Grammar- Verbs

Question 1

What is an Auxiliary Verb?

Answer 1

• Assists the main verb (auxiliary comes first)
• Primary auxiliary verbs do, have and be denote changes of tense.

Question 2

What is Epistemic Modality?

Answer 2

Deals with likelihood of something occurring from possibility through to certainty. Also covers situations which are unsure.

Question 3

What is Deontic Modality?

Answer 3

Deals with obligation, permission and necessity, e.g. ‘You must tidy your room.’

Question 4

What is an infinitive verb?

Answer 4

Begins with ‘To’ and is followed by a base verb.
e.g. to see, to do

Question 5

Define a Verb.

Answer 5

Describes an action or state

Question 6

Define a Primary Verb.

Answer 6

• Be (am, are, is, was, were)
• Have (had)
• Do (does)

Question 7

Define a Main Verb.

Answer 7

• The verb that carries the main meaning/process in a verb phrase (+ therefore is a clause)

Question 8

Define Irregular + Regular Verbs.

Answer 8

• Irregular verb: changes their form when changing from present to past tense (e.g. ‘swim/swam’)
• Regular verbs: take a regular -ed inflection when changing from present to past tense (e.g. ‘walk/walked’)

Question 9

Define an Inflection.

Answer 9

• Verb ending such as -ed, -s or -ing added to change a tense or number.

Question 10

Define Modal Auxiliary Verbs.

Answer 10

• A sub-category of auxiliary verb that expresses degrees of possibility, probability, necessity or obligation
• Include: ‘can’, ‘could’, ‘may’, ‘might’, ‘shall’, ‘should’, ‘ought’, ‘must’, ‘will’, ‘would’

Question 11

Define Dynamic Verbs.

Answer 11

• Describes something happening; there’s a process taking place
• (e.g. ‘He thought about his future’, ‘The bee sipped the nectar’)

Question 12

Define Stative Verbs.

Answer 12

• Describe something that is simply existing, it just is.
• No shifts or changes taking place (e.g. ‘she seems quiet’, ‘I know her well’)