Seminar 5

Theoretical questions to be discussed:

1. The verb. General characteristics.

The verb is a fundamental part of speech that conveys action, occurrence, or state of being within a sentence. Its general characteristics include:

- Expressing Action: Verbs denote actions performed by the subject (e.g., "run," "eat," "write").

- Conveying State of Being: Verbs can also express a state of existence or condition (e.g., "is," "am," "are").

- Flexibility: Verbs can be inflected to indicate tense (past, present, future), aspect (continuous, perfect), mood (indicative, imperative, subjunctive), voice (active, passive), and more.

- Position in a Sentence: Verbs typically occupy a central position in a sentence, either before or after the subject, and are essential for forming complete sentences.

- Agreement: Verbs often agree with their subjects in terms of number (singular or plural) and person (first, second, third).

- Transitivity: Verbs can be transitive, requiring a direct object to complete their meaning (e.g., "eat" in "eat an apple"), or intransitive, not requiring a direct object (e.g., "run").

- Linking Function: Some verbs function as linking verbs, connecting the subject to a subject complement that describes or identifies it (e.g., "is," "seems," "becomes").

2. Major Verb Classes.

1. Action Verbs: These verbs express physical or mental actions performed by the subject (e.g., run, eat, write, think).

2. Linking Verbs: Linking verbs connect the subject of a sentence to a subject complement, which describes or identifies the subject (e.g., be, seem, become). They do not denote action but rather express a state of being or a relationship.

3. Auxiliary Verbs: Auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs, assist the main verb in forming various verb phrases to express tense, aspect, mood, or voice. Common auxiliary verbs include forms of "be," "have," and "do" (e.g., is, have, will).

4. Modal Verbs: Modal verbs express the attitude or viewpoint of the speaker regarding the likelihood, necessity, obligation, permission, or ability of the action expressed by the main verb. Examples include can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, and would.

3. Aspective Character of Verbs.

The aspectual character of verbs refers to how the action or event expressed by the verb is viewed in terms of its temporal nature and duration. In English, verbs can have different aspects, which indicate whether the action is ongoing, completed, repetitive, or hypothetical. The main aspects include:

1. Simple Aspect: Verbs in the simple aspect denote actions or states without indicating their duration or completion. They express facts, habits, or general truths. Example: "He writes poetry."

2. Continuous Aspect: Verbs in the continuous aspect indicate actions or states that are ongoing, in progress, or temporary at a specific point in time. They are formed using the auxiliary verb "be" in combination with the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb. Example: "She is reading a book."

3. Perfect Aspect: Verbs in the perfect aspect denote actions or states that are completed before a certain point in time or have relevance to a specific moment in the past, present, or future. They are formed using the auxiliary verb "have" in combination with the past participle of the main verb. Example: "They have finished their homework."

4. Perfect Continuous Aspect: Verbs in the perfect continuous aspect express actions or states that started in the past, continued up to a certain point, and may or may not still be ongoing. They combine elements of both the continuous and perfect aspects. Example: "She has been studying English for three years."