Verb Classification: Lexical vs Auxiliary

Types of Verbs

• Verbs can be classified based on their function in the verb phrase, distinguishing between lexical verbs and auxiliary verbs.
• Lexical verbs include primary verbs such as walk, write, play, beautify, etc.
• Auxiliary verbs are a closed system and can be subdivided into primary and modal auxiliaries.

Auxiliary Verbs

• Modal auxiliaries include can, may, shall, will, could, might, should, would, must, ought to, used to, need, and dare.
• Some modals have different inflectional and syntactic behavior, and are referred to as 'marginal'.
• Semi-auxiliaries include expressions like had better and tend to, which have a similar semantic relation in the verb phrase to the modals.

Verbal Forms

• English verbs typically have five forms: base, -S form, past, -ing participle, and -ed participle.
• Regular lexical verbs have the same -ed inflection for both the past tense and the -ed participle.
• Irregular lexical verb forms vary from three (e.g., put, puts, putting) to eight (e.g., be, am, is, are, was, were, being, been).

Modal Auxiliaries

• Modal auxiliaries are defective, lacking infinitive, -ing participle, -ed participle, or imperative forms.

Learn about the classification of verbs into lexical and auxiliary categories based on their functions in the verb phrase. Discover primary and modal auxiliaries and their distinctions. Test your knowledge on verb types.