The verb phrase in English has the following forms:
1) a main verb:
| Verb | ||
|---|---|---|
| We I Everybody We | are like saw. laughed. |
here.
it the accident |
The verb may be in the present tense (are, like) or the past tense (saw, laughed). A verb phrase with only a main verb expresses simple aspect
2) an auxiliary verb ("be") and a main verb in –ing form:
| Auxiliary "be" | Verb (-ing) | |
|---|---|---|
| Everybody We | is were | watching laughing |
A verb phrase with "be" and –ing expresses continuous aspect.
3) an auxiliary verb ("have") and a main verb with past participle:
| Auxillary "have" | Verb (past participle) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| They Everybody He | have has had | enjoyed worked finished | themselves. hard. work. |
A verb with "have" and the past participle expresses perfect aspect. A verb with have/has expresses present perfect, and a verb with had expresses past perfect.
4) an auxiliary verb ("have" + "been") and a main verb in the –ing form:
| Auxiliary "have" + "been" | Verb (-ing) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Everybody He | has been had been | working singing | hard |
A verb with "have" and "been" and the present participle expresses perfect continuous aspect. A verb with have/hasexpresses present perfect continuous, and a verb with had expresses past perfect continuous.
5) a modal verb (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would) and a main verb:
| Modal Verb | Main verb | |
|---|---|---|
| They He | will might | come. come. |
6) We can use modal verbs with the auxiliaries "be", "have", and "have been":
| Modal | Auxiliary | Verb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| They He She | will might must | be have have been | listening arrived listening |
| Activities |
|---|
Active and passive:
Transitive verbs have a passive form as well as an active form:
The hunter killed the lion. (active) <> The lion was killed by the hunter. (passive)
Someone has cleaned the windows <> The windows have been cleaned.
The passive forms are made up of the verb "be" with a past participle:
| "be" | Past participle | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| English The windows Lunch The work They | is have been was being will be might have been | spoken cleaned served finished invited |
all over the world
soon to the part |
