SUPPLEMENT
Tense Auxiliaries
As the majority of the finite form of the verb are analytical they are formed by means of auxiliary verbs (auxiliaries). These are: to do, to be, to have, shall, will.
In the spoken language some forms of the auxiliaries and the negation not are contracted which is shown in writing by means of the apostrophe (‘)
Note:
In the spoken language is [ɪz] is usually weakened and is pronounced [z] after vowels and voiced consonants (except voiced sibilants and affricates), [s] after voiceless consonants (except voiceless sibilants and affricates), [ǝz] after sibilants and affricates (both voiced and voiceless). This weakening of the form is not usually shown in writing:
The boy is gone (ðǝ 'boɪz'gon].
The plan is good [ðǝ 'plænz'gud].
The cup is broken [ðǝ 'kʌps'broukæn].
The bus is coming up [ðǝ 'bʌsǝz'kʌmɪŋ'ʌp].
* The contraction of are combined with certain personal pronouns is pronounced differently is British and American English, viz.:
British English | American English |
we’re [wɪǝ] you’re [juǝ] they’re ['ðeɪǝ] | [wɪr] [jur] [ðеr] |
** In dialect and "uneducated" British and American English the form ain’t is very common. It is used as a contracted form of am not, are not, is not, have not and has not. Ain’t is not used in standard (“correct”) English. .
I ain’t going to buy it.
Don’t talk to me like that, you ain’t my mother.
It ain’t raining, let’s go out.
I ain’t got any money.
He ain’t seen me yet.
** ‘m not is replaced by aren’t in the negative-interrogative (Aren’t I clever enough? I’m clever enough, aren’t I?)
Note:
As a future tense auxiliary shall (should) is used with the 1st person (singular and plural) only.
Note 1:
As a future tense auxiliary will (would) in its full form is commonly used with the 2nd and the 3rd persons. Nowadays however there is strong tendency to use it with the 1st persons as well, especially in American English.
Note 2:
The contractions ‘ll and ‘d stand for will and would, not for shall and should, though they are widely used with the 1st persons as well.
Archaic Forms of the Auxiliaries
The forms given in the tables above are those of modern standard English. One may also come across archaic forms, mainly in poetry or texts where an archaic effect is intended.
Forms | Grammatical characteristics | Verbs |
dost [dʌSt], [dǝst] | Present indefinite, 2nd person singular | to do |
doth, doeth [dʌθ], ][dǝθ] | Present indefinite, 3rd person singular | |
didst [dɪdst] | Past indefinite, 2nd person singular | |
art [a:t], [ǝt] | Present indefinite, 2nd person singular | to be |
wast [wɔst], [wǝst], wert [wǝ:t], [wǝt] | Past indefinite, 2nd person singular | |
hast [hæst], [hǝst], |ǝst], [st] | Present indefinite, 2nd person singular | to have |
hath [hæθ], [hǝθ], [ǝθ] | Present indefinite, 3rd person singular | |
hadst [hædst], [hǝdst], [ǝdst] | Past indefinite, 2nd person singular | |
shall [∫ælt], [∫ǝlt], [∫lt] | Present indefinite, 2nd person singular | shall |
shouldst, shouldest [∫udst] | Past indefinite, 2nd person singular | |
wilt [wɪlt], [ǝlt], [ɪt] | Present indefinite, 2nd person singular | will |
wouldst, wouldest [wudst] | Past indefinite, 2nd person singular |
Table of tense - aspect - perfect forms of the verb “to translate” in the Indicative mood (3d person singular) | |||
Time Reference | Aspect | Non-perfect | Perfect |
Present | Common | He works | He has worked |
Continuous | He is working | He has been working | |
Past | Common | He worked | He had worked |
Continuous | He was working | He had been working | |
Future | Common | He will work | He will have worked |
Continuous | He will be working | He will have been working | |
Future in the past | Common | He would work | He would have worked |
Continuous | He would be working | He would have been working |
Morphology
PARTS OF SPEECH.................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
THE VERB.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Formation of verb categories.............................................................................................................................................................. 5
Morphological composition................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Basic verb forms..................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Regular and irregular verbs................................................................................................................................................................ 5
The category of tense.......................................................................................................................................................................... 14
The category of aspect....................................................................................................................................................................... 14
The category of perfect...................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Present tenses....................................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Past tenses............................................................................................................................................................................................ 29
Future tenses........................................................................................................................................................................................ 38
Future in the past tenses.................................................................................................................................................................... 42
The sequence of tenses....................................................................................................................................................................... 43
The category of voice......................................................................................................................................................................... 46
The category of mood......................................................................................................................................................................... 54
NON-FINITE FORMS OF THE VERB (VERBALS)......................................................................................................................... 70
The Infinitive........................................................................................................................................................................................ 70
Predicative constructions with the infinitive................................................................................................................................ 85
The for-to-infinitive construction.................................................................................................................................................... 85
The objective with the infinitive construction............................................................................................................................... 86
The gerund............................................................................................................................................................................................ 88
The gerund and the infinitive compared........................................................................................................................................ 95
The gerund and the verbal noun compared................................................................................................................................... 97
The participle....................................................................................................................................................................................... 98
MODAL VERBS.................................................................................................................................................................................... 114
Can...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 114
May...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 117
Must..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 120
To have to, have got to..................................................................................................................................................................... 122
To be to............................................................................................................................................................................................... 123
Need..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 125
Ought to.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 126
Should................................................................................................................................................................................................. 127
Shall.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 128
Will...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 129
Dare..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 131
THE NOUN............................................................................................................................................................................................. 132
Semantic characteristics................................................................................................................................................................. 132
Morphological composition........................................................................................................................................................... 133
Morphological characteristics...................................................................................................................................................... 134
The category of number................................................................................................................................................................... 135
The category of case......................................................................................................................................................................... 144
THE ARTICLE...................................................................................................................................................................................... 147
The use of the indefinite article..................................................................................................................................................... 149
The use of the definite article......................................................................................................................................................... 151
Absence of the article....................................................................................................................................................................... 155