ABSTRACT

Just as noun phrases are built up around a head noun, so verb phrases (VP) consist of an obligatory main verb to which other, auxiliary (aux), verbs may be added, as well as negative particles and adverbs. For example:

He VP(presses) the snooze button She VP(may see) me may=auxiliary He VP(does not greatly care) for the dark purplish bathroom suite does=aux, not=negative, greatly=adverb I VP(‘ve always wanted) an en suite bathroom ‘ve=aux, always=adverb

the verb phrase is said to be finite. You can show that a verb phrase has tense by changing it:

He VP(presses) the snooze button He VP(pressed) the snooze button He VP(does not greatly care) for the dark purplish bathroom suite He VP(will not greatly care) for the dark purplish bathroom suite

In addition to being marked for tense, finite verbs agree in person and number with the subject noun phrase. Again this can be demonstrated by changing the subjects:

He VP(presses) the snooze button I VP(press) the snooze button He VP(does not greatly care) for the dark purplish bathroom suite They VP(do not greatly care) for the dark purplish bathroom suite He VP(‘s always wanted) an en suite bathroom They VP(‘ve always wanted) an en suite bathroom

Not all verb phrases have tense or person/number agreement however. In the following examples, each sentence has two verb phrases, but only one can be changed in the ways shown above:

The only escape VP(was) for him VP(to press) the snooze button The only escape VP(is) for him VP(to press) the snooze button (Tense) The only escapes VP(are) for them VP(to press) the snooze button (Number) VP(Not caring greatly) for the bathroom suite, he VP(kept) out of the bathroom VP(Not caring greatly) for the bathroom suite, he VP(keeps) out of the bathroom (Tense) VP(Not caring greatly) for the bathroom suite, they VP(keep) out of the bathroom (Number) VP(Wanted) by no one, the room with the en suite bathroom VP(was) empty VP(Wanted) by no one, the room with the en suite bathroom VP(is) empty (Tense) VP(Wanted) by no one, the rooms with the en suite bathroom VP(are) empty (Number)

Despite appearances, caring and wanted are not present and past tense here — they can appear with another verb in any tense at all (e.g. Wanted by no one, the

phrases like this are non-finite.