We put an auxiliary verb before the subject of a clause in several different structures. This is called inversion. Consider the statement She is coming with us, in which the subject she precedes the auxiliary is. In the corresponding YES/NO question Is she coming with us?, the auxiliary is comes before the subject she. Note …
When To Put The Auxiliary Verb Before The Subject? Read More »
Intransitive is a label applied to a verb that does not take a direct object. Some English verbs are always intransitive and can never take an object. Examples are: sleep, come, go, die, fall, laugh, arrive etc. The child sleeps. He might come. He laughed loudly. Alice arrived early. Many verbs can be either transitive …
A verb which is limited by the number and person of its subject is called a finite-verb. Consider the examples given below. I sing. Ann sings. They sing. The verb sing changes its form according to the number and person of its subject. Sing is therefore finite in the above sentences. The label finite is …
A verb which can be either transitive or intransitive is called an ergative verb. English has many ergative verbs. Examples are: sink, ring, boil, speak, explode, collapse, dissolve etc. • The explosion sank the ship. (transitive) • The ship sank rapidly. (intransitive) • The driver stopped the train. (transitive) • The train stopped suddenly. (intransitive) …
An active verb form is one like reads, wrote, broke, is writing or will write. The subject of an active verb is usually the person or thing that does the action, or is responsible for what happens. Jane wrote a story. (Jane (subject) did the action.) We are eating our dinner. John will collect our …
