The Classification of Verbs

THE VERB

The General Notion

The Verb is a notional part of speech which denotes an action or a state. Generally we distinguish between the following basic forms of the Verb:

· The Infinitive	(V1)
· The Past Indefinite	(V2)
· Participle II	(V3)
· Participle I	(V4)

Some grammarians also include here the form of the verb in the 3^rd person singular in the Present Indefinite.

The Classification of Verbs

Verbs can be classified in the following ways:

1. According to the morphological structure verbs can be:

(a) simple	(go, read, speak, etc.)
(b) derived	(disclose, redo, simplify, etc.)
(c) compound	(white+wash, broad+cast, black+mail, etc.)
(d) composite	(stand up, go away, sit down, etc.)

2. According to the way of forming the Past Indefinite and Participle II verbs can be:

(a) regular

(b) irregular

Regular verbs are the verbs which take the ending -ED in the 2^nd and 3^rd forms.

E.g. to clean – clean ed – clean ed

to work – work ed – work ed

Irregular verbs are the verbs which do not take the ending -ED in the 2^nd and 3^rd forms.

E.g. to go – went – gone

to speak – sp o k e – sp o k en

to cut – cut – cut

3. According to the syntactic function verbs can be:

(a) main (notional)

(b) auxiliary

(c) link

Main (notional) verbs are the verbs which have a full lexical meaning and can be used as simple predicates.

E.g. He speaks English perfectly.

We discussed this problem yesterday.

Auxiliary verbs are the verbs which have lost their lexical meaning and are used only as form words (as component parts of analytical forms in simple predicates).

E.g. She is writing a letter now.

Will you come to the party?

Link verbs are the verbs which partially have lost their lexical meaning and are used in compound nominal predicates.

E.g. She is a student.

He looked tired.

4. According to the ability to take a direct object verbs can be:

(a) transitive

(b) intransitive

Transitive verbs are the verbs which take a direct object (i.e. they express an action which passes on to a person or thing directly).

E.g. He took his papers and went out.

She is reading a book.

Intransitive verbs are the verbs which cannot take a direct object.

E.g. He stood quite still.

Thank you for your kindness.

5. According to the ability to be used in the Continuous or the Perfect Continuous form verbs can be:

(a) dynamic

(b) stative

Dynamic verbs are the verbs which denote an action and can be used in the Continuous and the Perfect Continuous forms.

E.g. I am listening to the radio now.

She has been watching him for half an hour.

Stative verbs are the verbs which denote a certain state and cannot be used in the Continuous and the Perfect Continuous forms.

We can divide such verbs into the following groups:

· verbs of sense perception

to hear, to notice, to see, to smell, to sound, to taste, etc.

E.g. I hear you well.

It smells good!

· verbs of mental activity

to believe, to doubt, to expect, to feel (=to think), to guess, to imagine,
to know, to mean, to recognize, to remember, to see (=to understand),
to suppose, to think, to understand, etc.

E.g. I see what you mean.

She knew that he was right.

· verbs of wish, feeling and will

to adore, to agree, to disagree, to desire, to dislike, to envy, to fear, to hate,
to like, to love, to prefer, to refuse, to trust, to want, to wish, etc.

E.g. He likes tea.

She wanted to be informed of their arrival.

· verbs of possessing

to belong, to have, to own, to possess, etc.

E.g. This house belongs to my friends.

She owned that car for three years.

· verbs of existing or being

to be, to come from (=to originate), to consist, to contain, to exist, to hold, etc.

E.g. She is on duty today.

The audience consisted of many teenagers.

NOTE 1. Some of the verbs mentioned above can be used in the Continuous and the Perfect Continuous forms with a change of meaning to express temporary actions.

E.g. He has (=owns) a car.	He is having (=eating) dinner.
I think (=guess) he is right.	I am thinking (=considering) of entering the University

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