Vietnamese and English verb phrases 1
Running ahead: Vietnamese and English verb phrases: A contrastive analysis
Vietnamese and English verb phrases:
A contrastive analysis
ĐẶNG THẢO PHI
Class 5CQBT05
HCMC University of Education
Vietnamese and English verb phrases 2
Introduction
Until now, there have been a lot of research topics about comparison between two
different languages. So is my research topic: Vietnamese and English verb phrases.
Actually, there are two reasons why I want to make a comparison of verb phrases
between Vietnamese and English. First, I’m a Vietnamese citizen; so Vietnamese is
my native language. Besides, in my university, HCMC University of education, my
major is English. In other words, I’m going to become an English teacher in the
future. That’s why I choose Vietnamese and English to compare. Second, as
understanding a person, if you want to understand and use a language effectively,
you need to understand its characteristics first. Mentioning characteristics of a
language, we have to talk about components which are used to form a structure, a
sentence, a clause or even a text of a language. One of these components is a verb
phrase, my research object. In this paper, beside definition of verb phrases, my
research aims at some characteristics of Vietnamese and English verb phrases.
Then some implications for language teaching are discussed. I hope that this
research will help you distinguish the similarities as well as the differences between
verb phrases of the two languages.
Definition
Talking about definition, there are a lot of definitions of verb phrases according to
every aspect of it. In my research, I’ll talk about two definitions according to
characteristics and linguistic. A verb phrase is a free word phrase having mainsubordinate relation and containing a verb serve as the central element and many
additive elements which modify the meanings for the central element. Besides, in
linguistics, a verb phrase is a syntactic structure composed of the predicative
Vietnamese and English verb phrases 3
elements of a sentence and its function is to provide information about the subject of
the sentence.
As we see, a verb phrase always has to have the central element and this element
will govern additive elements. Both verb phrases in Vietnamese and English have
this characteristic.
Verb phrases in English
In English, the structure of verb phrase has two functional parts:
-
auxiliary verbs or auxiliaries
-
main or lexical verbs
 The auxiliary is a grammatical morpheme carrying information about mood,
tense, modality, and voice.
The mood system in English is divided into four subcategories.
Vietnamese and English verb phrases 4
- The indicative mood conveys to the listeners that the speaker is making a
statement, referring to the real world in an honest, direct, relevant way. One way in
which it’s easier for you to realize the indicative mood is thanks to the word order.
When the auxiliaries take their "usual" position following the “subject”, we consider
the clause as being in the indicative mood.
(1) A: When will you stop by?
B: Sometime after dinner.
- The interrogative mood signals the speakers' desire for information by asking a
question or interrogating the listeners. The interrogative is marked by starting a
clause or sentence with an auxiliary verb (can, could, may, might, should, etc) or an
interrogative pronoun (who, what, etc). Another signal that can help us realize the
interrogative is the question mark at the end of the sentence.
(2) Can Rachel recognize him?
(3) Who will dance with Rachel?
- The imperative mood expresses the speakers' sense of a command, a request, or
an exhortation. If you see a base verb in a clause or a sentence in the initial position,
it will be an imperative.
(4) Forget that!
(5) Be polite with your teacher.
- The subjunctive mood expresses the speakers' sense of the unlikely things such as
a wish, a prayer or a hope. It describes hypothetical or unreal situations. Speakers
signal the subjunctive by using an auxiliary to begin subordinate clauses or using
subordinators that overtly mark hypothetical conditions.
(6) Had I seen you at the party, I’d have introduced you my boyfriend.
(7) If I had a lot of money, I’d opened a café.
Vietnamese and English verb phrases 5
Tense systems mark time. Tense is an inflection on the verb that indicates the
time reference of the expression.
In English, the first verb of a verb phrase is marked for tense, called “finite” verb.
Verbs that do not carry a tense inflection (such as participles) are called “nonfinite”
verbs.
English has three tenses: past, present and future. In most English verbs, the -ed
inflection marks the past tense, the -s inflection marks the present tense. Meanwhile,
before the base verb, modal auxiliary verbs (like will) or phrasal verbs (like is going to
- often phonologically reduced to gonna) are used in order to refer to the future tense.
Actually, looking at the formation of the future tense, people commonly call the
“future” in English is really a part of the modality system of the language.
(8) She went to school yesterday. (past tense)
(9) She often goes to school by bus. (present tense)
(10) She will go to school tomorrow. (future tense)
Verbs, using both the -s and -ed forms are known as “regular” verbs. According to
marking time, those verbs employ the most common and productive inflection, such
as look/ looked, like/ liked, try/ tried. “Irregular verbs”, on the other hand, fall into
seven subcategories. For examples, they employ a number of inflections (such as en for the participle inflection as in broken, written, taken) or in some classes employ
no participle inflections at all (such as put as in “Rachel put the book on the table
yesterday”/ “Rachel puts the book on the table”/ “Rachel has put the book on the
table”).
The modality system expresses the speakers’ sense of obligation, volition,
probability, permission, and ability.
When you see a formation including modal auxiliary and base verb, it is a modality.
Vietnamese and English verb phrases 6
(11) Rachel (must/ should) go. ("obligation")
(12) Rachel will stop that immediately! ("volition")
(13) Rachel (may/ might) go. ("probability")
(14) Rachel (can/ may) go. ("permission")
(15) Rachel (can/ could) do it. ("ability")
(16) Rachel will do it tomorrow. ("future") [The modal will also expresses a 'future'
sense.]
The modality system also includes a class of auxiliary verbs called semi-auxiliaries
(or semi-modals or quasi-modals). They often take the form of BE + PARTICIPLE +
TO. The semi-auxiliaries, starting with be, do not need do in order to support in
negation or question formation, but most of the others do.
(17) Rachel is going to go to Canada next month.
(18) Rachel isn’t going to go to Canada next month.
(19) Rachel has to go to the airport right now.
(20) Does Rachel have to go to the airport right now?
Vietnamese and English verb phrases 7
Aspect expresses either the completion or the continuation of the process
indicated by the verb in English.
- The perfect aspect which expresses the speakers' sense of completion, is signaled
by the use of a form of the auxiliary have and the -ed participle or irregular participle
(have + V-ed/3).
(21) Rachel has just finished her homework.
(22) Rachel had gone to bed before her parents went home.
- The progressive aspect, which expresses the speakers' sense of continuation, is
signaled by the use of a form of the auxiliary be and the -ing participle (be + V-ing).
(23) Rachel is listening to music at the moment.
Voice systems allow speakers to view the action of the sentence in different
ways without changing the meaning.
English has two voices, active and passive. The passive voice is signaled by the use
of a form of be and the -ed participle (be + V-ed).
(24) Rachel has read the book four 2 days. (active voice)
(25) The book has been read in four 2 days by Rachel. (passive voice)
In the active sentence, we can see the event from the perspective of the doer
(Rachel), but in the passive sentence, we see the event from the perspective of the
goal (the book).
English also employs the verb do to function as a supporting auxiliary in verb
phrases. In other words, we need do in negation and question formation.
(26) Rachel loves Joe.
(27) Rachel doesn’t love Joe.
(28) Does Rachel love Joe?
Vietnamese and English verb phrases 8
Another way to illustrate some of the relationships between form and function in verb
phrases is presented in the table below.
Some Examples of the Verb Phrases in English
FUNCTION
Auxiliaries
Main Verb
(a)
do
E
(b)
can
X
(c)
may
A
(d)
M
(e)
P
(f)
L
(g)
E
(h)
S
(i)
should
(j)
might
have
Modal
Perfect Progressive Passive
might
believe
go
have
gone
is
going
has
been
waiting
have
been
waiting
are
were
hired
being
hired
be
been
trying
being
interviewed
Auxiliary
FORM
Main Verb
Support
Vietnamese and English verb phrases 9
 The main verb is a lexical morpheme carrying its lexical information and,
usually, an inflection.
In English, the main verb includes five types:
- Intransitive verbs: the verbs are used without direct object such as come, go,
move...
(29) Rachel has just move.
- Intensive verbs: the verbs are used with complement or adverb such as tobe,
become...
(30) Rachel becomes more attractive than ever.
- Monotransitive verbs: the verbs are used with direct object such as buy, sell...
(31) Rachel has just sold her house.
- Complex transitive verbs: the verbs are used with direct object and complement or
adverb such as paint, call, vote, appoint, elect...
(32) Rachel calls her dog Jack.
(33) Rachel paints her room black.
- Distransitive verbs: the verbs are used with indirect object and direct object such as
give, offer, bring...
(34) Rachel gives Joe a piece of cake.
+ Distransive verb: gives
+ Direct object: Joe
+ Indirect object: a piece of cake
To sum up, in any English verb phrases, auxiliary is an optional component but main
verb is always an obligatory component.
Vietnamese and English verb phrases 10
Verb phrases in Vietnamese
Verb phrases in Vietnamese include three elements: central element, pre-additive
element and post-additive element.
The central element of Vietnamese verb phrases is divided into five groups.
Group 1: This kind of verb usually goes with other verbs, not standing alone.
It includes many different types:
* Modal verbs: phải, nên, cần, dám, có thể, sẽ, định...
(35) Anh ta cần mua một cái bàn.
Cần is the central element.
* Passive: bị, được, mắc, phải...
(36) Cô ấy được tuyên dương.
Được is the central element.
* Verb phrases with two parallelly existential actions: đứng khóc, nằm ngủ, đi học, đi
chơi, ngồi nghe...
(37) Anh ta nằm ngủ trên ghế sofa.
Nằm ngủ is the central element.
* Verb phrases with two actions described by two verbs but the second verb is an
additive element in sense: ăn đứng, ngã ngồi, đặt nằm, chết đứng...
(38) Vấp hòn đá, nó ngã ngồi.
Ngã is the central element and ngồi is the additive element.
Group 2: Verbs always go with additive elements.
* Verbs describing sense of moving: mở, dậy, kéo, đến, xuống, đi, bưng…
(39) Chị tôi đi đến câu lạc bộ tiếng Anh.
Đi is the central element and đến is additive element.
Vietnamese and English verb phrases 11
* Verbs describing sense of achieving results: hiểu ra, đọc xong, bay mất, nhặt lấy,
thu được, tìm thấy...
(40) Tôi đã tìm thấy cái ví.
Tìm is the central element and thấy is the additive element.
* Verbs describing sense of affecting two objects: cho, tặng, biếu, lấy, mượn, vay,
cầm, xin, gửi...
(41) Minh mượn Trí chiếc xe đạp.
+ Central element: mượn
+ Object 1: Trí
+ Object 2: chiếc xe đạp
* Verbs describing sense of governing two objects. The subject orders the object:
bảo, sai, bắt, cho phép, buộc, khiến. ..
(42) Cô ấy bắt tôi nói ra sự thật.
Bắt is the central element.
* Verbs describing sense of governing an object and connecting with another object:
trộn, pha, nối, chắp, hòa...
(43) Pha cà phê với sữa.
+ Pha is the central element.
+ Cà phê and sữa are objects..
* Verbs describing sense of governing additive elements. The structure which is used
is “A is B” with the meaning of evaluating: coi, bầu, lấy, xem, cử…
(44) Xem anh là đối tác.
(45) Lấy anh làm gương.
Vietnamese and English verb phrases 12
Group 3: Combination verbs: chạy ra chạy vào, bàn qua bàn lại, đi ngược về xuôi,
trèo lên tụt xuống...
46) Cô ấy chạy ra chạy vào phục vụ khách.
Group 4: Verbs describing sense of the state or a period of an action: bắt đầu học,
tiếp tục đi, thôi nói, hết chạy, ngừng học...
(47) Cô ấy ngừng học piano.
Group 5: Verbs describing sense of mood: lo lắng, bồn chồn, thoi thóp, thấp thỏm...
(48) Cô ấy bồn chồn đứng ngồi không yên.
Pre -additive element includes following groups:
* Words indicating sense of continuation of activity or state: đều, cũng, vẫn, cứ, lại,
mãi, tiếp tục...
(49) Họ tiếp tục thảo luận về đề tài đó.
Tiếp tục is the pre-additive element of the verb phrase “tiếp tục thảo luận”.
* Words indicating the time of action or state: từng, đã, vừa, mới, đang, sẽ...
(50) Mẹ tôi đang nấu ăn.
Đang is the pre -additive element of the verb phrase “đang nấu ăn”.
* Words indicating the frequency: thường, hay, năng, ít, đôi khi, thỉnh thoảng...
(51) Anh ta ít khi gọi cho tôi.
Ít khi is the pre-additive element of the verb phrase “ít khi gọi”.
* Words indicating the negation or affirmation: không, chưa, chẳng, chỉ...
(52) Tôi không muốn liên quan gì với anh ta.
Không is the pre-additive element.
* Words indicating the order: hãy, đừng, chớ...
(53) Chớ xem thường người khác.
Chớ is the pre-additive element of the verb phrase “chớ xem thường”
Vietnamese and English verb phrases 13
* Words indicating the level: rất, hơi, khí, quá...
(54) Anh ta quá nóng tính khi cư xử như vậy.
Quá is the pre -additive element.
Post - additive element of verb phrases is very complicated in terms of word,
formation and meanings.
* Words: Noun, verb, adjective, pronoun, adverb, number can stand after verb.
(55) Nấu cơm.
Cơm is a noun.
(56) Đi chơi.
Chơi is a verb.
(57) Ăn chậm.
Chậm is an adjective.
(58) Nhớ anh ấy.
Anh ấy is a pronoun.
(59) Té thường xuyên.
Thường xuyên is an adverb.
(60) Yêu một người.
Một is a number.
* Formation: An additive element after a verb can be a single word, a word phrase or
a sentence.
(61) Nhớ lâu.
Lâu is a word
(62) Ăn cho khỏi đói.
Cho khỏi đói is a word phrase.
Vietnamese and English verb phrases 14
(63) Anh ấy khuyên chúng ta nên suy nghĩ kĩ trước khi quyết định.
Chúng ta nên suy nghĩ kĩ trước khi quyết định is a sentence.
* Meanings: An additive element after a verb has many different meanings.
+ words with sense of line of actions: đi ra, trở lại, nhìn sang, bay qua, đi tới...
(64) Cô ấy đang đi về phía anh ta.
+ words with sense of state and process of actions: đi ngay, nói liền, trả lời lập tức,
ăn nữa, nói hoài...
(65) Cô ấy trả lời ngay lập tức câu hỏi của ban giám khảo.
+ words with sense of order: về nào, nói đi, nghỉ thôi, chờ với, ngủ đã, tiến lên, hát
lên…
(66) Anh cứ nói đi.
+ words with sense of finishing or beginning an action: làm xong, ăn xong, có rồi,
hiểu rồi, nghe rồi...
(67) Cuối cùng thì tôi cũng làm xong bài tập.
+ words with sense of passive, beneficial or damaged results: gặp phải, bay mất, hao
đi, đá phải, nhận được, thu về...
(68) Hôm nay tôi gặp phải rất nhiều chuyện xui.
+ words with sense of mutual interaction or itself: làm lấy, viết lấy, giải quyết lấy...
(69) Anh hãy tự giải quyết lấy sai lầm của mình.
+ words with sense of including two elements connecting A and B
(70) Trộn bột với đường.
+ words with sense of addition: nói vào, bàn vào...
+ words with sense of decreasing: cào ra, bớt đi...
+ words with sense of increasing: xông tới, tăng lên...
+ words with sense of repetition: nói lại, vặn lại, nhắc lại, xin lại...
Vietnamese and English verb phrases 15
Implication on teaching and learning
Through this research paper, I describe the main characteristics of Vietnamese and
English verb phrases. Now, I’d like to discuss some implications for English and
Vietnamese teaching at high school in our country.
Firstly, most students tend to transfer their mother tongue into the target language.
Within this paper, we can see that although the components which form both
Vietnamese and English verb phrases are almost the same, the structure is a little bit
different. Therefore, this can lead to misunderstanding due to differences in many
aspects between the two languages. As a result, the teachers should explain these
differences to students. For example, in English question sentences, auxiliary verbs
or interrogative pronouns are used before subject; meanwhile, in Vietnamese, they
are often at the end of the sentence such as phải không, đúng không, chưa, hả, etc.
Secondly, the awareness of Vietnamese and English verb phrases also helps
students develop linguistic skills in both languages. Contrastive knowledge in
students’ mother tongue and the target language somehow also gives them a clear
distinction in order to help them avoid mistakes as much as possible as well as use
and transfer languages more confidently and effectively.
Conclusion
In conclusion, language is the most effective method of communication of human
beings. However, to understand the structure, the formation, the origin, especially the
characteristics of language is not simple at all. That’s why that making a comparison
between the two languages is more difficult. In my research paper, thanks to
contrastive analysis, I talk about the components which form Vietnamese and English
verb phrases. In my opinion, every language has its own interesting characteristic.
Vietnamese and English verb phrases 16
The important thing is that we need to understand them and from that, can
distinguish the differences as well as the similarities between these languages.
That’s also what I hope the language teachers as well as students can get from this
paper.
Vietnamese and English verb phrases 17
References
James, Carl. (1980). Contrastive Analysis. Macquarie University.
Le, Quang Thiem. (1989). Nghiên cứu đối chiếu các ngôn ngữ. Ha Noi: Hanoi
National University Publishing House.
Odlin, Terence. (1989). Language Transfer. Cambridge: Cambridge University.
Thomson, A. J. and Martinet, A. V. (1989). A practical English grammar. Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
Pham, Thi Ha. Some English Verb Phrases versus Vietnamese Verb Phrases.
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Kies, Daniel. (1995). The verb phrase. Retrieved December, 22, 2009, from
http://papyr.com/hypertextbooks/grammar/ph_verb.htm