There are many English sentences in which the subject is omitted (most of all imperative sentences like ‘Sit down’) – but it is impossible to leave out the predicate in an English sentence. This predicate can contain several complement stuctures, a direct and an indirect object and adverbs – but it must contain a verb. The category verb can be sperated into the following types:
• Transitive Verbs
• Intransitive Verbs
• Ditransitive Verbs
• Copulas (Linking Verbs) and
• Complex Transitive Verbs
According to these types some verbs require a direct object, others may allow one; some verbs require two objects – a direct and an indirect one; other verbs can be followed by adjectives and some have to be connected to adverbs.
It is very important to distinguish between these different categories. The type of verb of course has implications for the rest of the verb but also for the subject. In active sentences patient subjects, which are subjects that are acted upon, always take Intransitive Verbs; agent subjects can have both verb types and instrument subjects, which are acting on something else, need to co-occur with Transitive Verbs in order to show what they are acting on.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- The Transitive Verb
- The Intransitive Verb
- The Ditransitive Verb
- The Copula (Linking Verb)
- Sensory Copulas
- Stative Copulas
- Change of State Copulas
- Restricted Copulas
- The Complex Transitive Verb
- Consideration of results
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This text aims to provide a comprehensive overview of different verb types in the English language. It explores how these types function, their impact on sentence structure, and their role in expressing various grammatical relations.
- Types of verbs in English grammar
- Grammatical functions of verbs
- Relationship between verb types and sentence structure
- Distinction between transitive and intransitive verbs
- Role of direct and indirect objects in sentence construction
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter establishes the fundamental importance of the verb in English sentences, highlighting its essential role in forming the predicate. It introduces the various categories of verbs that will be explored in the following chapters.
- The Transitive Verb: This chapter defines the transitive verb as one that transmits action from the subject to the direct object, analyzing its structure and providing examples. It also discusses 'light' transitive verbs like 'to do,' 'to have,' and 'to take,' and explores how these verbs require a direct object to convey meaning.
- The Intransitive Verb: This chapter defines the intransitive verb as one that does not require a direct object, illustrating its usage with examples. It explores the concept of 'cognate direct objects' and discusses the possibility of some intransitive verbs taking a direct object in specific cases.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This text focuses on the core concepts of verb types, sentence structure, direct objects, indirect objects, transitive verbs, intransitive verbs, and copulas. It explores the various grammatical functions of different verb categories and analyzes their impact on English sentence construction.
- Quote paper
- Anika Peschel (Author), 2006, Types of Verb in English, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/52146
