English Grammar: Verb Categories

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Questions and Answers

Which of the following best describes the difference between using '-ed' and '-ing' participles as adjectives?

'-ed' participles describe how people feel, while '-ing' participles describe the entities that cause those feelings. (correct)

'-ed' participles describe entities that cause feelings, while '-ing' participles describe how people feel.

'-ed' participles are used for transitive verbs while '-ing' participles are for intransitive verbs.

'-ed' participles describe how things are, while '-ing' participles describe how people feel.

In the phrase “a well-read person”, what is the role of 'well-read'?

It’s an adjective that modifies a verb.

It's a past participle with a passive meaning.

It's a present participle describing an ongoing action.

It's a past participle with an active meaning. (correct)

Which sentence demonstrates the function of a participle after a noun to define or identify it?

The trees were *quick-growing* and tall.

The issues *discussed* were complex. (correct)

The cake was *home-made* and delicious.

The *screaming* child ran away from the dog.

How does the meaning of a participle change when the term is used, such as in, 'a concerned expression' versus 'the people concerned'?

In the first example, 'concerned' describes the feeling; in the second, it refers to the people involved. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which phrase is an example of a past participle that can be modified by 'very' due to being a gradable adjective?

a very shocked expression (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which verb category is NOT a feature of finite verbs?

Infinitive (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of an auxiliary verb?

To help build compound forms of the English verb. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a characteristic of non-finite verbs?

They include infinitives, gerunds, and participles. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is NOT considered an 'anomalous finite' verb?

Played (A) Signup and view all the answers

In the sentence 'I do think so,' what function does 'do' serve?

It serves as an auxiliary verb for emphasis. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following sentences demonstrates the use of an anomalous finite verb in a negative structure?

He doesn’t drink much. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these sentences uses 'need' as a full verb?

I need a new suit. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the behavior of anomalous finite verbs?

They can be used with 'n’t' in negative forms. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which sentence correctly uses a perfect infinitive?

He is known to have finished the project. (C) Signup and view all the answers

In which sentence does the infinitive function as an adverb?

He went to the store to buy milk. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a passive infinitive?

to be invited (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which sentence uses an infinitive without 'to'?

They made me finish the task. (C) Signup and view all the answers

In 'the crying baby', what is the function of 'crying'?

A present participle acting as an adjective. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which sentence includes a past participle used as an adjective?

The finished product was impressive. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which sentence uses a gerund?

Swimming is good exercise. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How would you classify the use of 'having' in 'Having finished his dinner, he went out'?

A perfect gerund. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Verb Categories

Verbs have several categories, including mood, voice, aspect, tense, number and person.

Functional Classification of the Verb

Verbs are classified into finite and non-finite categories.

Full Verb vs Auxiliary Verb

Full verbs form the predicate of a sentence.
Auxiliary verbs help in building compound verb forms.
- Auxiliary verbs (temporals/tense-formers): "to be," "to have," "to do" used for inflectional forms
- Auxiliary verbs (modals/mood-formers) : "can-could", "may-might," "shall-should", "will-would," "must," "ought to," "have to", "need," etc.
Note: "to be," "to have," "to do," "to need," and "to dare" can also be full verbs.

Finite vs Non-finite

Finite verbs are connected to the subject of a sentence, expressing tense.
Non-finite verbs include infinitives, gerunds (present participles), and participles (past participles).

Anomalous Finite Verbs

Irregular verbs.
Negative form ends in "n't."
Examples: "am," "is," "are," "was," "were," "have," "has," "had," "do," "does," "did," "used to," "will," "would," "shall," "should," "can," "could," "may," "might," "must," "ought to," "need," and "dare."

Structures With Anomalous Finites

Emphatic affirmatives: use "do" to emphasize a statement
Negative statements
Interrogative questions
Short answers
Question tags
Examples of minor patterns: "so/nor/neither" clauses, "so" with a subject, "but" with a subject and a verb, negative clause with a subject.

Anomalous Finite and Full Verbs

Examples of anomalous finites ("He does drink a lot," "He has arrived")
Examples of full verbs ("He does a lot of work," "She had a good time")

The Infinitive

Simple Infinitives: "to write"
- Appear after auxiliary verbs or modal auxiliaries
- Can be subject, complement, object, or part of a noun phrase or adjective clause
Progressive Infinitives: "to be writing"
Perfect Infinitives: "to have written"
Passive Infinitives: "to be done"
Combination Infinitives: "to have been sitting"
Negative Infinitives: starting with "not" (e.g., Try not to be late.)
Split Infinitives: "to really understand"

Infinitives Without "to"

After modal auxiliaries
After "let," "make," "hear," "feel," "watch," "notice"
After "why (not)"
After "and," "or," "except," "but," "than," "like"
After "do"

Use of Participles

Word forms of verbs acting as adjectives
Explain actions, states, or conditions
Examples: "raining," "falling rain," "screaming," "sitting."

The Gerund and Participle

Active and passive forms
Present tense
Perfect tense

Falling Leaves/ Broken Hearts

Examples of past participles acting as adjectives with active meanings ("falling leaves," "broken heart")

Interested vs Interesting

Past participle shows how people feel, or the experience of a feeling ("I was very interested")
Present participle describes entities or things that cause the feeling ("Boring teachers make bored students")

Active Past Participles

Intransitive verbs used as adjectives
Examples: "fallen leaf," "advanced students," "developed countries," "well-read person," "much-travelled man"

Participles as Adjectives

Appear before nouns or after linking verbs
Examples: "interesting book," "falling leaf," "screaming child," "broken window"
Used with prepositional phrases e.g., "fox-hunting man," "English-speaking country"
Also used with nouns e.g., quick-growing trees, home-made cake

Participles After Nouns

Used to describe/explain nouns
Define or identify the main noun
Examples: "We couldn't agree on any of the problems discussed;" "The people questioned have a different opinion;" "I watched the match because I knew some of the people playing."

Difference of Meaning

Some participles change meaning depending on their position in the sentence

Very + Past Participles

When used with gradable adjectives which denote feelings or mental states.

Special Past Participle Forms

Some older verbs have different participle forms (e.g. "drunken driving", "shrunken head")

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Description

Explore the different categories of verbs in English grammar, including their classification into finite and non-finite forms. Learn about full verbs versus auxiliary verbs and the significance of tense and mood in sentence structure. This quiz will enhance your understanding of verb functionality and usage.