Account for the verb phrase in English language.

Definition of verb

Are the words which stand to express action, state or an occurance.

Verb phrase

Is the portion of the sentence that contains both verb and either a direct or indirect object (the verbs dependence). A verb phrase contain a main verb (the head word) and any of accompanying auxiliary verbs (is, was, have etc). (Leach 2001)

1. I may see him
2. I will see him
3. I should have seen him.

Aspects of verb phrase

Aspect refers to how time of action of the verb is regarded whether it is complete, progressive or showing duration. (Leach 2001).

There are two aspects of verb phrase

1. Perfective aspect
2. Progressive aspect.

1. Perfective aspect

Perfective aspect is usually formed using forms of auxiliary verbs (have, has) followed by the past participle. For example He has typed several letters.

In past tense

1. We had seen
2. I had cleaned

In present tense

1. I have seen
2. She has taken

In the future tense

1. You will have finished
2. They will have eaten

2. Progressive aspect

Is form of be followed by a verb in the –ing form

For example: he has been singing

In present progressive aspect

1. I am going to school
2. They are working.

In past progressive aspect

1. Everybody had been singing
2. He has been working hard.

In future progressive aspect

1. In that case I will have to change my plan.

Inherent Verb Properties

i)Voice

Refers to the verb form that shows whether the subject performs the actions or the actions are performed by subject. The passive forms are made up of the verb “be” with past participle.

Example: Sakume has cleaned the windows ii(active)

The windows have been cleaned by Sakume.

ii)Modal

Are modal auxiliary followed by a verb in the infinitive (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would) followed by main verbs.

Examples

• They will come
• He might come
• He can type quite well.

iii)Tense

Tense is the system of making on the first verb of a finite verb. It is used to indicate whether the event or state held in the past or it holds in present or future. English has two types of tenses which are present tense and past tense.

Example of present tense

• The sun sets in the west
• Today Bill is in his office.(Huddlestone 2004)

Past tense

• Yesterday Bill was at the conference
• I was writing poetry with a special pen.

iv)Mood

Are verbs expressing a particular attitudes or actions. The mood of a phrase can be grouped into three types based on the kind of general meaning they convey.

a)Factual or indicative mood

They are used for stating and indicating matters of a factual kind.

Example: It is raining. (Huddleston, 2004)

b)Subjunctive mood

It is used to express wishes, conditions and other non-factual situation.

For example

• I insisted that Hamisi will pay on time
• We recommended that he will continue with school.

c)Imperative mood

It is used to express directive utterances (commands)

Example:

• put it down
• Sit in the corner

Interrogative mood

This normally asks questions. They are two types of question, Yes/No and wh-questions.

Example: Can you help me? (Yes no)

What is your name? (wh-)

v)Polarity

Is the state of being positive or negative or is the situation where by two sentences are opposing each other. It indicates whether the verb phrase is affirmative that is positive or negative. (Huddleston, 2004)

Example: I am writing (positive)

I am not writing (negative).

Types of Verb Phrase

There are two types of verb phrase;

1. Finite verb phrases
2. Non-finite verb phrases.

i)Finite Verb Phrases

These are distinguished by containing a finite verb as their first (or only) word. The finite verb is the element of the verb phrases which has present or past tense. For example;

• He cleaned the class
• He cleans the class.

Finite verb phrase occurs as the verb element of the main clauses, therefore there is usually person and number concord between the subject and finite verb. Modal auxiliary verb act as finite verb although they have no concord with the subject. . (Leach, 2001)

Example; They can run quickly

He will sing slowly

ii)Non-finite Verb Phrases

Are the infinitive which consists of the “ing” participle and the “ed” participle “en”, “to”. (Brown & Gim, 1991) Also this verb does not show time or verb which is not limited by number, person tense of the subject.

Example: -To study is my hobby.

-I found him cooking.

-After having left the office he went home by car.

Other Types of Verb Phrases in English Language

1.Transitive Verb

Is a verb which is normally has direct object to be complete.

Example: Kate hugged the baby.

Jenny hit him.

However none of which can be used in a verb phrase without an object NP. (Thomas, 1993).

2. Intransitive Verb

Is a class of verb which does not take an object. It requires nothing else to complete the verb phrase. They are used in construction of SV as compulsory elements. (Thomas, 1993)

For example; The baby cried.

She moved.

Ken snores.

S V

However what has been said so far does not mean that nothing else can appear in a sentence with an intransitive verb. There other constituents which can occur with this class of verb. These are optional rather than obligatory. In other word can appear, but unlike the NP in a verb phrase using a transitive verb. (Thomas, 1993).

3. Monotransitive Verbs

These are verbs which carry only one object. They are used for construction of SVO as a compulsory element.

For example: They played football.

S V O

4. Ditransitive Verb

This type of verb requires two objects (“di” means “two”) one of this familiar is direct object and other is indirect object “iO”. (Thomas, 1993)

For example; Ray told the children a story.

S V iO dO

5. Intensive Verbs

They are also called linking or copular verbs. Intensive verb is the one which does not express an action but expresses a state or attribute of a thing or a person. Intensive verbs uses the verb to be and its forms (is, are, was, were) to indicate a state or attributes of a thing. (Huddleston, 2004)

For example; James is a teacher

S V Cs

Sally becomes a doctor.

It is important to note that verbs in the intensive verb class, like transitive and ditransitive verbs are incomplete on their own. In other words, some sort of Cs is obligatory, as can be seen in the following sentences. (Thomas, 1993)

• They appeared smart.
• It seems seasonable.

6. Prepositional Verb

Is the one which requires a prepositional phrase in order to be complete. Verbs like glance, lean, refer, fall into this class. In fact they are so closely linked with a preposition that it is ease to think as verbs consisting of two parts, as in glance at, lean on, refer to. They are certainly incomplete without a prepositional phrase as can be seen below.

• Sally leant on the table

Sally leant

• The children glanced at the pictures

The children glanced.

In prepositional phrase we cannot transfer the particle to the end of the noun phrase.

For example; Maganga commented on the paper but not Maganga commented the paper on.

7. Complex-Transitive Verbs

These are verbs which carry an object and a complement or adverbial as compulsory elements. They are used to construct SVOCO and SVOCA as obligatory elements in this type of verb the complement relates to the object, not the subject. The complement is therefore an object complement and the shorthand version is oC. (Thomas 1993)

For example

• The voters elected Mary president

S V O oC

• Kate thought John a fool

S V O oC

The class elected him chairperson yesterday.

S V O oC A

Function of Verb Phrases in English Language

Verb phrases have various functions in English as follows:-

1.Function as an object complement

An object complement is a word, phrase or phrase that directly follows and describes the direct object.

Example: The teacher has pronounced the extra credit writing an additional report.

My grandmother considered her favourite past time observing nature.

Only verbs in the form of present participle can perform the nominal function of object complement.

2. Function as indirect object

Verb phrases function as indirect objects. An indirect objects are words, phrases or clause that follows a ditranstive verb and answers questions. (Thomas 1993)

For example: Juma bought him a car.

iO dO

3. As adjective phrase complement

An adjective phrase complements are words, phrase or clause that completes the meaning of an adjective.

For example; His wife is afraid to fly

My puppy is eager to learn new tricks.

Other grammatical forms that can function as adjective phrase complement includes prepositional phrase and noun phrase.

4. As verb phrase complement

It functions as verb phrase complement. It is the word or phrase that completes the meaning of the verb phrases.

For example: We can afford to buy a new car.

5. Function as subject

A subject is a word, phrase or clauses that performs the action of or acts upon the verb.

For example

• Reading stimulates the mind
• Drinking milk is healthy.

References

Brown, K. & Miller, J. E. (1991). Syntax: A linguistic Introduction to Sentence Structure 2^nd Ed. London UK: Harper Collins Academic.

Thomas, L. (1993). Beginning Syntax: A Grammar, Comperative and General-syntax. UK: Blackwell Publishers.

Huddleston, R. (2004). Introduction to the Grammer of English. Newyork: Cambridge University Press USA.

Leach, G. (2001). A Communicative of English. Oxford University Press.