Tag Archives: verb phrase

English 362: Chapter 11: Intro to the Passive

Heyo Pwips! Before we get into the passive, let’s review the parts of the verb phrase that we have learned so far:

1. The modal auxiliaries that express “modalities”, or ways of modifying the meaning of the verb by suggesting an obligation or degree of probability.

2. The perfect aspect, which suggests a past event that has a continuing effect in the present (remember the perfect is formed by have + -en)

3. The progressive aspect, which backgrounds a process to a real or implied foregrounded event (remember progressive is formed by be + -ing)

4. The lexical verb itself

This formula sums up the verb phrase that we have learned so far:

VP = (Modal) (have+en) (be+ing) Verb

 

The Passive

Now we will add another element to the VP formula—the passive. The passive is formed by the auxiliary verb to be followed by a verb in the –en form. Along with being an auxiliary, the passive creates an interesting word order in sentences.

For example:

My first princess Barbie doll was destroyed by my older brother.

(Note how the passive is formed with a form of to be, in this case was, and the –en form of a verb, in this case destroyed is the –en form of destroy.)

Notice how the subject (my first princess Barbie doll) is not the thing performing the action. Rather it is receiving the action. Instead the noun phrase “my older brother” in the PrepPhr is the performer of the action. This is the unusual word order that the passive creates in a sentence. The prepositional phrase “by my older brother” is called the by-phrase.

When a sentence is in the passive, you can change it to an active sentence by taking the NP in the by-phrase and making it the subject.

For example:

My older brother destroyed my first princess Barbie doll.

We call the NP of the by-phrase the agent. When you diagram a by-phrase, its form will be PrepPhr, and its function will be Agentive. The NP of the by-phrase will simply be PrepComp.

 

English 362: Review for Quiz 3: Ch. 5 & 6

Heyo pwips, it’s time for another quiz! Here’s a quick review of Ch. 5 and Ch. 6.

 

Ch. 5: Objects and Adjuncts

  • Sentence Core: NP and PredPhr
    • NPs can occur within the PredPhr
      • If you have 2 NPs and they are referring to 2 different entities, then the first (usually a person) will have the function IO and the second will have the function DO
      • If you have 2 NPs and they are referring to the same 1 entity, then the first NP will have the function DO and the second will be OC
        • An OC can also be an AdjPhr, but still requires that there be a VP, NP, and a AdjPhr in the predicate. If the PredPhr only consists of the VP and an NP or AdjPhr, then it has the function of an SC
    • Reminder that a transitive sentence has a DO
  • Non-Core Elements: Adverbial or Adjunct
    • Non-core elements are under their own node under the S. They are not a part of the predicate.
    • Adverbials and Adjuncts are functions. Adverbial forms are often prepositional phrases, and Adjunct forms are often prepositional phrases or adverb phrases.

 

 

Ch. 6: The Verb Phrase

  • The operator, or left-most verb, carries the tense
  • Verbs may be tensed or non-tensed
    • Tensed: General present, -s present, and past
    • Non-tensed: Base form, -ing form, and -en form
  • Verbs may have an aspect
    • Perfect Aspect: Form of has + -en form of next verb
    • Progressive Aspect: Form of be + -ing form of next verb
  • Auxiliary verb functions include “modal of,” “perfect of,” and “progressive of”
  • You will also need to know numbers
    • First-person Singular: I
    • First-person Plural: We
    • Second-person Singular: You
    • Second-person Plural: You
    • Third-person Singular: He/She/It
    • Third-person Plural: They