BASIC STRUCTURES OF THE VERBAL GROUP
SUMMARY
1 The experiential structure of the VG consists of Finite + Event + auxiliaries. The Finite expresses tense, person, number and modality (the latter when realized by a modal auxiliary). These relate the verbal process to the ‘speaker-now’ and establish the Verbal Group in relation to the speech exchange. The Event expresses lexical meaning, which provides the representational content. Finite and Event are fused in e.g. runs, asked and was, has (as primary auxiliaries).
2 Verbal Groups can be marked for tense or modality but not both.
3 Verbal Group structures can be simple, consisting of one element only (runs, asked), or extended, consisting of one or more auxiliaries + a main verb (may have been running).
4 Up to four auxiliaries can occur, or five if a lexical auxiliary is included.
5 The meanings expressed by the auxiliaries are: modal, perfect, progressive, passive, in this order. The structures which realize these meanings are telescoped in the G.
6 The longer combinations are more frequent in spoken than in written English.
7 Non-finite VGs (having been seen) can express perfect, progressive and passive meanings, but not tense or modality.
8 Verbal Groups are discontinuous in English when the sequence of elements is interrupted by other clause elements or by intensifiers.
