English grammar
Verbs as a part of speech
Part of speech
Part of speech = word class
Other parts of speech: adjectives, determiners, interjections, adverbs, …
Open part of speech <-> closed part of speech
New ones can be introduced eg. Pronouns (problem: non-binary?)
Verbs: to zoom, social distancing
Verb types
1. (in)dependent use
a. Independant: no need for another verb a. Dependant: needs another verb
b. Eg. I am at work = main verb b. Eg. I am sitting
c. Copular verb (koppelwerkwoord) c. Eg. He is waiting. So am I
main verb – auxiliary verb
2. (ir)regularity
a. Irregular verbs in present form: to be, to have, to panic, …
b. Some verbs are both:
i. to ring -> I rang her phone/I ringed a pigeon
ii. to melt -> melted chocolate/molten lava
3. object vs no object
a. no object = intransitive verbs
i. He can run very fast (adverb -> how?)
ii. Copular verbs: always intransitive -> he is very dumb
, b. 1 object = (mono)transitive verbs
i. WHAT does he … cook, make, brake, …
ii. I cook pasta, He has a child, She broke her phone (direct objects)
c. 2 objects = (di)transitive verbs
i. WHO did he… give, explain, kiss, ….
ii. I give you a piece of cake, I explained the problem to him
= (indirect objects)
d. Object + object complement = complex transitive verbs
i. Completes the direct object
ii. She called me an idiot, I painted the door black
4. Verb components
a. One word verb: they have made the bed, she is looking good
b. Multi-word verb: they have been making out a lot, she looked up the word
Verbs in general
Tense vs ti me
Not the same!
- I am talking to a friend right now
o Present tense & present time
- I will mention it to her when I see her later
o Present tense & future time
- Could you please open the door for me?
o Past tense & present time
Tense system
, Verb forms: Auxiliary?
o Base form write present simple /
o -s form writes present simple /
o -ing participle (present) writing present continuous be
o -ed participle (past) written present perfect have
o Past wrote
Exceptions!
1. -s forms
a. Most verbs: add -s to base form
i. Drive -> drives
ii. Picnic -> picnics
b. Verbs ending in sibilant add -es to base form
i. Catch -> catches
ii. Do -> does
c. Verbs ending in -(consonant)+y change y into ie
i. Carry -> carries
ii. Study -> studies
!! buy -> buys & obey -> obeys
2. -ing forms
a. Most verbs: add -ing to base form
i. Carry -> carrying
ii. Work -> working
b. Verbs ending in -e omit the -e and add -ing
i. Come -> coming
ii. Have -> having
!! dye -> dyeing (<-> dying)
!! agree -> agreeing
c. Verbs ending with single vowel + single consonant -> 2x consonant
i. Hit -> hitting
ii. Let -> letting
!! allowing -> allow & fix -> fixing
d. Verbs ending in -consonant dubble it when last syllable is stressed
i. Prefer -> preferring
ii. Admit -> admitting
!! offer -> offering & benefit -> benefiting
e. American vs british forms
i. Label Travel
1. Labelling (BRE) 1. Travelling (BRE)
2. Labeling (AM) 2. Traveling (AM)
f. Verbs ending in -ic add a -k
i. Frolic -> frolicking
ii. Picnic -> picnicking
g. Verbs ending in -ie change into -y
i. Die -> dying
ii. Lie -> lying
, Dynamic and stati ve verbs
Dynamic Stative
- Describing an action - Describing a state
- To study, travel, write, … - To understand, know, prefer, …
Some verbs belong to both categories
Stative verbs cannot be used in continuous forms!
- Exceptions: informal English (I’m liking you)
Conti nuous verb forms
Continuous = progressive
Can be combined with present, past or future verb forms
Can be dealt with under ‘tense’ and ‘aspect’
o Tense: past & present
o Aspect: simple, continuous, perfect & perf cont
= subcategory of tense
Pose 3 major challenges for non-native speakers
o Overuse & underuse
o Alternative options in Dutch
Present tenses
Present simple
1. General truths and facts
o Things you learned that are true (sun rises in the east, water boils at 100°)
o Things stated as a ‘fact’ (British people drink a lot of tea)
o Timeless things (he smokes too much)
Referring to past, present & future at the same time!
Verbs as a part of speech
Part of speech
Part of speech = word class
Other parts of speech: adjectives, determiners, interjections, adverbs, …
Open part of speech <-> closed part of speech
New ones can be introduced eg. Pronouns (problem: non-binary?)
Verbs: to zoom, social distancing
Verb types
1. (in)dependent use
a. Independant: no need for another verb a. Dependant: needs another verb
b. Eg. I am at work = main verb b. Eg. I am sitting
c. Copular verb (koppelwerkwoord) c. Eg. He is waiting. So am I
main verb – auxiliary verb
2. (ir)regularity
a. Irregular verbs in present form: to be, to have, to panic, …
b. Some verbs are both:
i. to ring -> I rang her phone/I ringed a pigeon
ii. to melt -> melted chocolate/molten lava
3. object vs no object
a. no object = intransitive verbs
i. He can run very fast (adverb -> how?)
ii. Copular verbs: always intransitive -> he is very dumb
, b. 1 object = (mono)transitive verbs
i. WHAT does he … cook, make, brake, …
ii. I cook pasta, He has a child, She broke her phone (direct objects)
c. 2 objects = (di)transitive verbs
i. WHO did he… give, explain, kiss, ….
ii. I give you a piece of cake, I explained the problem to him
= (indirect objects)
d. Object + object complement = complex transitive verbs
i. Completes the direct object
ii. She called me an idiot, I painted the door black
4. Verb components
a. One word verb: they have made the bed, she is looking good
b. Multi-word verb: they have been making out a lot, she looked up the word
Verbs in general
Tense vs ti me
Not the same!
- I am talking to a friend right now
o Present tense & present time
- I will mention it to her when I see her later
o Present tense & future time
- Could you please open the door for me?
o Past tense & present time
Tense system
, Verb forms: Auxiliary?
o Base form write present simple /
o -s form writes present simple /
o -ing participle (present) writing present continuous be
o -ed participle (past) written present perfect have
o Past wrote
Exceptions!
1. -s forms
a. Most verbs: add -s to base form
i. Drive -> drives
ii. Picnic -> picnics
b. Verbs ending in sibilant add -es to base form
i. Catch -> catches
ii. Do -> does
c. Verbs ending in -(consonant)+y change y into ie
i. Carry -> carries
ii. Study -> studies
!! buy -> buys & obey -> obeys
2. -ing forms
a. Most verbs: add -ing to base form
i. Carry -> carrying
ii. Work -> working
b. Verbs ending in -e omit the -e and add -ing
i. Come -> coming
ii. Have -> having
!! dye -> dyeing (<-> dying)
!! agree -> agreeing
c. Verbs ending with single vowel + single consonant -> 2x consonant
i. Hit -> hitting
ii. Let -> letting
!! allowing -> allow & fix -> fixing
d. Verbs ending in -consonant dubble it when last syllable is stressed
i. Prefer -> preferring
ii. Admit -> admitting
!! offer -> offering & benefit -> benefiting
e. American vs british forms
i. Label Travel
1. Labelling (BRE) 1. Travelling (BRE)
2. Labeling (AM) 2. Traveling (AM)
f. Verbs ending in -ic add a -k
i. Frolic -> frolicking
ii. Picnic -> picnicking
g. Verbs ending in -ie change into -y
i. Die -> dying
ii. Lie -> lying
, Dynamic and stati ve verbs
Dynamic Stative
- Describing an action - Describing a state
- To study, travel, write, … - To understand, know, prefer, …
Some verbs belong to both categories
Stative verbs cannot be used in continuous forms!
- Exceptions: informal English (I’m liking you)
Conti nuous verb forms
Continuous = progressive
Can be combined with present, past or future verb forms
Can be dealt with under ‘tense’ and ‘aspect’
o Tense: past & present
o Aspect: simple, continuous, perfect & perf cont
= subcategory of tense
Pose 3 major challenges for non-native speakers
o Overuse & underuse
o Alternative options in Dutch
Present tenses
Present simple
1. General truths and facts
o Things you learned that are true (sun rises in the east, water boils at 100°)
o Things stated as a ‘fact’ (British people drink a lot of tea)
o Timeless things (he smokes too much)
Referring to past, present & future at the same time!
