Main Verb PhrasesTraditional grammar categorizes verbs by tense, then equates tense with real world timeIn reality, there are three grammatical concepts indicated in the main verb phraseTense, Modality, and Aspect

Main Verb PhrasesThese concepts overlap real-world time, but are not the same thing

Why three categories?

The three categories occur as distinct forms

In other words, they are marked in three different ways in the main verb phrase

Main Verb PhrasesThe Main Verb Phrase consists of the main verb, plus all the forms that show its tense, modality, and aspect

Tense

For our purposes, tense is a grammatical concept

Main Verb PhrasesTense determines the form of the verb

For historical reasons buried in the past, English is inflected for only two tenses: past and present

We show future, but in other ways

Main Verb PhrasesExamples:

“I walked my dog” (action in the past)

“I walk my dog every day” (indicates habitual action)

“Her plane leaves in three hours” (indicates future event)

Main Verb Phrases“Then I say . . . , then she says . . . , they I say” ( indicates past event)

Tense must occur in a verb phrase serving as a predicate

A verb that exhibits tense is said to be finite

Main Verb PhrasesA verb that does not exhibit tense is said to be non-finite

This is also called the base form

Main Verb PhrasesModality

We also classify sentences in English according to purpose

Indicative – makes statements

“Polynesians ruled Hawaii until 1788”

Main Verb PhrasesInterrogative – asks questions

“Why does cancer frustrate microbiologists?”

Imperative – gives commands

“Turn in your homework by noon on Friday”

Main Verb PhrasesConditional - indicates possibility

“Women athletes can compete against men in most sports”

Normally we make the conditional by adding certain words called modal auxiliaries

Page 195 of your book has the list – also on page 106

Main Verb PhrasesIf a modal auxiliaries occurs, it is always at the beginning of the main verb phrase

Since they concern possibility, they have come to be associated with expressing futurity

Main Verb PhrasesAspect

Indicates that the action of a verb is either completed or continuing

Aspect occurs in two forms:

Perfect

Progressive

Main Verb PhrasesPerfect

Indicates completed action

It is indicated by the auxiliary HAVE followed by a PAST PARTICIPLE

Please note that HAVE = have, has, had, having (page 106)

Main Verb PhrasesExamples:

“The astrologist had predicted an earthquake in May”

This is known as the PAST PERFECT

“Political relationships have unraveled on almost every continent”

Main Verb PhrasesThis is known as the PRESENT PERFECT

Note that both sentences refer to completed actions

Main Verb PhrasesTherefore, you must understand that the word “past” in PAST PARTICIPLE does not refer to real-world time, but only to the form of HAVE

Main Verb PhrasesTo construct the PAST PARTICIPLE

For regular verbs, add –ed

For some, add –n or –en

Driven

Some don’t change

Become - become

Main Verb PhrasesAnother way to think about it:

A PAST PARTICIPLE is the form of the verb that can follow HAVE

Main Verb PhrasesProgressive

Refers to continuing action

It is indicated by auxiliary BE followed by a PRESENT PARTICIPLE

BE = be, am, is, are, was, were, been, being (page 106)

Main Verb PhrasesExamples:“John Travolta was dancing in Brooklyn” This is known as the PAST PROGRESSIVE“Beth is crying”This is known as the PRESENT PROGRESSIVE

Main Verb PhrasesAgain the words “past” and “present” refer only to tense form, not real-world time

The PRESENT PARTICIPLE is always -ing (no exceptions to this rule)

Main Verb PhrasesPlease note – don’t be fooled by form

“Princess Diana was charming”

Here, “charming” is an adjective

vs.

“The Pope was charming his American audience”

Here, “charming” is a PRESENT PARTICIPLE

Main Verb PhrasesPage 193 has a table listing the traditional names of English verb forms, along with examples of each

We will now use this table to diagram the 12 different traditional English verb forms