The Structure of

the Verb Group

Outline
1. Auxiliary verbs
1. Modals
2. Perfect have
3. Progressive be
4. Passive be
5. The dummy do
2. The order of auxiliaries and affix hop
3. Finiteness
Lexical and Auxiliary Verbs
 Five tests for auxiliary verbs:
1. Auxiliaries must be used together with lexical
verbs——unless ellipsis occurs.
2. Auxiliaries have little meaning. Instead they
express tense and aspect.
3. Auxiliaries invert in questions.
4. Auxiliaries occur before n’t.
5. Auxiliaries are used in tags.
Hans Christian Andersen and the Verb
Group
Auxiliaries in “The Ugly Duckling”
Find the Auxiliaries
 The stork … chattered in the Egyptian language, which
he had learned from his mother.
 That old duck … is the highest born of them all, the
highest born of them all, and has Spanish blood,
therefore, she is all, and has Spanish blood, therefore, she
is well off.
 She has a red flag tied to her leg, which is… a great
honor for a duck.
 He has remained too long in the egg, and therefore his
figure is not properly formed.
Here are the Auxiliaries
 The stork … chattered in the Egyptian language, which
he had learned from his mother.
 That old duck … is the highest born of them all, the
highest born of them all, and has Spanish blood,
therefore, she is all, and has Spanish blood, therefore, she
is well off.
 She has a red flag tied to her leg, which is… a great
honor for a duck.
 He has remained too long in the egg, and therefore his
figure is not properly formed.
Find the Auxiliaries
 “Well, how are you getting on?” asked an old
duck, who paid her a visit.
 Two families were fighting for an eel’s head.
 “The others are very pretty children,” said the old
duck.
 His brothers and sisters were unkind to him, and
would say, “Ah, you ugly creature, I wish the cat
would get you.”
Here are the Auxiliaries
 “Well, how are you getting on?” asked an old
duck, who paid her a visit.
 Two families were fighting for an eel’s head.
 “The others are very pretty children,” said the old
duck.
 His brothers and sisters were unkind to him, and
would say, “Ah, you ugly creature, I wish the cat
would get you.”
Nine Modals
 can  „ „ Modals do not have
 could agreement or tense
 may endings.
 might  Modals occur first in a
 shall sequence of auxiliaries.
 should  „ „ Modals do not
 will
require an affix on the
 would verb that follows them
 must
Find the Modals
 Ifyou can find an eel’s head, you can bring it to
me.
 He bowed to them, and was as polite as he could
be.
 You must keep close to me or you may be trodden
upon.
 The duckling thought that others might hold a
different opinion on the subject.
Here are the Modals
 Ifyou can find an eel’s head, you can bring it to
me.
 He bowed to them, and was as polite as he could
be.
 You must keep close to me or you may be trodden
upon.
 The duckling thought that others might hold a
different opinion on the subject.
Find the Modals
 “I will fly to those royal birds,” he exclaimed,
“and they will kill me, because I am so ugly.”
 Ah you ugly creature , I wish the cat would get
you.
 She would have liked the eel’s head herself.
 I hope it is not a drake, for then I shall have some
duck’s eggs. I must wait and see.
Find the Modals
 “I will fly to those royal birds,” he exclaimed,
“and they will kill me, because I am so ugly.”
 Ah you ugly creature , I wish the cat would get
you.
 She would have liked the eel’s head herself.
 I hope it is not a drake, for then I shall have some
duck’s eggs. I must wait and see.
Five Tests for Auxiliary Verbs
1. Auxiliaries must be used together with lexical
verbs——unless ellipsis occurs.
2. Auxiliaries have little meaning. Instead they
express tense and aspect.
3. Auxiliaries invert in questions.
4. Auxiliaries occur before n’t.
5. Auxiliaries are used in tags.
Semi-Modals
dare (to) , need (to), have to, ought to
 „ „ Which auxiliary tests do these modals pass?
 „ „ Which tests do they not pass?
 They will kill me, because I am so ugly, and dare to
approach them.
 The duckling had to paddle with his legs as well as
he could.
Find the Perfect Auxiliary have
 She would have liked the eel’s head herself.
 The stork … chattered in the Egyptian language,
which he had learned from his mother.
 He has remained too long in the egg, and therefore
his figure is not properly formed.
Perfect Auxiliary have
 She would have liked the eel’s head herself.
 The stork … chattered in the Egyptian language,
which he had learned from his mother.
 He has remained too long in the egg, and therefore
his figure is not properly formed.
Perfect Auxiliary have
„ Perfect auxiliary + ed affix
 have liked
 had learned
 has remained
„ „ Where’s the affix on these lexical verbs?
 has gone, have taken, has put
Find the Progressive Auxiliary be
 She was beginning to get tired of her task.
 “Well, how are you getting on?” asked an old
duck, who paid her a visit.
 Two families were fighting for an eel’s head.
 “Let him alone,” said the mother; “he is not doing
any harm.
Progressive Auxiliary be
 She was beginning to get tired of her task.
 “Well, how are you getting on?” asked an old
duck, who paid her a visit.
 Two families were fighting for an eel’s head.
 “Let him alone,” said the mother; “he is not doing
any harm.
Progressive Auxiliary be
 Progressive auxiliary + -ing affix
 was beginning
 are getting on
 were fighting
 is doing
Find the Passive Auxiliary be
 The poor duckling… was bitten and pushed and
made fun of, not only by the ducks, but by all the
poultry.
 The poor duckling was driven about by every one.
 The ducklings did as they were bid.
 She can be recognized both by man and beast
Passive Auxiliary be
 The poor duckling was bitten and pushed and
made fun of, not only by the ducks, but by all the
poultry.
 The poor duckling was driven about by every one.
 The ducklings did as they were bid.
 She can be recognized both by man and beast
Passive Auxiliary be
 „ „ Passive auxiliary + -ed affix
 was push
 be recognized
 „ „Where’s the affix on these lexical verbs?
 was put, was bitten, were bid
 was driven, about
 was made fun of
Auxiliary? Or Lexical Verb?
 “One egg is not hatched yet,” said the duck.
 His figure is not properly formed.
 She was beginning to get tired of her task.
 “As I have sat so long already, a few days will be
nothing.”
 You may be trodden upon.
 The corn--fields and meadows were surrounded by
large forests.
 His brothers and sisters were unkind to him.
Auxiliary
 “One egg is not hatched yet,” said the duck.
 His figure is not properly formed.
 She was beginning to get tired of her task.
 “As I have sat so long already, a few days will be
nothing.”
 You may be trodden upon.
 The corn--fields and meadows were surrounded by
large forests.
 His brothers and sisters were unkind to him.
Lexical Verb
 “One egg is not hatched yet,” said the duck.
 His figure is not properly formed.
 She was beginning to get tired of her task.
 “As I have sat so long already, a few days will be
nothing.”
 You may be trodden upon.
 The corn--fields and meadows were surrounded by
large forests.
 His brothers and sisters were unkind to him.
Dummy do
 „ „ Lexical verbs require do to form negatives and
questions:
 “You are exceedingly ugly,” said the wild ducks,
“but that will not matter if you do not want to marry
one of our family.”
 It does not matter.
 But what did he see in the clear stream below?
 He did not know what to do, he was so happy.
Order of Auxiliaries
 Order of auxiliaries:
1. Modal
2. Perfect
3. Progressive
4. Passive
o The thief may have been being observed.
Affix Hop
 Theaffix associated with a particular auxiliary
does not appear on the auxiliary, but on the next
verb. This process is called ‘affix hop.’
Affix Hop
 The thief may have been being observed
 modal perfect prog. passive ed-participle
 The thief „ „
 The thief may
 The thief may have
 The thief may have been
 The thief may have been being
 The thief may have been being observed.
Finite Verbs
„ „ A complete sentence consists of and a finite
verb.
 A finite verb …
 Agrees with the subject (in the present tense)
 Indicates present or past
 Has a subject in the nominative case
Non-finite Verbs
„ The verb in a sentence fragment is nonfinite.
finite.
 A non-finite verb …
 Does not agrees with the subject
 Does not indicate present or past.
 Does not have a subject in the nominative case
Which Verbs are Finite?
 The stork walking about on his long red legs
chattered in the Egyptian language.
 In this snug retreat sat a duck on her nest,
watching for her young brood to hatch.
 At last he ran away, frightening the little birds in
the hedge as he flew over the palings.
 It was, indeed, delightful to walk about in the
country.
These Verbs are Finite
 The stork walking about on his long red legs
chattered in the Egyptian language.
 In this snug retreat sat a duck on her nest,
watching for her young brood to hatch.
 At last he ran away, frightening the little birds in
the hedge as he flew over the palings.
 It was, indeed, delightful to walk about in the
country.
Which Verbs are Non-finite?
 The stork walking about on his long red legs
chattered in the Egyptian language.
 In this snug retreat sat a duck on her nest,
watching for her young brood to hatch.
 At last he ran away, frightening the little birds in
the hedge as he flew over the palings.
 It was, indeed, delightful to walk about in the
country.
These Verbs are Non-finite
 The stork walking about on his long red legs
chattered in the Egyptian language.
 In this snug retreat sat a duck on her nest,
watching for her young brood to hatch.
 At last he ran away, frightening the little birds in
the hedge as he flew over the palings.
 It was, indeed, delightful to walk about in the
country.