English Grammar Understanding the Basics - Evelyn P. Altenberg, Robert M. Vago 2010
Lesson 30: The basic structure of verb phrases
Unit 11: Verb phrases
Part II: Kinds of phrases
Remember the sentence, The little boy laughed? As we talked about earlier, The little boy is a noun phrase (see Lesson 28) and laughed is a verb phrase. There are different kinds of verb phrases, and we can begin to discover them by seeing what we can substitute for the verb phrase, laughed, in this sentence. The underlined portions of the sentences below are all verb phrases, and any one of them can replace laughed in the sentence, The little boy laughed.
1. The little boy left.
2. The little boy chased the ball.
3. The little boy chased the red ball.
4. The little boy chased it.
5. The little boy chased Henry.
Of course, there are lots of things that cannot replace laughed in this sentence, for example:
6. *The little boy his extremely.
7. *The little boy near from.
8. *The little boy they.
You’re probably not surprised to learn that his extremely, near from, and they are not verb phrases.
Have you noticed anything that all the underlined verb phrases in sentences 1-5 have in common? Each verb phrase has a verb. In fact, in sentence 1, the verb phrase has nothing in it but a verb, left. A verb phrase may also have other words, as you can see in sentences 2-5, but the least that every verb phrase has to have is a verb. (See Unit 2 to remind yourself about verbs.)
Quick tip 30.1
Every verb phrase contains a verb, for example laughs, left.
In sentences 1-5, the verb is the first word in the verb phrase and is its most important part.
Test yourself 30.1
Underline the verb phrase in each of the sentence s below. In this exercise, the verb phrase will consist of only a verb.
Sample: The family arrived.
Getting started (answers on p. 135)
1. Freddy disappeared. 4. I slept.
2. A young woman cried. 5. The little girl smiled.
3. The soldiers wait.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. The music stopped. 9. Time flies.
7. We agree. 10. A problem arose.
8. Last night the guests left.
If we look at sentences 2-5, we see that a verb phrase can have more in it than just a verb.
Let’s start with sentence 2, The little boy chased the ball. The verb phrase is:
9. chased the ball (verb + determiner + noun)
You may remember from Lesson 28 that determiner + noun is a kind of noun phrase. Thus, in this sentence, the verb phrase consists of a verb followed by one kind of noun phrase.
Let’s look at the verb phrases in sentences 3-5:
10. chased the red ball (verb + determiner + adjective + noun)
11. chased it (verb + pronoun)
12. chased Henry (verb + noun)
You can see that in each case, the verb phrase consists of a verb followed by a noun phrase.
Quick tip 30.2
A verb phrase can consist of a verb plus a noun phrase, for example chased the ball.
Again, we don’t have to list the different kinds of noun phrases here, because we’ve already listed them in Lesson 28; we can just refer to noun phrases in general.
Test yourself 30.2
Underline the verb phrase in each of the sentences below. It may help to first find the verb, which is the first word of these verb phrases. In each sentence here, the verb phrase consists of a verb + noun phrase.
Sample: We welcomed them.
Getting started (answers on p.135)
1. He created a monster.
2. Frank broke the plate.
3. Sherry and I left the house.
4. The detective examined the old broken doorknob.
5. We resent those comments.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. I read an interesting book.
7. Their younger sister crossed the hall.
8. The Australian swimming team defeated the French.
9. The rich wife bought some insurance.
10. Courtney ordered soup.
Test yourself 30.3
Here are the same sentences as in Test yourself 30.2.This time, in each sentence underline the verb with a solid line and the noun phrase within each verb phrase with a squiggly line.
Getting started (answers on p. 135)
1. He created a monster.
2. Frank broke the plate.
3. Sherry and I left the house.
4. The detective examined the old broken doorknob.
5. We resent those comments.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. I read an interesting book.
7. Their younger sister crossed the hall.
8. The Australian swimming team defeated the French.
9. The rich wife bought some insurance.
10. Courtney ordered soup.
In Lesson 9, we talked about the fact that some verbs are action verbs, like run, write, and discover, while others are linking verbs, like be, feel, and become. The verb phrases we’ve looked at so far have all contained action verbs. Verb phrases with linking verbs are different from verb phrases with action verbs. Let’s compare two sentences:
11. John saw the teacher.
12. John is the teacher.
In each sentence, the verb phrase is underlined, and each verb phrase consists of a verb + noun phrase. (Saw and is are the verbs and the teacher is the noun phrase.) But can you see how the verb phrases in sentences 11 and 12 differ? You’ve probably noticed that in sentence 11, the teacher is receiving the action, but in sentence 12, there is no action (after all, is a linking verb, not an action verb). So while the structures of sentences 11 and 12 appear to be similar on the surface, the sentences are quite different in meaning.
The following verb phrases with linking verbs are different in structure as well as in meaning from verb phrases with action verbs:
13. John is tall.
14. My sister became anxious.
As you (hopefully!) remember from Lesson 16, tall and anxious are adjectives. So when the verb is a linking verb, it can be followed by an adjective alone. An action verb cannot be followed by just an adjective, as you can see:
15. *John saw tall.
16. *John saw upset.
Quick tip 30.3
A verb phrase can consist of a linking verb plus an adjective, for example is tall.
An adjective which follows a linking verb and is not part of a noun phrase is traditionally called a predicate adjective, as in the example John is tall (sentence 13). In contrast, an adjective which is part of a noun phrase is traditionally called an attributive adjective, as in the example John has a tall sister.
Test yourself 30.4
Underline the verb phrase in each of the sentences below. It may help to first find the verb, which is the first word of these verb phrases. In each sentence here, the verb phrase consists of linking verb + adjective.
Sample: We are hungry.
Getting started (answers on p. 135)
1. The argument was silly.
2. The dress felt comfortable.
3. Steven became sick.
4. The point of this exercise seems obvious.
5. The children got excited.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. You look happy.
7. Her voice sounds raspy.
8. She felt embarrassed.
9. The new director proved difficult.
10. Your pie tastes delicious.
Test yourself 30.5
Here are the same sentences as in Test yourself 30.4.This time, within each verb phrase, underline the verb with a solid line and the adjective with a squiggly line.
Getting started (answers on p.135)
1. The argument was silly.
2. The dress felt comfortable.
3. Steven became sick.
4. The point of this exercise seems obvious.
5. The children got excited.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. You look happy.
7. Her voice sounds raspy.
8. She felt embarrassed.
9. The new director proved di/cult.
10. Your pie tastes delicious.
Test yourself 30.6
Underline the verb phrase in each of the sentences below. In some sentences, the verb will be an action verb alone or it will be followed by a noun phrase (for example, saw the cat). In other sentences the verb will be a linking verb and may be followed by a noun phrase or by an adjective alone (for example, looked hungry).
Sample: He prepared his speech.
Getting started (answers on p.135)
1. Brady was a radio engineer.
2. The king sent a clear message.
3. Those flowers look gorgeous.
4. Most able-bodied adults work.
5. I recognized them.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. We adore your lovely little girl.
7. She grew impatient.
8. Your son grew.
9. Chuck became an electrical engineer.
10. The diners wanted more bread.
Test yourself 30.7
Here are the same sentences as in Test yourself 30.6. This time, indicate if the verb phrase you’ve identified is: verb (alone), verb + noun phrase, or verb + adjective.
Sample: He prepared his speech. verb + noun phrase
Getting started (answers on p.136)
1. Brady was a radio engineer.
2. The king sent a clear message.
3. Those flowers look gorgeous.
4. Most able-bodied adults work.
5. I recognized them.
More practice (answers on the website)
6.We adore your lovely little girl.
7. She grew impatient.
8. Your son grew.
9. Chuck became an electrical engineer.
10. The diners wanted more bread.
To enhance your understanding
You may remember, from Lesson 8, that some verbs, for example smell, can be used as either action verbs or linking verbs. For example:
17. That dog smells badly. (Meaning, he does a bad job of smelling things.)
18. That dog smells bad. (Meaning, for example, he needs a bath.)
In sentence 17, smell is an action verb; it refers to the dog doing the action of smelling. In sentence 18, smell is a linking verb; it helps to tell us something about the dog but he’s not actually doing anything - he’s being something, namely, smelly.
When a verb is used as a linking verb, it can have an adjective, like bad, after it. When it’s used as an action verb, it can be followed by an adverb, like badly, but not by an adjective. In Standard American English, good is used only as an adjective. So in Standard American English, it’s not considered acceptable to say:
19. You did good.
That’s because did is an action verb, and an action verb cannot be completed with just an adjective. So why do we often hear people saying sentences like You did good? What’s happening is that people are starting to use good as an adverb, not just as an adjective. Maybe in the future this usage will become more widely accepted, but right now using good as an adverb is not considered Standard American English. (In other words, don’t say this at a job interview, although it’s fine to say with friends.)
Similarly, people sometimes say, I feel badly, instead of I feel bad, even though they are using feel here as a linking verb, not as an action verb. They know that usually an adverb, like badly, follows a verb, but adverbs only directly follow action verbs, not linking verbs. (When people incorrectly overapply a rule, it’s called hypercorrection.)
We can thus explain the difference between I feel good (’’I’m OK’’) and I feel well (’’I have the ability to touch effectively’’): in the former sentence feel is a linking verb, in the latter it is an action verb.
In Lesson 30, we talked about prepositional phrases. Here are some sentences with their verbs in bold and their prepositional phrases underlined:
20. The Bede family lives around the corner.
21. Please ride to the stable.
22. He headed toward the policeman.
Together, the verb plus prepositional phrase form a verb phrase.
Quick tip 30.4
A verb phrase can consist of a verb plus a prepositional phrase, for example drove to the mall.
Test yourself 30.8
Underline the verb phrase in each of the sentences below. It may help to first find the verb, which is the first word of these verb phrases. In each sentence here, the verb phrase consists of a verb + prepositional phrase.
Sample: He frequently came to my o/ce.
Getting started (answers on p.136)
1. The boat floated in the water.
2. Janice is from Kansas City.
3. Mrs. Miller is at the beach.
4. He looked for me.
5. The sun appeared above the horizon.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. They live near each other.
7. I read between the lines.
8. He learned from his grandfather.
9. She played with her children.
10. Our plane flew over the Atlantic Ocean.
Test yourself 30.9
Underline the verb phrase in each of the sentences below. The verb phrase will either be: verb (alone), verb + noun phrase, or verb + prepositional phrase. Look for the verb to help you get started. Sample: This is for the whole family.
Getting started (answers on p.136)
1. Elinor rented a car.
2. The clowns never laugh with the audience.
3. The road trip ended.
4. The band played my favorite song.
5. They left at noon.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. Brandy’s three-month-old baby smiled.
7. Our neighbors just returned from their country home.
8. I found the missing piece.
9. We ran through the woods.
10. On holidays, the Watsons entertain.
Test yourself 30.10
Here are the same sentences as in Test yourself 30.9. This time, indicate if the verb phrase you’ve identified is: verb (alone), verb + noun phrase, or verb + prepositional phrase.
Sample: This is for the whole family. verb + prepositional phrase
Getting started (answers on p.136)
1. Elinor rented a car.
2. The clowns never laugh with the audience.
3. The road trip ended.
4. The band played my favorite song.
5. They left at noon.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. Brandy’s three-month-old baby smiled.
7. Our neighbors just returned from their country home.
8. I found the missing piece.
9. We ran through the woods.
10. On holidays, The Watsons entertain.
Test yourself 30.11
Underline the verb phrase in each of the sentences below. The verb phrase will either be: verb + adjective or verb + prepositional phrase. Look for the verb to help you get started.
Sample: You look pretty.
Getting started (answers on p. 136)
1. Her mother looked under the bed.
2. Jan leaped for the shore.
3. The morning seemed peaceful.
4. The stock market fell hard.
5. She arrived with an empty suitcase.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. A fight arose among the players.
7. The TV host appeared annoyed.
8. The bull ran down the narrow street.
9. It rolled under the bed.
10. The show was disastrous.
Can a verb phrase have a verb followed by both a noun phrase and a prepositional phrase?
23. He walked Mary to the corner.
24. The dog chased the man with the umbrella.
In these sentences, the verb phrase consists of a verb followed by a noun phrase and also a prepositional phrase.
Quick tip 30.5
A verb phrase can consist of a verb plus a noun phrase plus a prepositional phrase, for example drove her friend to the mall.
Can we say the following?
25. *He walked to the corner Mary.
26. *The dog chased with the umbrella the man.
These sentences show us that when a verb is followed by a noun phrase and a prepositional phrase, the noun phrase always has to be before the prepositional phrase.
Test yourself 30.12
Underline the verb phrase in each of the sentences below. In each sentence here, the verb phrase consists of a verb + noun phrase + prepositional phrase. It may help to first find the verb, which is the first word of these verb phrases.
Sample: I called my wife during intermission.
Getting started (answers on p. 136)
1. Vivian added calcium to her diet.
2. She knit that blanket from an unusual wool.
3. Her housekeeper rinsed those clothes in warm water.
4. I like my coffee without sugar.
5. Jack and Martha bought a wedding gift at Macy’s.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. He put the steak on the grill.
7. A nervous driver pulled her smoking Audi into the repair shop.
8. The young man bought his first computer with his father’s credit card.
9. He rescued her from the boring party.
10. Alex met his wife near her office.
Test yourself 30.13
Underline the verb phrase in each of the sentences below. The verb phrases will be either: verb (alone), verb + noun phrase, verb + adjective, verb + prepositional phrase, or verb + noun phrase + prepositional phrase.
Sample: He prepared his speech.
Getting started (answers on p.137)
1. Your sister is a talented pianist.
2. Their doctor operates at that hospital.
3. Robert threw himself into the battle.
4. The offer sounded unrealistic.
5. His mother went to the drugstore.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. Yesterday we met a few of our friends.
7. Last night I studied.
8. The professor sounded eloquent.
9. We made a deal over dinner.
10. On Tuesdays Sarah paints in her studio.
Test yourself 30.14
Here are the same sentences as in Test yourself 30.13. This time, indicate if the verb phrase you’ve identified is: verb (alone), verb + noun phrase, verb + adjective, verb + prepositional phrase, or verb + noun phrase + prepositional phrase.
Sample: He prepared his speech. verb + noun phrase
Getting started (answers on p.137)
1. Your sister is a talented pianist.
2. Their doctor operates at that hospital.
3. Robert threw himself into the battle.
4. The offer sounded unrealistic.
5. His mother went to the drugstore.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. Yesterday we met a few of our friends.
7. Last night I studied.
8. The professor sounded eloquent.
9. We made a deal over dinner.
10. On Tuesdays Sarah paints in her studio.
To sum up, we list below the kinds of verb phrases we’ve discussed in this lesson:
verb (example: laughed)
verb + adjective (example: was happy)
verb + noun phrase (example: left the room)
verb + preposition phrase (example: walked to the corner)
verb + noun phrase + preposition phrase (example: walked Rachel to the corner)
While there are more kinds of verb phrases, what we’ve done here is to show you some basic ones.