The Verb Expansion
Rule
ENGL 114-01
Spring 2007
T. Redd
What’s wrong?
YOU BEING HAS TRY SHOULD.
Put the words in order.
YOU SHOULD HAS BEING TRY.
What’s wrong now?
Use the correct form of each
word.
YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN TRYING.
Now let’s discover the rules
of order and form that you
unconsciously followed.
Add a modal auxiliary.
must
time.
Mary takes her
must
Mary must take her time.
What’s wrong?
A
modal
auxiliary
comes
A modal auxiliary turns the verb
first in a verb phrase.
form into a stem.
Add the auxiliary have.
have
must take her time.
Mary has
Mary must have taken her time.
What’s wrong?
The
auxiliary
have
follows
The auxiliary have changes the
the modal.
verb form to a past participle (-en).
Add the auxiliary be.
be
have taken her time.
Mary must be
Mary must have been taking her
What’stime
wrong?
.
The
auxiliary
be
follows
The auxiliary be changes the verb
the auxiliary have.
form to a present participle (-ing).
The Rule
To expand a predicate verb phrase,
follow this order:
Modal+Perfective+Progressive+Verb
The Rule
To expand a predicate verb phrase, you
must follow this form:
Modal
Stem
Have
Past Participle
Be
Present Participle