VERBS Flashcards
What is a verb?
A verb is a word that signifies an action, condition/state of being, or process.
What are the two basic types of verbs in the English language?
- Lexical Verbs
- Auxiliary Verbs
What are lexical verbs?
Verbs that convey the full meaning in a sentence and can stand alone.
What are auxiliary verbs?
Helping verbs that derive their content from lexical verbs and cannot stand alone.
Name the primary auxiliary verbs.
- Be (is, are, was, were, been)
- Have (has, had)
- Do (does, did)
What are modal auxiliary verbs used for?
To indicate modalities such as ability, likelihood, permission, obligation, request, capacity, and suggestion.
List the modal auxiliary verbs in the English language.
- can
- could
- may
- might
- must
- ought
- shall
- should
- will
- would
What is a regular verb?
A verb that forms its tenses by adding the suffixes -d or -ed.
What is an irregular verb?
A verb that has a different set of rules for conjugation and is unpredictable in its inflections.
What defines transitive verbs?
Verbs that transfer the action of the subject to an object.
What are monotransitive verbs?
Transitive verbs that take on a single object.
What are ditransitive verbs?
Transitive verbs that take on two objects or an object and an indirect object.
Define intransitive verbs.
Verbs that do not take on any objects but can be followed by an adverb.
What are linking verbs?
Verbs that connect the subject to its predicate noun or adjective.
What are finite verbs?
Verbs that are limited to number and person inflections in conjugation.
What are non-finite verbs?
Verbs that have no restrictions to person and number, are not marked for tense, and can only function in dependent clauses.
What are the three forms of non-finite verbs?
- Infinitives
- Participials
- Gerunds
What does aspect in verbs indicate?
It states if the action expressed by the verb has been completed or is incomplete/ongoing.
What are the two types of tenses in English based on descriptive linguistics?
- The Simple Present Tense
- The Simple Past Tense
What is the simple present tense used for?
To describe actions, states, or events happening during the discussion.
What is the simple past tense used for?
To describe an action that has happened before the present.
Define tense.
The grammatical concept that indicates the time of action or event.
What does the simple or zero aspect state?
That an action or state of being occurs without relating to the flow of time.
What is the progressive aspect?
It shows that the action expressed by the verb is ongoing/incomplete.