Grammar- Verbs

Question 1

What is an Auxiliary Verb?

Answer 1

• Assists the main verb (auxiliary comes first)
• Primary auxiliary verbs do, have and be denote changes of tense.

Question 2

What is Epistemic Modality?

Answer 2

Deals with likelihood of something occurring from possibility through to certainty. Also covers situations which are unsure.

Question 3

What is Deontic Modality?

Answer 3

Deals with obligation, permission and necessity, e.g. ‘You must tidy your room.’

Question 4

What is an infinitive verb?

Answer 4

Begins with ‘To’ and is followed by a base verb.
e.g. to see, to do

Question 5

Define a Verb.

Answer 5

Describes an action or state

Question 6

Define a Primary Verb.

Answer 6

• Be (am, are, is, was, were)
• Have (had)
• Do (does)

Question 7

Define a Main Verb.

Answer 7

• The verb that carries the main meaning/process in a verb phrase (+ therefore is a clause)

Question 8

Define Irregular + Regular Verbs.

Answer 8

• Irregular verb: changes their form when changing from present to past tense (e.g. ‘swim/swam’)
• Regular verbs: take a regular -ed inflection when changing from present to past tense (e.g. ‘walk/walked’)

Question 9

Define an Inflection.

Answer 9

• Verb ending such as -ed, -s or -ing added to change a tense or number.

Question 10

Define Modal Auxiliary Verbs.

Answer 10

• A sub-category of auxiliary verb that expresses degrees of possibility, probability, necessity or obligation
• Include: ‘can’, ‘could’, ‘may’, ‘might’, ‘shall’, ‘should’, ‘ought’, ‘must’, ‘will’, ‘would’

Question 11

Define Dynamic Verbs.

Answer 11

• Describes something happening; there’s a process taking place
• Dynamic verbs are actions that can start and end.
• (e.g. ‘He thought about his future’, ‘The bee sipped the nectar’)
  These verbs can either be material or verbal.

Question 12

Define Stative Verbs.

Answer 12

*Describe something that is simply existing, it just is.
* Describe actions/states which are quite constant.
*No shifts or changes taking place (e.g. ‘she seems quiet’, ‘I know her well’)
* Can be broken down into mental (or cognitive) or relational.

Question 13

Define Mental Stative Verbs.

Answer 13

• Mental stative verbs describe an intrinsic process.
• Examples: Ellie thought about writing a book.
  Here, ‘thought’ is a stative mental verb.
  Sally loved her brother dearly.
  Here, ‘loved’ is a stative mental verb.

Question 14

Define Relational Stative Verbs.

Answer 14

• Relational stative verbs show the relation between things or show a state of being.
• Examples: Ellie became an author.
  Here, ‘became’ is a stative relational verb.
  Isaac owns three cars.
  Here, ‘owns’ is a stative relational verb.

Question 15

Define Dynamic Material Verbs.

Answer 15

• Material verbs are concerned with events.
• Examples: Anna drove to work.
  Drove is the material dynamic verb.
  James parked his car.
  Parked is the material dynamic verb.

Question 16

Define Dynamic Verbal Verbs.

Answer 16

• Verbal verbs are concerned with a communication.
• Examples: Anna sang the song on her way to work.
  Sang is the verbal dynamic verb.
  Molly and Billie spoke for hours.
  Spoke is the verbal dynamic verb.