Verb Phrase (VP)

In a VERB PHRASE (VP), the Head is always a verb. The pre-Head string, if any, will be a `negative' word such as not [1] or never [2], or an adverb phrase [3]:
[1] [VP not compose an aria] [2] [VP never compose an aria] [3] Paul [VP deliberately broke the window]

Many verb Heads must be followed by a post-Head string:

My son [VP made a cake] -- (compare: *My son made) We [VP keep pigeons] -- (compare: *We keep) I [VP recommend the fish] -- (compare: *I recommend)

Verbs which require a post-Head string are called TRANSITIVE verbs. The post-Head string, in these examples, is called the DIRECT OBJECT. In contrast, some verbs are never followed by a direct object:
Susan [VP smiled] The professor [VP yawned]

These are known as INTRANSITIVE VERBS. However, most verbs in English can be both transitive and intransitive, so it is perhaps more accurate to refer to transitive and intransitive usesof a verb. The following examples show the two uses of the same verb:
Intransitive: David smokes Transitive: David smokes cigars

We will return to the structure of verb phrases in a later section.

English Verb Phrases

A verb phrase is a phrase in which a verb functions as the phrase head. In English, five grammatical forms may appear along with a verb to form a verb phrase. The five grammatical forms are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Auxiliary verbs Prepositions Prepositional phrases Adverb phrases Determiners

The following sections explain the internal structure of the English verb phrase in more detail with examples.

Auxiliary Verbs
The first grammatical form that can appear in a verb phrase in English is the auxiliary verb. In English, the twelve auxiliary verbs are have, be, do, and the nine modal verbs (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, and would). Auxiliary verbs perform the functions of progressive, perfect, passive, operator, and modal within verb phrases. For example:

Progressive Auxiliary Verb | Verb was | barking Perfect Auxiliary Verb | Verb have | tickled Passive Auxiliary Verb | Verb were | stolen Operator Auxiliary Verb | Verb do | call Modal Auxiliary Verb | Verb will | study

Auxiliary verbs always precede the main verb within a verb phrase. Operator auxiliary verbs may only appear with the main verb. Progressive, perfect, passive, and modal auxiliary verb may appear with other progressive, perfect, passive, and modal auxiliary verbs. The order in which auxiliary verbs can appear together is Modal-Perfect-PassiveProgressive. For example:

Perfect | Progressive | Verb

had | been | sleeping Perfect | Passive | Verb has | been | broken Modal | Progressive | Verb could | be | swimming Modal | Perfect | Passive | Verb might | have | been | swindled Modal | Perfect | Passive | Progressive | Verb should | have | been | being | watched

Prepositions
The second grammatical form that can appear in a verb phrase in English is the preposition. Prepositions are traditionally defined as "words that indicate relationships between nouns, adjectives, and verbs and other words." Within the verb phrase, however, prepositions perform the grammatical functions of infinitive marker and particle. An infinitive marker is defined as a function word that distinguishes the base form from the infinitive form of an English verb. For example:

Preposition | Verb to | smile to | boil to | pickle to | google

A particle is defined as a function word that expresses a grammatical relationship with another word but that lacks a definite lexical meaning. For example:

Verb | Preposition drop | out pass | away Verb | Preposition | Preposition zero | in | on carry | on | about

Prepositions always function as particles in phrasal verbs.

Prepositional Phrases

The third grammatical form that can appear in a verb phrase in English is the prepositional phrase. Prepositional phrases are defined as phrases formed by a preposition followed by a prepositional complement. Within the verb phrase, prepositional phrases primarily perform the grammatical function of verb phrase complement within verb phrases but also can perform the grammatical function of verb phrase modifier. A verb phrase complement is defined as a word, phrase, or clause that that completes the meaning of verb or verb phrase. For example:

Verb | Prepositional Phrase experiment | on the potato gawk | at the whipped cream catastrophe operate | on her busted wrist wish | for a pudding cup

Prepositional phrases always follow the verb within a verb phrase and always function as verb phrase complements in prepositional verbs. Please continue reading on page two for more information on the internal structure of verb phrases in English.

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Adverb Phrases
The fourth grammatical form that can appear in a verb phrase in English is the adverb phrase. Adverb phrases are defined as phrases with an adverb functioning as the head of the phrase plus any other adverbs functioning as adverb phrase modifiers. Adverb phrases primarily perform the grammatical function of verb phrase modifier within verb phrases but can also perform the grammatical function of verb phrase complement. A verb phrase modifier is defined as a word or phrase that describes a verb or verb phrase. For example:

Verb | Adverb Phrase write | illegibly scream | loudly Adverb Phrase | Verb quickly | ran very quietly | sneak

Adverb phrases may precede or follow the verb within a verb phrase.

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Determiners
The fifth grammatical form that can appear in a verb phrase in English is the determiner usually in the form of a possessive determiner. The eight possessive determiners in English are my, your, his, her, its, our, their, and whose. Other determiners include articles, demonstrative determiners, interrogative determiners, numerals, and quantifiers. Determiners perform the grammatical function of determinative within verb phrases. For example:

Determiner | Verb your | washing (the dishes) my | throwing (a tantrum) his | coughing (on the potato salad) our | passing (the test)

Determiners always precede the verb within a verb phrase. Only verbs in the form of present particles performing nominal functions can take determiners.

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Combining Grammatical Forms

The five grammatical forms that can appear within verb phrases can also appear in combination with other grammatical forms within a single verb phrase. For example, the following ten constructions are some of the possible combinations of grammatical forms within verb phrases in English:

Auxiliary Verb(s)-Verb Verb-Preposition Preposition-Verb-Preposition Preposition-Verb-Prepositional Phrase

Auxiliary Verb(s)-Adverb-Verb Auxiliary Verb(s)-Verb-Adverb Phrase Auxiliary Verb(s)-Adverb Phrase-Verb-Preposition Auxiliary Verb(s)-Adverb Phrase-Verb-Prepositional Phrase Adverb Phrase-Verb-Preposition Determiner-Verb-Preposition

For example:

Perfect | Adverb Phrase | Progressive | Verb | Preposition had | not | been | throwing | up Modal | Perfect | Progressive | Verb | Prepositional Phrase | Adverb Phrase will | have | been | looking | for the diamond | frantically Determiner | Adverb Phrase | Verb | Prepositional Phrase my | obviously | eavesdropping | on her private conversation

Note that more than just the ten constructions of the verb phrase listed above are possible in the English language.

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