Auxiliaries: Difference between revisions
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* Examples: may, can, will, shall, might, could | * Examples: may, can, will, shall, might, could | ||
* English auxiliaries differ from verbs in that they show the following properties, the '''NICE''' properties: | * English auxiliaries differ from verbs in that they show the following properties, the '''NICE''' properties: | ||
'''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: | |||
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: | |||
There is an idiosyncratic contraction form of the auxiliary and the negation particle. | There is an idiosyncratic contraction form of the auxiliary and the negation particle. | ||
won't, can't | won't, can't | ||
'''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. | ||
Revision as of 12:15, 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.
- Pat will not walk home.
- Pat walked not home.
Inversion:
A finite auxiliary stands at the beginning of a sentence in yes/no-questions. Will Pat walk home? 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. Pat should walk home and Mary might, too.
- Pat walked home and Mary, too.
General properties of the modal auxiliaries: no inflection for 3rd singular only a finite form Problematic cases: The verbs be and have have the properties of both verbs and auxiliaries. 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.