Grammar for English Language Teachers - Verbs Flashcards
Aside from ‘doing words’, what other functions do verbs have?
Existence (be, become, exist), mental conditions and processes (believe, deduce, enjoy) and relationships (depend, determine).
How many different forms do main verbs have?
At least 3 - e.g. drives, drove, driving, driven.
What are the common auxiliary verbs?
am, is, was, were, being, been, have, has, had, do, does, did
What is agreement/concord?
Choosing the correct verb form according to the subject.
What is important about event and state verbs?
- Event verbs describe a conscious action. These can take a range of forms.
- State verbs describe a state or condition. These do not taking the continuous form.
- Many verbs can function as both event and state verbs. However, when they function as state verbs, they are more limited in their form.
What else are event and state verbs known as?
Event = dynamic verbs
State = stative verbs
What is an object verb?
A verb which needs to be followed by an object (usually a noun).
What is a complement verb?
A verb which needs to be followed by a complement (usually an adjective).
What are no-object verbs?
Verbs which stand on their own and cannot be followed by an object or complement.
What is it important to remember about objects and complements?
Many verbs can function in more than one of the categories, for example, eat/get.
What else are object and complement verbs known as?
object verbs = (mono)transitive
complement verbs = linking / copular
no-object verbs = intransitive
two-object verbs = ditransitive
object-complement verbs = complex transitive
What typical difficulties do learners have with verbs?
They often use stative verbs in continuous form.
Forming negatives can be difficult, especially when there is influence from L1.
Rules regarding use of auxiliary verbs can be confusing.
Past participle forms and past tense forms can overlap.
Object and no-object verbs are often misused.
