Auxiliaries: Difference between revisions

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  '''N'''egation:
  '''N'''egation:
A finite auxiliary precedes the negation particle ''not'' to negate a sentence.
A finite auxiliary precedes the negation particle ''not'' to negate a sentence.
# Pat will not walk home.
# Pat will ''not'' walk home.
# Pat walked not home.
# *Pat ''walked ''not home.
  '''I'''nversion:
  '''I'''nversion:
A finite auxiliary stands at the beginning of a sentence in yes/no-questions.
A finite auxiliary stands at the beginning of a sentence in yes/no-questions.
Will Pat walk home?
# Will Pat walk home?
Walked Pat home?
# *Walked Pat home?


  '''C'''ontraction:
  '''C'''ontraction:
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  '''E'''llipsis:
  '''E'''llipsis:
An auxiliary can occur in VP ellipsis, i.e. at the end of a sentence when a VP is missing.
An auxiliary can occur in VP ellipsis, i.e. at the end of a sentence when a VP is missing.
Pat should walk home and Mary might, too.
# Pat should walk home and Mary might, too.
*Pat walked home and Mary, too.
# *Pat walked home and Mary walked, too.
General properties of the modal auxiliaries:
 
no inflection for 3rd singular
=== Special cases ===
only a finite form
 
Problematic cases:
* Modal auxiliaries: they only have tensed forms and take no -s in the third person singular present tense
The verbs be and have have the properties of both verbs and auxiliaries.
* The infinitive marker ''to'' shows many properties of auxiliaries, and is considered an auxiliary in many theories of grammar.
The support verb do is similar to be and have, but only has a finite form.
 
Infinitival to shows many properties of auxiliaries, and is considered an auxiliary in many theories of grammar.
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   [[Determiners| &larr; Determiners]]  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  [[Words| &uarr; Words]]      &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  [[Conjunctions|Conjunctions &rarr;]]
   [[Determiners| &larr; Determiners]]  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  [[Words| &uarr; Words]]      &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  [[Conjunctions|Conjunctions &rarr;]]
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Latest revision as of 12:23, 21 April 2017

  • Examples: may, can, will, shall, might, could
  • English auxiliaries differ from verbs in that they show the following properties, the NICE properties:
Negation:

A finite auxiliary precedes the negation particle not to negate a sentence.

  1. Pat will not walk home.
  2. *Pat walked not home.
Inversion:

A finite auxiliary stands at the beginning of a sentence in yes/no-questions.

  1. Will Pat walk home?
  2. *Walked Pat home?
Contraction:

There is an idiosyncratic contraction form of the auxiliary and the negation particle. won't, can't

Ellipsis:

An auxiliary can occur in VP ellipsis, i.e. at the end of a sentence when a VP is missing.

  1. Pat should walk home and Mary might, too.
  2. *Pat walked home and Mary walked, too.

Special cases

  • Modal auxiliaries: they only have tensed forms and take no -s in the third person singular present tense
  • The infinitive marker to shows many properties of auxiliaries, and is considered an auxiliary in many theories of grammar.