;ere belong s#ch verbs as to stand, to sleep, to laugh, to think, to lie, to swim. #he + stood "uite still. (8oynich)

The Verb. General Information

Page G of 5

There are verbs which in different contexts can be transitive or intransitive. ;ere belong s#ch verbs as to open, to move, to turn, to change, to drop, etc. The woman opened the door at once almost breathlessl . (=ardy) Hhile she stood hesitating, the door opened, and an old man came forth ... (=ardy) VI. $ verb can also have some aspect characteristics depending on its le!ical meaning. $ccordingl verbs are divided into terminative, non-terminative and verbs of double le!ical %aspect& character. .. Terminative verbs !.(/6/5-I4/ J5+J)54" denote an action impl ing a certain limit be ond which it cannot go. ;ere belong s#ch verbs as to come, to bring, to build, to give, to take, to receive, to find, to fall, to kill, to die, to become, to stand up, to sit down, to come to. ;e went to the <itchen and brought him a ca<e and a plate of bisc#its. (&arter) K women stood up to see who it was ma<ing his wa to the front. (&arter) :. *on-terminative verbs !I/.(/6/5-I4/ J5+J)54" denote a certain action which does not impl an limit. ;ere belong s#ch verbs as to live, to e.ist, to sleep, to love, to be, to have, to possess, to work, to speak, to respect, to hope, to sit, etc. >he sat erect in the hard chair, her gloved hands gracef#ll folded in her lap. (&arter) /. Verbs of double le!ical character in certain contexts have a terminative meaning, and in others, a nonEterminative meaning. ;ere belong s#ch verbs as to see, to hear, to write, to read, to translate. $rth#r loo<ed ro#nd the room, sa- that ever thing was hidden, and #nloc<ed the door. (terminative) I donLt believe in fairies. I never see an . (non-terminative) VII. $s has alread been mentioned, the verb has the grammatical categories of person, number, tense, aspect, voice and mood. In 7odern 8nglish there are few forms indicating person and n#mber in the s nthetic forms of the verb. These are: !1" The third person sing#lar Present >imple !Indefinite" Indicative & he speaks. !:" The 9#t#re >imple !Indefinite" tense. ( shall speak =e will speak %e shall speak ,hey will speak

The verb to be has s#ppletive forms for different persons !sing#lar and pl#ral". ( =e am, is, was was %e 7ou > ,hey are, were

VIII. The categor of tense expresses the relationship between the time of the action and the time of spea<ing. The time of spea<ing is present time. The time that follows the time of spea<ing is f#t#re time. The time that precedes the time of spea<ing is past time. $ccordingl there are three tenses in 8nglish E the present tense, the future tense and the past tense which refer actions to present, f#t#re or past time. Cesides these three tenses there is one more tense in 8nglish, the soEcalled future in the past. The pec#liarit of this tense lies in the fact that the f#t#re is loo<ed #pon from the point of view of some moment in the past.

The Verb. General Information

Page 5 of 5

I0. The categor of aspect shows the wa or manner in which the action develops, whether it is in progress or completed, etc. There are fo#r forms: Mommon !Indefinite", Montin#o#s, Perfect and Perfect Montin#o#s. 8ach of these forms incl#des fo#r tenses: Present, Past, 9#t#re and 9#t#re in the Past. Tense $spect Mommon Montin#o#s Perfect Montin#o#s Present spea< are spea<ing have spo<en have been spea<ing Past spo<e were spea<ing had spo<en had been spea<ing 9#t#re will spea< will be spea<ing will have spo<en
will have been spea<ing

9#t#re wo#ld spea< wo#ld be spea<ing wo#ld have spo<en

wo#ld have been spea<ing

0. Voice is the categor of the verb which indicates relation of the predicate to the s#bFect and the obFect. There are two commonl accepted voices in 8nglish: the active voice, the passive voice. The active voice shows that the person or thing denoted b the s#bFect is the doer of the action expressed b the predicate. Lewis Carroll wrote 2 *lice in %onderland3. The passive voice shows that the person or thing denoted b the s#bFect is acted #pon. !lice in "onderland# was written by /ewis &arroll wrote. 0I. 7ood is a grammatical categor which indicates the attit#de of the spea<er towards the action expressed b the verb from the point of view of its realit . He disting#ish the indicative mood, the imperative mood, and the sub1unctive mood. #tudents speak 9nglish in class. ((?0(&*,(89) 0on1t speak@ ((4A96*,(89) (f ( spoke 9nglish fluently, it wouldn1t be a problem for me to e.press my thought clearly. (#':)'?&,(89)