TASK ONE

In the paragraph below find examples of:

-lexical verbs

-light verbs

-auxiliary verbs

-modal auxiliary verbs

-multi-word verbs

-non-finite verbs (either gerunds, infintives, present participles or past participles)

-transitive verbs

-intransitive verbs

-complex-transitive verbs

-bitransitive/ditransitive verbs

-dynamic verbs

-stative verbs

CUPLA

Grace felt weak and sick and decided to go home and have a lie-down. When she told Michael
what had happened she´d probably have to spend the rest of the day listening to him tell her
that he´d never trusted Miriam Cooper from the beginning and she´d been a fool to leave all
the administration to her. That thought alone kept /made/caused/forced/obliged her sitting
in her chair. Maybe she could have a preliminary chat with the Bureau of fraud Investigation
and find out how they would proceed. She picked up her pad and flicked through it until she
found the number Bob had given her. Her hand was reaching for the phone when Miriam
appeared in the doorway.
kept /made/caused/forced/obliged CAUSATIVE VERBS
these verbs express the idea that SB forces SB ELSE to do sthg.
Joe made Susan clean the garage.
They are called “verbs of double agency”= 2 agents/2 doers of actions

“BE” is a linking/copula(r) verb= it has no meaning at all.

It is only a TENSE CARRIER
It is a light verb.
The meaning is always in the Complement.

He is happy. feeling
He is outside place
He is a tourist occupation/profession
He is at home place
He is single marital status
He is 34 age
He is my brother relation
He is easy-going quality/characteristic

He leaned against the door.

She sat on a comfortable chair.
She remained next to the window.
Joe remained silent.
She stood next to the window.
Stay quiet.
She stayed home the rest of the day.
They kept calm because they didn’t know the date for the test yet.

This milk tastes /is sour.

Stative
Vb of perception
Intransitive
Copula(r)

Can I taste the Moka coffee?

 Dynamic DO
Voluntary perception
Transitive (+ sthg)

I tasted the Moka coffee.

DO pronominalization / pasivization / What? or Who?
I tasted IT Moka coffe was tasted by me What did I taste?

I kissed a girl (and I liked it).

“Shakira” perfume smells delicious.

Stative
Vb of perception
Intransitive
Copula(r)

You should smell this cream, I think it is too flavoured.

Dynamic DO
Voluntary perception
Transitive (+ sthg)

I feel /am dizzy/tired/feverish.

Stative
Vb of perception
Intransitive
Copula(r)

He felt his pockets for the front door key.

She felt her bag but the wallet was not there.

Dynamic DO

Voluntary perception
Transitive (+ sthg)
 I think / believe Grammar is of utter importance.
stative
Transitive
Finite
Lexical

You should think deeply before you make a decision.

Dynamic
Intransitive
Non-finite
lexical

multi-word verbs

Phrasal verbs ----------Transitive (some of them) / ----------Intransitive (some others)

Verb + adverbial particle

Transitive
to turn on sthg -These verbs allow for DO-INSERTION

He turned on the radio.

He turned the radio on.

-These verbs allow for PRONOMINALIZATION only after DO-INSERTION

Her turned it on.

BUT pronominalization is impossible/is ungrammatical before DO-INSERTION

*He turned on it.

Intransitive
She fainted and came round in less than one minute.

Multi-word v

I Phrasal V.

Prepositional verbs -----------Transitive (always)

Verb + preposition -they DO NOT allow for DO-INSERTION

He looked at the picture.

*He looked the picture at.

The preposition CANNOT be separated from the Verb

-the allow for PRONOMINALIZATION

He looked at it.

to listen to

to look at

to speak to

to aim at

Phrasal-prepositional verbs---------Transitive (always)

Verb+ adverbial particle + preposition

to look down on sbdy

to look forward to sthg

to put up with sthg/sbdy

Multi-word verbs: V + DO + Preposition + Complement to the preposition

To provide sb with sthg

To accuse sb of sthg

To rob sb OF sthg

To steal sthg FROM sbdy

To agree with sbdy on sthg

TASK TWO

In the paragraph below find examples of:

-phrases (noun phrases, prepositional phrases, adjectival phrases, adverbial phrases, verb
phrases). In each case, identify the Head and try to characterize the “surrounding” elements.

-uncountable/mass/non-count nouns

-partitives

-determines

-abstract nouns

-conjunctions (both coordinating and subordinating ones)

-clauses (dependent/subordínate ones)

-complements (of any kind). In each case, account for the existence of the complement
Grace sipped silently on her drink as she absorbed this piece of information. It was a typical
stunt for Bridget to pull and it was probably less about her needing a housekeeper and more
about wanting to keep up with the Joneses. How Luke managed to finance it was a mystery. He
was employed by a Dublin firm specializing in commercial business, and though he worked long
hours Grace suspected it wasn´t easy to support Bridget´s lifestyle. She wondered how he felt
about Bridget acquiring a housekeeper. Grace followed Miriam down into the large hall and
smiled as Miriam introduced her to the very large woman who was squeezed into a Chanel suit
at least two sizes too small.