Introduction

This unit introduces the area of grammar which, more than any other, is the main focus of most pedagogical grammars, and therefore of most language teaching materials (and, of course, of much classroom teaching). You might like to consider why this is the case.

Tasks

1 Verb syllabus

• a Here is the contents page for the Teacher’s Book that accompanies an intermediate level general English course. There are 12 units in all. How many of these units deal with verbs? Why do you think verbs are so prominent in English language courses?

• b Match these terms from the contents page with their examples:

2 Verbs

• a Identify the verbs in this text. In each case, identify the verb phrase (VP) that it is a part of, bearing in mind that in some cases the VP may only be one word.

• The most difficult part of any language is usually the part that deals with the verb. Learning a language is to a very large degree learning how to operate the verbal forms of that language, and, except in the case of those that are related historically, the patterns and structure of the verb in each language seem to differ very considerably from those in every other language. Most of us, as native speakers of a language, are as a result reasonably convinced that our language has a fairly straightforward way of dealing with the verbs and are rather dismayed and discouraged when faced with something entirely different in a new language.

• (Palmer 1965)

• b Think of another language that you know: in what ways are its verbs similar to, or different from, verbs in English?

3 Verb types

In the text by Palmer in Task 2, find examples of:

• • verb to be

• • infinitive

• • verb + -ing

• • past participle

• • a chain verb – that is, a lexical verb that is linked (or ‘chained’) to another verb

• • a passive construction

• • an irregular verb

• • a state verb – that is, a verb that describes states rather than actions.

4 Irregular verbs

Irregular verbs are ‘regularly’ irregular – that is, there are several basic patterns of irregularity. Can you add at least two examples of each pattern to these lists?