Thinking about inflections
How to find verb inflections
(Part of Dick Hudson's web tutorial
on Word Grammar)
Finding verbs
• Verbs are most easily defined by their
inflection:
– If its lexeme can have a tense (past or
present), it’s a verb.
• So it’s a verb if
– it is itself past or present
– OR if its lexeme could be past or present.
… if it is itself past or present
(1) He stood on the table.
• stood must be a verb because it is past
– Evidence: you can make it present, without
changing anything else.
– Try it!
(2) What’s the matter?
• ’s must be a verb because it’s present
– Evidence: you can make it past.
… or if its lexeme could be past or
present
(3) He was standing on the table.
• standing must be a verb because
– its lexeme is STAND
– STAND can be past or present (as in (1)).
(4) He’s been very naughty.
• been must be a verb because
– its lexeme is BE
– BE can be past or present (as in (2)).
Finding finite verbs
Reminder: A finite verb is one which itself:
• EITHER has a tense,
– i.e. it is either present or past (run/runs, ran)
– and could change tense without changing the
rest of the sentence
• OR is imperative
– i.e. it’s a command, invitation, etc. (Run!)
– its realized by the bare stem
– (typically) its subject is ‘understood’ as you.
Why finiteness is important
• A finite verb may be the only verb in a sentence.
• A non-finite verb must be ‘supported’ by other
verbs in the sentence.
– i.e. it’s always ‘subordinate’ or ‘dependent’
(5) She is watching TV.
• is is finite, and needs no support.
– e.g. Yes, she is.
• watching is non-finite, supported by is.
– but not: *Yes, she watching.
Finite or non-finite?
• The first verb in a sentence is typically
finite, and later ones are often non-finite.
(6) She has been trying to understand.
• But a verb ending in {ing} is always nonfinite.
(7) Understanding grammar may be hard.
Classifying finite verbs
• Remember: finite verbs are:
– either tensed (e.g. They run. He runs. He
ran.)
• ending possible to show tense
• next to a ‘subject’ noun
– or imperative (e.g. Run!)
• no ending
• no ‘subject’ noun
– ‘IMperative’ is abbreviated to ‘m’
Classifying tensed verbs
• Remember: Tensed verbs are by default
‘present’ (e.g. run, are).
– abbreviated as ‘t’ for ‘Tensed’.
• But exceptionally they may be:
– either ‘past’ (e.g. ran, was/were): ‘a’
– or ‘singular’ (e.g. runs, is): ‘s’
(8) Remember you said you think he likes you.
V,m
V,a
V,t
V,s
Classifying non-finite verbs
• Remember: Non-finite verbs are always
supported by some other word.
– which is often relevant to the classification
• Perfect (e.g. has been): ‘f’
– always supported by HAVE.
• Infinitive (e.g. I want to be; I may be): ‘n’
– morphology: always the bare stem
– often supported by to
– or by a verb such as MAY or MUST
More non-finite verbs
(9) I must admit I have tried to simplify.
V,n
V,f
V,n
• Gerunds (e.g. by working): ‘g’
– morphology: always contain {ing}
– supported like a noun
• Participles (e.g. people applying/selected):
‘p’
– supported like an adjective
Participles, active or passive
• Participles are verbs ‘used like adjectives’.
• By default, they:
– contain {ing}
– have their lexeme’s usual syntax.
• But exceptionally, they are passive: ‘e’
– morphology: always the same as perfect, e.g. written
– syntax: the normal ‘object’ is used as ‘subject’
• possibly with the normal ‘subject’ after by:
(10) essays written by students studying grammar
V,e
V,p
Verb abbreviations summarised
Mnemonic: Many students fear English
participles
(8) Remember you said you think he likes you.
V,m
V,a
V,t
V,s
(11) I must admit I have simplified by using examples ..
V,n
V,f
V,g
… containing few words and specially written.
V,p
V,e
Conclusions
• Spotting inflections is complicated
– you have to think about syntax as well as
morphology
– you have to think about the lexeme as well as
the form.
• But it gets easier with practice!