Verb Phrases

Basic parts
Verbs in English have four basic parts:

Base form
work
play
listen
-ing
working
playing
listening
Past tense
worked
played
listened
Past participle
worked
played
listened

Most verbs are regular:
they have a past tense and past participle with
– ed worked • played • listened.
But many of the most frequent verbs are irregular.

Verb phrases

Verb phrases in English have the following forms:

1. a main verb

Subject
We
I
Everybody
We
Main Verb
are
like
saw
laughed.
Object or adverbial
here.
it.
the accident.
-

The verb can be in the present tense are • like or the past tense saw • laughed.


2. the auxiliary verb be and a main verb in the –ing form:

Subject
Everybody
We
Auxiliary be
is
were
Object or adverbial
watching.
laughing.

A verb phrase with be and –ing expresses continuous aspect. A verb with am/is/are expresses present continuous and a verb with was/were expresses past continuous.


3. the auxiliary verb have & a main verb in the past participle form:

Subject

They
Everybody
He
Auxiliary have

enjoyed
worked
finished
Past participle

have
has
had
Object or adverbial
themselves.
hard.
work.

A verb phrase with have and the past participle expresses perfect aspect.

A verb with have/has expresses present perfect and a verb with had expresses past perfect.


4. a modal verb can • could • may • might • must • shall • should • will • would and a main verb:

Subject
They
He
Modal verb
will
might
Main verb
come.
come.



5. the auxiliary verbs have and been and a main verb in the –ing form:

Subject

Everybody
He
Auxiliary have been
has been
had been
-ing form

working
singing.
Adverbial

hard.
-

A verb phrase with have been and the -ing form expresses both perfect aspect and continuous aspect. A verb with have/has expresses present perfect continuous and a verb with had expresses past perfect continuous.


6. a modal verb and the auxiliaries be, have and have been:

Subject
They
He
She
Modal
will
might
must
Auxiliary
be
have
have been
Verb
listening.
arrived.
listening



7. the auxiliary verb be and a main verb in the past participle form:

Subject
English
The windows
Lunch
The work
They
Auxiliary be
is
have been
was being
will be
might have been
Past participle
spoken
cleaned.
served.
finished
invited
Verb
all over the world.
-
-
soon.
to the party

A verb phrase with be and the past participle expresses passive voice.


We can use the auxiliaries do and did with the infinitive for emphasis:

It was a wonderful party. I did enjoy it.
I do agree with you. I think you are absolutely right.

We can also use do for polite invitations:

Do come and see us some time.
There will be lots of people there. Do bring your friends.