|
If there is only one verb in the verb phrase,
it is the MAIN VERB. and not a modal auxiliary.
The form of an auxiliary verb, You can recognise an auxiliary verb
by the form auxiliary + present simple verb.
NOTE: (a) Some verbs have an intermediate status between that of the main verbs
and that of auxiliary verbs. They are called MODAL IDIOMS
(had better, would rather, have got to, and be to)
and SEMI-AuXIliARIES (be able to, be bound to, be going to, be supposed to, be about to,
be due to, be likely to, have to and some others).
(b) Notice that in Did they believe you?
The verb phrase Did believe is discontinuous.
The verb phrase is similarly discontinuous in sentences such as
They do not believe me and I can perhaps help you.
(c) Sometimes the main verb (and perhaps some other words too) is understood from the context,
so that only auxiliaries are present in the verb phrase:
I can't tell them, but you can. (ie can tell them').
Your parents may not have suspected anything, but your sister may have.
(ie may have suspected something'). Sentences or clauses in which the main verb is missing but
can be understood from the context are called elliptical. Ellipsis is common in English.
(d) There are also multi-word verbs,
which consist of a verb and one or more other words,
eg: turn on, look at, put up with, take place, take advantage of
Modal auxiliaries in verb groups
Modal auxiliary verbs are always part of a verb group.
She might beautiful." is clearly wrong.
Sometimes the main verb
and perhaps other words too can be understood from the context.
"Yes, I can." only works in response to a question such as
"Can You do that?" and so there is an 'implied' second verb which
does not have to be re-stated. This is known as an ellipsis.
Marginal modal auxiliaries
-
used to always takes the to-infinitive and occurs only in the past tense:
She used to attend regularly.
It is used both as an auxiliary and as a main verb with DO-support:
He usedn't (or: used not) to smoke. (BrE)
He didn't use(d) to smoke. (BrE and informal AmE)
The normal interrogative construction is with DO-support,
even in British English (BrE).
Did he use to drink? He used to drink, didn't he?
-
Ought to normally has the to-infinitive,
but the to is optional following ought in ellipsis:
You oughtn't to smoke too much.
A: Ought I to stop smoking?
B: Yes, I think you ought (to).
'Dare' and 'need' can be used either as modal auxiliaries
(with bare infinitive and without the inflected forms)
or as a main verb (with to-infinitive and with inflected -s, -ing, and past forms).
The modal construction is restricted to nonassertive contexts,
ie mainly negative and interrogative sentences, whereas the main verb construction can always be used,
and is in fact more common.
- dare
NOTE: Blends of the two constructions
(modal auxiliary and main verb) are widely acceptable for 'dare':
They do not dare ask for me. Do they dare ask for me?
- need
|
Rules for modal auxiliaries
Modal auxiliaries are always the first verb of at least
two verbs. I might go (Not, 'They could beautiful').
Implied main verbs Can you (do that)? Yes I can (do that).
Modals have only one form
(No conjugation of 's' form for the third person). The verb following the modal auxiliary is a bare infinitive in the present simple form.
(without to or -ing).
For example: "She might be leaving soon."
leaving is the main verb in the sentence,
and might and be are auxiliaries:
The primary verbs BE, HAVE, and DO
-
Be The verb be is a main verb
(with a copular function; in other words it is not a helping verb - an auxiliary --,
but a linking one, linking the subject of the sentence with its complement) in:
Ann is a happy girl. Is that building a hotel?
But be also has two auxiliary functions: as an aspect auxiliary for the progressive :
Ann is learning Spanish.
The weather has been improving.
As passive auxiliaries
- Ann was awarded a prize.
- Our team has never been beaten.
Be
is unique in having a full set of both finite
and nonfinite forms in auxiliary function;
it is also unique among English verbs in having as many as eight different
forms (see 2. above).
| NOTE: There is a nonstandard contraction ain't used commonly
(especially in the united States of America) in place of am not,
is not, are not, has not, and have not.
Aren't is the standard contraction for am not
in questions (esp. in Bristish English). Aren't I tall?
| |
(b) There is a rare use of be as a perfect auxiliary with the verb go:
The guests are (also have) gone. |
-
Have functions both as an auxiliary and as a main verb.
As an auxiliary for perfect aspect, have combines with -ed participle to form complex verb phrases:
I have finished. It must have been eaten.
As a main verb, it normally takes a direct object:
I have no money. In this sentence have has a stative sense.
|
Note: (a) In stative senses, have is used (generally in rather formal style)
as an operator, especially in BrE.
There is also the informal have got construction,
which is frequently preferred (esp. in BrE)
as an alternative to stative have. In some stative sentences, we can therefore have three
alternatives: |
- We haven't any butter. ~ We have some.
- We haven't got any butter. ~ We have got (We've got) some.
- We don't have any butter. ~ We do have some.
Of these, (a) is especially British (more formal);
(b) is especially British English (informal); (c ) is American English,
and also common now in British English.
(b) In dynamic senses, have normally has DO-Support, and have got is not possible:
A: Does he have coffee with his breakfast?
B: Yes, he does.
-
Do like be and have can be both an auxiliary and a main verb.
As an auxiliary, do has no nonfinite forms,
but only present and past forms.
And used in negative and interrogative sentences
As a main verb, do has a wide range of uses as a transitive verb:
What are you doing? Let's do the dishes.
|