Perito Mercantil Nacional

VERBS
Verbs perform 2 major functions in clauses:
1-MAIN VERBS:
✓ They play a central role in clauses.
✓ They usually occur in the middle of a clause.
✓ They are the most important element in the clause because they determine the other clause elements. The pattern of these other clause elements is called the valency pattern.
For example: I went into the empty house. / Icould give him a message.
M.v Adv. M.v I.O D.O

2-AUXILIARY VERB:
✓ It occurs before a main verb.
✓ It qualifies the meaning of the main verb.
For example: Jack the Ripper could be staying there.

Verbs can be grouped into 3 major classes according to theirability to function as main verbs or auxiliary verbs:

1-LEXICAL VERB:
✓ It functions as main verbs, sometimes called “full verbs”.
For example: Children and dogs ran from side to side.

✓ The class of lexical verbs is an open class, because the English language is always adding new lexical verbs.
✓ It has regular and irregular endings for forming past and present tense.
✓Lexical verbs often occur as multi-word units.
For example: He turned on the lights.

2-PRIMARY VERB:
✓ It can function as both auxiliary and main verbs.
✓ There are only three primary verbs: be, have, and do.
For example: His dad was an art professor / He was wearing a dark ski mask.
M.vAux.v M.v
3-MODAL VERB:
✓ It functions only as auxiliary verbs.
✓ Can, Could, Shall, Should, Will, Would, May, Might, Must.
For example: I am sure He can do it. Things might have been so different.

Lexical verbs are much more common than primary verbs or modal verbs.
Lexical verbs are most common in conversation and fiction.



SINGLE-WORD LEXICAL VERBSLexical verbs fall into 7 major semantic categories:

1-ACTIVITY VERBS:
✓ Activity verbs usually refer to a volitional activity that is an action performed intentionally by an agent or “doer”.
For example: He bought biscuits and condensed milk.
The 20 most common, in conversation, fiction newspaper writing and academic prose combined, are:Bring buy come follow
Get give go leave
Make meet move pay
Play put run showTake try use work

✓ Activity verbs can be transitive, taking a direct object, or intransitive, occurring without any object:
Transitive activity verbs: Well give it to the dogs, they’ll eat it
D.O D.O

Intransitive activityverbs: Go to the hospital!

Activity verbs are also sometimes used to express events that occur without the volition of an agent. For example give and move.

2-COMMUNICATION VERBS:
They are a special subcategory of activity verbs that involve communication activities, particularly verbs describing speech and writing.
For example: ‘Stop that’, he shouted.

The 12 most common“communication” verbs in conversation, fiction, newspaper writing and academic prose combined are:
Ask call claim describe
Offer say speak suggest
Talk tell thank write

3-MENTAL VERBS:
Mental verbs refer to mental states and...