English Grammar Modal Verbs and Auxiliaries Quiz
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Questions and Answers

What does the emphatic auxiliary DO co-occur with in sentences?

  • Interrogative structures
  • Affirmative adverbs
  • Negative expressions (correct)
  • Imperative modalities

In which situation does DO appear in the main clause?

  • In a positive statement
  • With affirmative imperatives
  • Contrasting with a preceding concessive clause (correct)
  • When in a question format

What type of sentences allow the insertion of 'so' that triggers subject-modal inversion?

  • Interrogative sentences
  • Coordinate clauses (correct)
  • Negative sentences
  • Affirmative statements

Which of the following modal verbs does not have a past form?

<p>Must (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a distinguishing characteristic of periphrastic modal verbs compared to pure modals?

<p>They supply forms missing in the tense paradigm (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following indicates emphatic affirmation?

<p>Using the emphatic modal 'shall' (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about negative sentences is correct?

<p>The negator can attach to the modal in various forms. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the periphrastic equivalent of the modal verb 'must'?

<p>Have to (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which predicative adjective can only combine with a human male NP-subject?

<p>Handsome (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following adjectives cannot be used as attributes?

<p>Alike (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of NP-subject does the predicative adjective 'regretful' require?

<p>Non-specific (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which derived predicative adjective is formed from a past participle?

<p>Disappointed (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the copulative verb 'be' in a sentence?

<p>To link the subject to the predicative (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which set of adjectives derives from verbs and requires an obligatory preposition?

<p>Fond of, averse to (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a semantically empty copulative verb?

<p>Be (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of copulative verb is described as expressing a change of state?

<p>Change of state copulative verbs (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which predicative adjective allows for a complement clause?

<p>Afraid (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a non-derived predicative adjective?

<p>Akin (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the copulative verb 'be' indicate besides linking the subject and predicative?

<p>Agreement with the subject NP in person and number (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which adjective indicates a state or condition, prefixed by 'a-'?

<p>Afraid (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following verbs is not considered a linking verb?

<p>Play (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of these describes the role of various linking verbs like 'seem' and 'appear'?

<p>They reflect the subject's sensory perception. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of predicative is specifically realized by a noun phrase?

<p>Nominal predicative (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which sentence correctly demonstrates the use of a linking verb?

<p>He looks tired after the marathon. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following verbs can only occur in the double object construction?

<p>cost (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of object do complex transitive verbs require in addition to a direct object?

<p>Prepositional Object (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In which scenario can the adverbial of place be promoted to object position?

<p>With verbs indicating a decrease or increase of substance (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following verbs is considered a verb of communication?

<p>accuse (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What structure describes the relationship where the phrase functioning as predicative describes the result of the action?

<p>Resultative construction (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following verbs cannot occur in the oblique object construction?

<p>gain (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a causative verb?

<p>appoint (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes transitive verbs requiring an adverbial modifier?

<p>They result in a meaningful change of position (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of verb expresses symmetric or asymmetric relations between arguments?

<p>Relational verbs (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of psychological verbs?

<p>They convey emotions or states of mind. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a type of causative verb?

<p>Reciprocal causatives (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which verb would be classified as a psychological verb that always takes an EXPERIENCER?

<p>Love (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What differentiates periphrastic causatives from other types of causatives?

<p>They have a very general causative meaning. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which example illustrates a lexical causative transformation from intransitive to transitive?

<p>Cause to rise (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes prepositional reflexive verbs?

<p>They occur with obligatory prepositions. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following verbs is an example of a reflexive verb with an optional reflexive pronoun?

<p>To dress (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which causative verb implies a sense of compulsion along with its causative meaning?

<p>Get (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do complex intransitive verbs function?

<p>They consist of a subject and a prepositional object or adverbial modifier. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In which type of causative verbs does the causation imply two participants: a causer and an affected entity?

<p>Periphrastic causative (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which pair of verbs demonstrates the concept of phrasal intransitive verbs?

<p>To do away with, to look forward to (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens during the passivization of prepositional intransitive verbs?

<p>The agentive subject becomes a by-NP and may be omitted. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes reflexive verbs that are followed by a preposition and a reflexive pronoun?

<p>They represent a subgroup of intransitive reflexive verbs. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is true about inherent reflexive verbs?

<p>They often include a prepositional phrase. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between prepositional reflexive verbs and prepositional transitive verbs?

<p>Prepositional reflexive verbs require a reflexive pronoun. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Modal Verbs

A type of auxiliary verb that expresses certainty, ability, permission, or obligation. They are characterized by their unique syntactic behavior, including negation, questioning, and coordination.

Negation with Modals

A unique feature of modal verbs where the negative form of the verb ('not') directly attaches to the modal, resulting in contracted or uncontracted forms.

Subject-Modal Inversion

The process of inverting the position of the subject and the modal verb, specifically in question formation.

Periphrastic Modal Verbs

A type of modal expression where a specific form is missing in the modal verb's tense system, and other verbs are used to 'fill the gaps'.

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HAVE TO

An example of a periphrastic modal verb, 'have to' functions as the equivalent of the modal 'must' and shares the same syntactic characteristics.

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Emphatic 'Shall'

The ability of the modal 'shall' to express strong affirmation.

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Emphatic Negative

A type of negative construction where the modal verb 'DO' is added to emphasize the negativity.

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Copulative Predication

A type of predication where the subject is linked to a predicative phrase describing its state or characteristics. The predicative refers to a quality, property, or state of the subject.

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Semantically Empty Link Verb

A type of copula (linking verb) that lacks substantial meaning and serves to link the subject to the predicative.

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Semantically Poor Link Verb

A type of copula (linking verb) that carries some inherent meaning, expressing a change of state, becoming, or a particular condition.

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Sensory Copulative Verb

A type of copula (linking verb) used to describe sensory perceptions like sight, smell, taste, etc. Often followed by an adjective or prepositional phrase.

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Stative Copulative Verbs

Copulative verbs that indicate a state or condition of the subject using adjectives. They express a sense of permanence or stability.

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Change of State Copulative Verbs

Copulative verbs that express a change in the subject's state, usually followed by an adjective that describes the outcome.

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Predicative

The element of a copulative predication that attributes a quality, property, or state to the subject. It can be expressed by an adjective, noun, prepositional, or dependent clause

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Link Verb 'BE'

The prototypical copula (linking verb) in English, responsible for establishing the link between the subject and predicative. It lacks semantic content and serves primarily as a connector.

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Predicative Adjectives

Adjectives used after a linking verb (like 'be') to describe the subject.

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Deverbal Adjectives

Adjectives derived from verbs, like 'amazing' from 'amaze' or 'disappointed' from 'disappoint'.

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Denominal Adjectives

Adjectives derived from nouns, like 'hypocritical' from 'hypocrite'.

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Predicative Adjectives with Obligatory Prepositions

Adjectives with a fixed preposition, like 'regretful about', 'afraid of'. They are often derived from transitive verbs.

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State/Condition Predicative Adjectives

Adjectives that can ONLY be used predicatively and describe a state or condition. They often begin with 'a-', like 'ajar', 'asleep', 'ablaze'.

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Predicative Adjectives with Complement Clauses

Predicative adjectives that require a complement clause to provide more information, like 'afraid' in - 'She is afraid that she might fail.'

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Subcategorization of Predicative Adjectives

Groups of predicative adjectives categorized based on what kind of subject they can describe. E.g., 'handsome' usually needs a male subject.

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Predicative Adjectives and Transitive Verbs

The predicative adjective regretful of (something) is directly related to the transitive verb to regret. It shows how predicative adjectives can be connected to verbs.

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Prepositional Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive verbs that require a preposition to be used correctly, like "to absent oneself from something" or "to pride oneself on something".

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Prepositional Intransitive Verbs

A type of complex intransitive verb followed by a preposition and an object, like "to break into" or "to cope with".

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Prepositional Phrasal Intransitive Verbs

Complex intransitive verbs with a fixed preposition followed by its object, like "to do away with" or "to come up with".

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Intransitive Reflexive Verbs with Preposition

A subclass of intransitive reflexive verbs that require a preposition and a reflexive pronoun, like "to come to oneself" or "to fend for oneself".

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Optional Reflexive Verbs

A type of reflexive verb where the reflexive pronoun is optional, like "to bathe" or "to dress".

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Reflexive vs. Non-Reflexive Verbs

Verbs that can be used either as reflexives or non-reflexives, like "to bathe yourself" or "to bathe the dog".

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Complex Intransitive Verbs

Complex intransitive verbs that take a subject and an object that is a prepositional phrase (PP), like "The team broke into the building".

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Reflexive Verbs with a Particle

A type of intransitive reflexive verb that includes a particle (e.g., out, in, up) and a reflexive pronoun, like "to burn oneself out" or "to brace oneself for something".

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Relational Verbs

Verbs that express a relationship or connection between two entities, often in a symmetrical or asymmetrical way. They can be reciprocal, showing an interchangeable relationship.

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Psychological Verbs

Verbs that convey emotions, feelings, or states of mind experienced by a person. They often have a 'subject Experiencer' or an 'object experiencer' structure.

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Symmetrical Relations

These verbs indicate a symmetrical relationship between the subject and object. They are interchangeable, meaning either can be the 'actor' or the 'acted upon'.

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Asymmetrical Relations

These verbs indicate an asymmetrical relationship between the subject and object. One acts, the other is acted upon.

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Causative Verbs

Verbs that express a direct cause-and-effect relationship between two entities, often involving a causer and an affected entity.

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Periphrastic Causatives

Causatives that are formed by using auxiliary verbs like 'make', 'cause', 'get', or 'have'. They indicate a general, neutral causation.

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Lexical Causatives

Causative verbs directly formed from a single word, expressing causation, often derived from adjectives or intransitive verbs.

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Morphological Causatives

Causative verbs that have a specific grammatical structure where the causative meaning is expressed through adding a prefix or suffix.

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Transitive verbs with Prepositional Object

Verbs that take a direct object and a prepositional object, which is a noun phrase introduced by a preposition, are known as transitive verbs with a prepositional object. These verbs typically involve communication and interpersonal relationships.

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Transitive verbs with Adverbial Modifier

Some verbs, especially those related to movement, take a direct object and an adverbial modifier that indicates the location of the action. This adverbial modifier can be a prepositional phrase or an adverb.

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Adverbial Modifier to Object Promotion

Certain verbs, like 'empty,' 'load,' or 'rob,' can promote the adverbial modifier of place to the object position, while the original direct object becomes the prepositional object, usually with the prepositions 'of' or 'with.'

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Transitive Verbs with Predicative

These verbs take a direct object and a predicative, which can be an adjective or a noun phrase. The predicative describes the result or state of the direct object.

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Causative Verbs with Predicative

Causative verbs like 'appoint,' 'christen,' or 'elect', typically use a noun phrase as a predicative, indicating the name, title, or position acquired by the direct object as a consequence of the action.

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Resultative Constructions

These constructions, often called resultative constructions, highlight the result of the action expressed by the verb, where the predicative describes the state of the direct object after the action.

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Ditransitive Verbs

Ditransitive verbs are verbs that have both a direct object and an indirect object. They can express the transfer of an object from one person to another, often with a prepositional alternative, where the indirect object is introduced by a preposition like 'to' or 'for.'

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Ditransitive Verbs with Oblique Object Construction

Some ditransitive verbs, like 'explain,' 'recommend,' or 'describe,' only allow the indirect object to be introduced by a preposition.

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Study Notes

Argument Structure and Thematic Structure

  • The semantic structure of a sentence is crucial for understanding its constituents.
  • Every predicate needs a specific number of constituents to create a meaningful sentence.
  • Obligatory constituents are called arguments, while optional constituents are called adjuncts.
  • Two-place predicates require two arguments (e.g., subject and object).
  • Ditransitive verbs (e.g., give) are three-place predicates.
  • Intransitive verbs (e.g., sneeze) are one-place predicates.

Thematic Structure

  • Predicates have an argument structure that determines obligatory elements.
  • Speakers understand a verb's meaning, including the number of participants involved.
  • Participants are minimally involved in an activity or state.
  • Thematic roles (e.g., agent, patient, theme) describe how participants relate to the verb.

Syntactic Properties of Auxiliary Verbs

  • Auxiliary verbs (HAVE and BE) play a role in negation, inversion, coda, and emphasis.
  • Negative sentences place the negative marker not after the auxiliary.
  • Contracted not (e.g., n't) attaches directly to the auxiliary.
  • In yes-no questions, auxiliary verbs are inverted with the subject.
  • Wh-questions show inversion unless the question is directed at the subject.
  • Coda (or short answers) use the auxiliary verb to replace the entire predicate.

Properties of Auxiliary DO

  • DO is an auxiliary verb that helps lexical verbs in syntactic processes
  • Negation: creates negative sentences from affirmative ones by inserting DO and not.
  • Inversion: inverted with the subject in yes-no questions, wh-questions, and tag questions.
  • Coda: DO replaces repeated material in coordinate clauses.
  • Emphasis: Stress on DO is used in emphatic statements.

Periphrastic Modals

  • Periphrastic modal verbs (e.g., have to, be able to) share meaning with pure modals but have different grammatical features.
  • They 'supply' missing forms in a modal verb's tense paradigm.
  • Periphrastic 'HAVE TO' often uses DO-support in interrogative and negative sentences.
  • A copulative predicate consists of a link verb and a predicative (adjectival or nominal).
  • The link verb 'BE' connects the subject to the predicative.
  • Semantically poor verbs (e.g., become, get) sometimes function as link verbs.

Types of Intransitive Verbs

  • Simple intransitive verbs have only a subject.
  • Complex intransitive verbs have a subject plus either a prepositional object or an adverbial modifier.
  • Ergative verbs are intransitive verbs with a patient subject that have transitive counterparts with a causative meaning.
  • Reflexive verbs take a reflexive pronoun.

Types of Transitive Verbs

  • Monotransitive verbs take a single direct object.
  • Ditransitive verbs take a direct object and an indirect object.
  • Complex transitive verbs take a direct object and another syntactic element (e.g., prepositional object, adverbial modifier, predicative).

Causative Verbs

  • Causative verbs express direct causation of an event.
  • They have a causer and an affected or effected entity.
  • Causative verbs can be periphrastic, lexical, or morphological.

The Adjectival Predicative

  • The adjectival predicative is expressed by an adjective phrase.
  • Adjectives used predicatively can be non-derived or derived, deverbal or denominal.

The Nominal Predicative

  • Nominal predicatives are expressed by noun phrases, prepositional phrases, or clauses.
  • These often express an attitude or condition of the subject.

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Argument Structure and Thematic Structure PDF

Description

Test your understanding of modal verbs, auxiliary verbs, and their functions in English grammar. Explore intricate details such as emphatic forms, periphrastic constructions, and the rules governing negative sentences. This quiz is designed for advanced learners looking to deepen their grammatical knowledge.

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