1. Present Day English How we use and label verbs

2. Principal Parts Verbs in all Germanic languages have few inflections. PDE is a Germanic language. –all PDE verbs have 5 principal parts base or infinitive “ walk” 3 rd singular present indicative “walks” simple past indicative “walked” present participle “walking” past participle “(have) walked” – en form –sample irregular: “lie, lies lay, lying, (have) lain”

3. Verbs have Person and Number Three persons –first: I, we –second: [thou], you –third: he, she, it, they Two numbers –singular: I, [thou], you, he, she, it –plural: we, you, they

4. Verbs have Mood Indicative –statements -- Jane walks the dog. Conditional –main clause verb – Jane may walk the dog. Imperative –commands -- Walk the dog please, Jane! Subjunctive –wishes, prayers, curses -- I wish Jane would walk the dog -- God bless the dog -- Damn that dog! Interrogative –questions -- Does Jane walk the dog?

5. Verbs have Voice In active voice, the subject performs the action of the action verb on the direct object. –John doctored the sick cat. In passive voice, the subject receives the action of the action verb, but the performer of that action need not be named. –Dinner was cooked by my grandmother. –That ink bottle was broken all over the couch.

6. Aspect: present aspects Simple present: walk, walks Emphatic present: do walk –this is used often in interrogative sentences Present progressive: am/are/is walking –progressive tenses may also indicate ongoing action Present perfect: have/has walked –this indicates “just completed this minute” action, or action completed just before a present action. Present perfect progressive: have/has been walking

7. Aspect: past aspects Simple past: walked Emphatic past: did walk Past progressive: was/were walking Past perfect: had walked –this indicates an action completed before another action completed in the past: She had done the dishes before she went off to the film. Past perfect progressive: had been walking

8. Aspect: future aspects Simple future: will walk Future progressive: will be walking –ongoing future action Future perfect: will have walked –a future action that will be completed before another future action: I will have graded 1000 essays before the end of the term. Future perfect progressive: will have been walking

9. Linking & Action verbs Linking verbs (and “be” verbs) link the subject to a noun or an adjective in the preposition. –He is my doctor / Amy seems pleased Action verbs describe an action taken by the subject –Peter wrote the essay.

10. (In)Transitive verbs A transitive verb is able to take a direct object (a receiver of the action of the verb) –Patricia ate the hamburger. # 7 An intransitive verb is never able to take an object. –The baby slept fitfully. # 6 Some verbs have both transitive and intransitive meanings. –The baby seldom cried. # 6 –The baby cried “Mama.” # 7

11. The active verb expansion T (M) (have + -en) (be + -ing) MV predicating verb auxiliary main verb T (M) (have + -en) (be + -ing)

12. The passive verb expansion T (M) (have + -en) (be + -ing) (be + -en) MV predicating verb auxiliary main verb T (M) (have + -en) (be + -ing) be + -en