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_{Syntactic Theory}

The Verb: Problems with the Tests

• semantic test:
  • Verbs refer to actions
    Problems:
    • nouns can also refer to actions (rodeo, arrival)
    • verbs can also refer to non-actions, such as know, feel
• morphological test:
  • Verbs can combine with a 3rd singular inflection (-(e)s)
    Remark: The only verbs that violate this criterion are be and have, which have irregular forms, and the modal verbs, such as can which do not have a separate 3rd singular form. Since both types of 'verbs' differ from what we call a Verb here in many other aspects as well, they are part of a different, minor, syntactic category: Auxiliaries.
  • Verbs can combine with a past tense inflection (-ed)
    Problem:
    • not all verbs form their past tense with -ed (put, told, ...)
  • Verbs can combine with -ing (in the contexts: __-ing can be fun, Pat was __-ing)
    Remark: there is no problem here. The only 'verbs' that do not take -ing are the auxiliaries.
• syntactic test
  • Verbs can occur directly after can:
    They can __ ...
  • Verbs can occur directly after wanted to
    Pat wanted to __ ...
    Problem for both tests:
    • If the sentence can continue, other items are also possible in this position: They can certainly get a better deal elsewhere.
      If the sentence has to end after the verb, only a small group of verbs is allowed her: ''They can breath/*divour
    • Impersonal verbs are not compatible with the subject they, so the diagnostic environment should be more permissive here: It/ *They can rain.

Back to the page on verbs, major parts of speech, or parts of speech