The non-modal auxiliaries, be , have , do

12 important questions on The non-modal auxiliaries, be , have , do

What are the primary uses of the verb DO in English?

DO serves various functions in English:
  1. Subject-auxiliary inversion: e.g., "Did she do her best?"
  2. Negation: e.g., "I didn't do him an injustice."
  3. Lexical verb: e.g., "She did her best."

How is the verb BE utilized in English?

The verb BE has three main functions:
  1. Progressive Marker: e.g., "They are watching TV."
  2. Passive Marker: e.g., "It was taken by Jill."
  3. Copula: e.g., "She was a friend of his."

What role does BE play in progressive aspect constructions?

BE acts as a marker of:
  1. Ongoing actions: e.g., "I've been working all morning."
  2. Indicates the situation is in progress at the specified time.
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How does BE function in passive constructions?

In passive structures, BE indicates:
  1. The subject receives the action, e.g., "It was taken by Jill."
  2. Lacks an active counterpart, e.g., "He may be arrested."

What is the copular function of BE in a sentence?

BE serves as:
  1. A linking verb: e.g., "She was a friend of his."
  2. Functions in interrogative and negative forms, e.g., "Was she a friend of his?"

What are the two classes that the verb HAVE belongs to, and how is it used in different contexts?

The verb HAVE serves two roles:
  • As a lexical verb: example - "She had a swim"
  • As an auxiliary verb: example - "He has broken his leg."

How does the perfect tense function in relation to the verb HAVE?

The perfect tense is formed with:
  1. Auxiliary HAVE + past participle
  2. Indicates a secondary past tense
  3. Example: "He has broken his leg"

What distinguishes the preterite form and the perfect form of HAVE?

Key differences include:
  • Preterite: used in finite constructions like "He took it yesterday"
  • Perfect: used with auxiliary HAVE and not after MAY

What does the perfect tense imply about the relevance of events in time?

The perfect tense indicates:
  • Past events still relevant to the present
  • Example: "He has broken his leg" shows ongoing relevance
  • Time frame: "past in present"

How do static and dynamic uses of HAVE differ?

Differences include:
  • Static HAVE: denotes a state (e.g., "She has enough credit")
  • Dynamic HAVE: denotes an event (e.g., "She had a swim")

What are the differing views on the auxiliary versus lexical use of static HAVE?

Views on static HAVE:
  1. Recognized as an auxiliary by some: "She hasn't enough credit."
  2. Treated as a lexical verb by others: "She doesn't have enough credit."

What linguistic phenomenon is observed in the construction of sentences using the verb HAVE?

Key observations include:
  • In auxiliary form, HAVE has a tense marking
  • It doesn't allow non-finite clauses as Complements (like "Have we to invite them all?")
  • Lexical treatment is gaining popularity

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