GRAMMAR II - SUMMARY
VERBS AS A PART OF SPEECH IN ENGLISH
Grammar II – Introductory Class, Lecture 2
1. Parts of speech in present-day English
Parts of speech in English = ‘anatomy’ of English
Verbs form an open ‘parts of speech’ => new verbs can be added to the English lexicon
2. Verbs as a part of speech
Characteristics of verbs:
(in)dependence
(ir)regularity
object vs no object
verb components
etc.
3. Verb types
Common categories:
1. (in)dependent use
Most verbs can be used on their own (i.e., independently) → Main/lexical verbs &
copular verbs
Some verbs (with specific functions) have to be used with other verbs (i.e., dependently)
because they ‘help’ other verbs → Auxiliary verbs (aka auxiliaries)
Some verbs can be used independently and dependently.
2. (ir)regularity
Most verbs are regular
A minority of verbs are irregular
Context can play an important role when you need to decide on (ir)regular forms
3. object vs no object
Verbs w/ NO object
o Intransitive verbs
o Verbs used as copular verbs are always intransitive!
Verbs w/ ONE object
o Monotransitive verbs
Verbs w/ TWO objects
o Ditransitive verbs
Verbs w/ ONE object AND an object COMPLEMENT
o Complex transitive verbs
Context
4. verb components
one-word vs multi-word verbs
4. Verbs and their links with other parts of speech
adverbs
nouns
pronouns
prepositions
, Grammar II - Summary
THE ENGLISH TENSE SYSTEM: THE PRESENT TENSES
Grammar II – Verbs, Lecture 3
Time ≠ Tense: (according to Lewis)
Time = element of our experience in reality
Tense = a purely grammatical idea
Form–meaning–use: Verb forms in present-day English
1) base form (= verb)
2) -s form
3) -ing participle (present participle)
4) -ed participle (past participle)
5) Past
Difficult -s forms:
Verbs ending in a sibilant (hissing effect) add -es to the base form for the -s form
o Catch → catches
Do → does / go → goes
Verbs ending in -[consonant]y change -y into -ie before -s is added in the -s form:
o Carry → carries
Difficult -ing forms:
Verbs ending in -e in the base form omit the -e and then add -ing to form the -ing form:
o Love → loving
Verbs ending in -e but in a digraph (except -ie) add just -ing
dye → dyeing (≠ dying)
agree → agreeing
Verbs ending in a single vowel followed by a single consonant double the final consonant to
form the -ing form (stress on the last syllable):
o Hit → hitting
o Admit (ad’mit) → admitting
o ⚠allow → allowing / fix → fixing
o ⚠benefit (‘benefit) → benefiting
2
VERBS AS A PART OF SPEECH IN ENGLISH
Grammar II – Introductory Class, Lecture 2
1. Parts of speech in present-day English
Parts of speech in English = ‘anatomy’ of English
Verbs form an open ‘parts of speech’ => new verbs can be added to the English lexicon
2. Verbs as a part of speech
Characteristics of verbs:
(in)dependence
(ir)regularity
object vs no object
verb components
etc.
3. Verb types
Common categories:
1. (in)dependent use
Most verbs can be used on their own (i.e., independently) → Main/lexical verbs &
copular verbs
Some verbs (with specific functions) have to be used with other verbs (i.e., dependently)
because they ‘help’ other verbs → Auxiliary verbs (aka auxiliaries)
Some verbs can be used independently and dependently.
2. (ir)regularity
Most verbs are regular
A minority of verbs are irregular
Context can play an important role when you need to decide on (ir)regular forms
3. object vs no object
Verbs w/ NO object
o Intransitive verbs
o Verbs used as copular verbs are always intransitive!
Verbs w/ ONE object
o Monotransitive verbs
Verbs w/ TWO objects
o Ditransitive verbs
Verbs w/ ONE object AND an object COMPLEMENT
o Complex transitive verbs
Context
4. verb components
one-word vs multi-word verbs
4. Verbs and their links with other parts of speech
adverbs
nouns
pronouns
prepositions
, Grammar II - Summary
THE ENGLISH TENSE SYSTEM: THE PRESENT TENSES
Grammar II – Verbs, Lecture 3
Time ≠ Tense: (according to Lewis)
Time = element of our experience in reality
Tense = a purely grammatical idea
Form–meaning–use: Verb forms in present-day English
1) base form (= verb)
2) -s form
3) -ing participle (present participle)
4) -ed participle (past participle)
5) Past
Difficult -s forms:
Verbs ending in a sibilant (hissing effect) add -es to the base form for the -s form
o Catch → catches
Do → does / go → goes
Verbs ending in -[consonant]y change -y into -ie before -s is added in the -s form:
o Carry → carries
Difficult -ing forms:
Verbs ending in -e in the base form omit the -e and then add -ing to form the -ing form:
o Love → loving
Verbs ending in -e but in a digraph (except -ie) add just -ing
dye → dyeing (≠ dying)
agree → agreeing
Verbs ending in a single vowel followed by a single consonant double the final consonant to
form the -ing form (stress on the last syllable):
o Hit → hitting
o Admit (ad’mit) → admitting
o ⚠allow → allowing / fix → fixing
o ⚠benefit (‘benefit) → benefiting
2
