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Reproduced by kind permission of Erik Smitterberg (PhD, Docent), Department of English, Uppsala University

A-level Grammar4: Verbs and Verb Phrases I

Finite Verb Forms I

• Finite verb forms express tense (present vs. past), number (singular vs. plural), person (1st, 2nd, 3rd), and/or mood (indicative, imperative, subjunctive)– Tense: He pays my bills (present) vs. He paid my bills

(past)– Number and person: She pays my bills (3rd person

singular) vs. They pay my bills (not 3rd person singular)

– Mood: She pays my bills (indicative) vs. I demand that she pay my bills (subjunctive) vs. Pay my bills! (imperative)

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Finite Verb Forms II• The present indicative:

– We play tennis– He plays tennis

• The present subjunctive:– It is crucial that he play well today

• The imperative:– Play tennis!

• The past indicative:– We/He played tennis

• The past subjunctive:– He gave orders as if he were the boss

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Nonfinite Verb Forms I

• Unlike finite verb forms, nonfinite verb forms do not express tense, number, person, or mood– We can play the violin– She could play the violin– I am mowing the lawn– He is mowing the lawn– Playing football is my favourite hobby– Playing football was my favourite hobby

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Nonfinite Verb Forms II

• The infinitive:– I started to read when the light came on– I will read the paper on the train

• The present participle or -ing form:– I was reading the paper when you arrived– I love reading a good book

• The past participle:– I have read dozens of books this year– This book will be read by millions of people

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Finite and Nonfinite Forms That Often Look Identical

• The past tense and the past participle of all regular verbs and some irregular verbs:– I played tennis in 2009– I have played tennis for five years

• The present indicative (except the 3rd person singular in -(e)s), the present subjunctive, the imperative, and the infinitive of all verbs except modals and be:– We often play tennis– I demanded that she play better– Play better!– We would play tennis if we could

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Finite Verb Phrases

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The first verb form is finite

In a finite verb phrase:

Any other verb forms are non-finite

present indicative

past participle

present participle

present indicative

past participle

past participle

infinitive

past indicative

I play tennis

I have been playing tennis

This should have been done already

Nonfinite Verb Phrases

• A nonfinite verb phrase does not contain a finite verb form

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Playing tennis is great fun

Having been booed off stage, the actor quit his job

present participle

past participle

past participle

present participle

Main Verbs and Auxiliaries

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Auxiliaries

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modal: modal auxiliary + infinitive

perfect: have + past participle

progressive: be + present participle

passive: be + past participle

There are five possible combinations of an auxiliary and another verb form in English:

do-support: do + infinitive

I will mow the lawn

I have mowed the lawn

I am mowing the lawn

The lawn was mowed by me

Did you mow the lawn?

The other verb form may be a main verb (see the above examples) or another auxiliary (see next slide)

Do-support is never used if there are other auxiliaries

The Order of Auxiliaries: Modal, Perfect, Progressive, Passive

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This pasta should have been cooked by you

modal: modal auxiliary + infinitive

passive: be + past participle

perfect: have + past participle

Someone must have been eating my potato crisps

modal: modal auxiliary + infinitive

perfect: have + past participle

progressive: be + present participle

Finite Verb Forms and the Order of Auxiliaries

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• The same verb phrase can never contain more than one finite verb form

• Any auxiliaries must appear in the correct order• Each auxiliary + verb combination can only occur once in

a verb phrase

*I should had left already

I should have left already

past indicative; modal aux.

past indicative? past participle?; perfect aux.

past participle; main verb

past participle; main verb

infinitive;perfect aux.

past indicative; modal aux.

×√

Do-supportAuxiliary do is used to form questions and negations, and for emphasis, when there there is no other auxiliary:

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The police caught the thief

Did the police catch the thief?

past indicative main verb

infinitive main verb

past indicative auxiliary do

Exceptions:•The main verb be except in the imperative•Wh-questions where the wh-word is the subject

I am not happy with my performance

Who | took | the money?Don’t be shy!

S V Od

Modal Auxiliaries Corresponding to Swedish Skulle

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• The word normally corresponding to skulle is would, not should (which often corresponds to bör and borde)

• Exceptions:– Should kan be used instead of would with 1st-person

subjects in BrE: If I knew that I would/should tell you– Should expresses low probability in if-clauses

(≈händelsevis skulle): If you should miss the bus, please take a taxi

– Should + infinitive is an alternative to the mandative subjunctive (mostly in BrE): I demanded that he (should) pay for my meal

The Mandative Subjunctive

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• = The present subjunctive when it occurs in that-clauses after triggering expressions that involve suggestions, demands, desires, etc. (see UGE 5.2.2.5)

• Identical with the base (infinitive) form of the verb• The tense does not change in the that-clause

I demanded that he pay for the windowIt is crucial that they be here tomorrow

• In BrE, should + infinitive is an alternative

I demanded that he should pay for the windowIt is crucial that they should be here tomorrow

Further Reading

• Compendium:– Unit 4, Verbs and Verb Phrases I

• A University Grammar of English (UGE):– Chapter 5, sections 5.1-5.3; 5.6