Chapters 9-12

Question 1

What are the three auxiliary verbs that are not modals?

Answer 1

The primary auxiliaries be, have and do.

Question 2

Give an example of one modal used both in both a deontic and epistemic construction.

Answer 2

Deontic: “I must finish this essay.”
Epistemic: “It must have fallen below zero last night.”

Question 3

What is the traditional rule regarding “can” and “may”?

Answer 3

“Can” is about ability. “May” is about permission.

Question 4

What sort of tasks do the primary auxiliaries perform?

Answer 4

“be” and “have” express aspect and voice for verbs, and “do” has become all wrapped up in how we express questions and negation.

Question 5

What’s an example of an adjective that means different things attributively and predicatively.

Answer 5

His wife is late/His late wife

The curtains are sheer/This is sheer stupidity.

Question 6

Where might you find double or multiple modals in a phrase?

Answer 6

In non-standard varieties of English such as some southern varieties. “might could”, e.g.

Question 7

What are weak and strong verbs?

Answer 7

weak verbs take -ed for past tense; strong verbs have a vowel change (i.e. drink, drank).

Question 8

What is different about modal auxiliaries?

Answer 8

They do not inflect. “She mights” or “They musted” does not happen.

Question 9

In the sentence “Mary looked up my number” is there a phrasal verb?

Answer 9

Yes. “Looked up” is a unit. You can move the object to create “Mary looked my number up” or “Mary looked it up.” But not “Up my phone number is where Mary looked” because “up my phone number” is not a prepositional phrase.

Question 10

Describe perfect aspect.

Answer 10

describes an action in the past and its relation to another moment in time.

Question 11

What are some verbs that take prepositional phrases as objects?

Answer 11

Listen. I listen to music, not I listen music. Depend. It depends on the time, not it depends the time.

Question 12

How do adjectives of 3-syllables or more typically form comparatives and superlatives?

Answer 12

With more and most.

Question 13

Give an example of “to read” taking two objects.

Answer 13

“I read my grandmother the newspaper.” Here the verb is ditransitive.

Question 14

When does “can” for permission work better, even for mavens?

Answer 14

In a contracted negative construction such as “can’t I come?” as opposed to “mayn’t I come?”

Question 15

What are three tenses?

Answer 15

present, past and future.

Question 16

What types of modality to the modal verbs express?

Answer 16

deontic modality: ability, necessity, obligation or permission and epistemic modality: an assessment of reality or likelihood.

Question 17

Describe progressive aspect.

Answer 17

Actions in progress at the moment we are talking about them. (Her husband is cooking right now).

Question 18

What’s an example of using the nominative in the predicate for subject pronouns sounding odd?

Answer 18

“It is we” vs. “It’s us.”

Question 19

What’s a complex transitive verb?

Answer 19

One that looks like it has two objects, like “We elected Morgan president of the class.” But Morgan is the object and “president of the class” is equated with Morgan. It’s an object complement.

Question 20

What is the grammatical issue with the “it is I” vs. “it is me” issue?

Answer 20

The form of the “to be” verb is a linking verb equating the subject with a predicate noun or adjective phrase. Many think that phrase should be in the nominative.

Question 21

How do two-syllable adjectives typically form comparatives and superlatives?

Answer 21

They can go with either -er, -est or with more, most.

Question 22

Why is “I am good” really not bad?

Answer 22

the “to be” verb here is a linking verb and expects an adjective. “good” should be fine, but is somewhat stigmatized.

Question 23

Describe the present perfect.

Answer 23

An action that began in the past and is still happening or is relevant now. (I have run five miles).

Question 24

Give an example of “to read” taking one object.

Answer 24

“I read the newspaper.” Here the verb is transitive, or monotransitive.

Question 25

What is a phrasal verb?

Answer 25

One that consists of the verb and a particle. Examples include: cut up, break up, ask out.

Question 26

In the sentence “Mary looked up the hill” is there a phrasal verb?

Answer 26

No. “up the hill” is a prepositional phrase describing where Mary looked.

Question 27

What is grammatical aspect?

Answer 27

how we view an event with respect to time (versus when it occurred in time).

Question 28

How does a two syllable adjective ending in -ful typically form comparatives and superlatives?

Answer 28

with more/most. more hopeful; most cheerful.

Question 29

What are the nine modal auxiliary verbs or modals in English?

Answer 29

Can, may, might, must, could, shall, should, will, and would.

Question 30

What is the word order rule for transitive verbs?

Answer 30

The word order is always 1) subject, 2) verb, 3) indirect object and 4) direct object. i.e. My friend made me a birthday cake. The object can always be bumped to the end with to/for: My friend made a birthday cake for me.

Question 31

What are some adjectives that only appear attributively (i.e. before the noun)?

Answer 31

former and latter. “the former point”, not “the point is former”.

Question 32

Give an example of a double superlative form in Shakespeare’s King Lear.

Answer 32

“To take the basest, and most poorest shape.”

Question 33

How does a two-syllable adjective ending in -y typically form comparatives and superlatives?

Answer 33

with -er/-est. Happy becomes happiest; easy becomes easiest.

Question 34

Give an example of a double comparative form in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure.

Answer 34

“To some more fitter place.”

Question 35

What are some adjectives that only appear predicatively (i.e. in the predicate)?

Answer 35

Awake and asleep. “The student is asleep”, not “The asleep student”.

Question 36

Give an example of “to read” taking no object.

Answer 36

“I read” or “I read everyday.” Intransitive.

Question 37

Which modals are in serious decline?

Answer 37

“shall” and the deontic usage of “must.”

Question 38

How do one-syllable adjectives typically form comparatives and superlatives?

Answer 38

By taking -er and -est endings.

Question 39

What are two emerging “semi-modals”?

Answer 39

“hafta” and “gonna.”