The Part of Speech Is Determined by the Word's Function. There are nine parts of speech :
- (1) Adjective
- (2) Adverb
- (3) Conjunction
- (4) Determiner
- (5) Interjection
- (6) Noun
- (7) Preposition
- (8) Pronoun
- (9) Verb
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The Part of Speech Is Determined by the Word's Function. There are nine parts of speech :
Here is a mini-lesson about phrasal verbs.
1. Throw on = quickly put on usually clothes
· And then, they throw their coats on and walk out the door!
2. Play on = exploit someone's feelings or weak
points in an unfair way
· Their latest adverts play on your emotions.
3. Single out = choose someone from a group for special treatment, often criticism or praise
· The teacher would
always single her out for her fantastic projects.
Which phrasal verb do we need?
1. There is nothing which _________ (chooses from a
group for special treatment / him).
2. A: Are you ready? B: I'll just _________
(quickly put on / some clothes).
3. They _________ (exploit in an unfair way / your
feelings) to make money.
4. Gun for = try hard to get
something (often used in continuous tenses)
· All the runners are gunning for first place in the race.
5. Hinge-on = depend entirely
on something
· A company's success can hinge on good marketing.
6. Hunt down = find with a long
search
· Finally, I managed to hunt my
keys down.
Which phrasal verb do we need?
1. In the end, the police managed
to _________ (find with a long search / the criminal).
2. Our arrival time will
__________ (depend completely on / the plane timetable).
3. I'm __________ (trying hard to
get / a promotion at work).
Participles can also act as adjectives. In this case, they modify nouns. Sometimes participles are used as adjectives after be or other copular verbs. In this case, they complete the predicate.
When participles help to form continuous and perfect tenses, they act as participles.
A word group that has an adjective as its head is called an adjective phrase. Note that the adjective in this phrase may be accompanied by other words such as determiners, modifiers etc.
Adjective phrases can go before a noun (attributive position). They can also go after a linking verb like be (predicative position).
A copular verb does not take an object and it cannot be modified by an adverb. The word or phrase that follows a copular verb typically says something about the subject of the sentence.
Here the adjective awful says something about the fish. It doesn’t modify the verb tasted.
Note that the adjective in an adjective phrase may be modified by an adverb. When it is modified by an adverb, the adverb goes before the adjective. The adjective may also be modified by other determiners like articles, possessives and demonstratives.
Consider the phrase ‘my cute little daughter’
Here the adjective phrase ‘my cute little’ consists of a possessive (my) and two adjectives (cute and little).
Sometimes the idea expressed by an adjective can also be expressed using a noun phrase. Consider the examples given below.
The same idea can be expressed using the phrase: a man of honor
Another example is given below.
The past tenses of the Subjunctive, and the auxiliary would, are used in the subordinate clauses of sentences which use the verb to wish in the main clause. In the following examples, the verb to wish is printed in bold type, and the verbs in the subordinate clauses are underlined.
e.g. He wishes that he were rich.It should be noted that the word that can be omitted from a sentence which uses the verb to wish in the main clause.
e.g. He wishes he were rich.
They wish they had studied harder when they were young.
She wishes you would come to the meeting tomorrow.
The form of the verb used in the subordinate clause of a wish is independent of the tense of the verb in the main clause. As explained below, the form of the verb used in the subordinate clause of a wish is determined by whether the time of the action referred to in the subordinate clause is earlier than, the same as, or later than the time of the action referred to in the main clause.
When the subordinate clause refers to an earlier time than the main clause, the Past Perfect Subjunctive is usually used in the subordinate clause. In the following examples, the verbs in the Past Perfect Subjunctive are underlined.
e.g. We wished he had spoken to us.
I wish you had called earlier.
They will wish they had listened to us sooner.
In the case of a continuous, ongoing action, the Past Perfect Continuous Subjunctive may be used instead of the Past Perfect Subjunctive. In the following example, the verb in the Past Perfect Continuous Subjunctive is underlined.
e.g. She wishes she had been staying with us last week.
In each of these examples, the use of the Past Perfect Subjunctive or the Past Perfect Continuous Subjunctive indicates that the subordinate clause refers to an earlier time than the main clause.
When the subordinate clause refers to the same time as the main clause, the Simple Past Subjunctive is usually used in the subordinate clause. In the following examples, the verbs in the Simple Past Subjunctive are underlined.
e.g. When she was at the party, she wished she were at home.
Now that he is in China, he wishes he understood Chinese.
When we begin the trip, they will wish they were with us.
In the case of a continuous, ongoing action, the Past Continuous Subjunctive may be used instead of the Simple Past Subjunctive. In the following example, the verb in the Past Continuous Subjunctive is underlined.
e.g. They wish they were traveling now.
In each of these examples, the use of the Simple Past Subjunctive or the Past Continuous Subjunctive indicates that the subordinate clause refers to the same time as the main clause.
When the subordinate clause refers to a later time than the main clause, the Simple conjugation with the auxiliary would is usually used in the subordinate clause. In the following examples, the verbs in the Simple conjugation with would are underlined.
e.g. You wished she would arrive the next day.
I wish she would change her mind.
He will wish we would join him the following week.
In each of these examples, the use of the Simple conjugation with would indicates that the subordinate clause refers to a later time than the main clause.
The following table summarizes the verb forms most often used in the subordinate clauses of sentences expressing wishes.
Time Referred to in Subordinate Clause | |
Compared to Time Referred to in Main Clause | Form of Verb Used in Subordinate Clause |
Earlier | Past Perfect Subjunctive or |
Past Perfect Continuous Subjunctive | |
e.g. I wish it had snowed yesterday. | |
Same | Simple Past Subjunctive or |
Past Continuous Subjunctive | |
e.g. I wish it were snowing now. | |
Later | Simple conjugation with would |
e.g. I wish it would snow tomorrow. |
It should be noted that the modal auxiliary could, which will be discussed further in the next chapter, can also be used in the subordinate clause of a sentence expressing a wish. The auxiliary could forms conjugations in the same way as the auxiliary would.
e.g. I wish I could help you tomorrow.
I wish I could help you now.
As illustrated in the preceding examples, the Simple conjugation with could may be used when the time referred to in the subordinate clause is later than, or the same as, the time referred to in the main clause.
As illustrated in the following example, the Perfect conjugation with could may be used when the time referred to in the subordinate clause is earlier than the time referred to in the main clause.
e.g. I wish I could have helped you yesterday.
Uses
In modern English, the Simple Present Subjunctive is most commonly used in formal commands and requests. In the following examples, the verbs in the Simple Present Subjunctive are underlined.
e.g. They demand that he submit a report.
We request that you be here tomorrow.
The Simple Present Subjunctive is also still used in a few traditional expressions.
e.g. Long live the King!
The past tenses of the Subjunctive, and the auxiliary would, are used in expressing wishes.
e.g. I wish you were here.
I wish I had known that.
I wish the rain would stop.
The past tenses of the Subjunctive, and the auxiliary would, can also be used in order to indicate that conditions being expressed are false or improbable.
e.g. If I were rich, I would travel around the world.
If he had been here, he would have been glad to see you.
In the first example, the use of the Simple Past Subjunctive were and the Simple conjugation with would indicates that the condition expressed in the clause If I were rich is false or improbable. In the second example, the use of the Past Perfect Subjunctive had been, and the Perfect conjugation with would, indicates that the condition expressed in the clause If he had been here is false.
Formation
The English past and present tenses discussed in previous chapters are in what is usually referred to as the Indicative Mood. Each of the past and present tenses in the Indicative Mood has a corresponding tense in the Subjunctive Mood.
In modern English, most verb tenses in the Subjunctive Mood are similar or identical to the corresponding tenses in the Indicative Mood. It should be noted that verbs in the Subjunctive Mood do not modify, but have the same form regardless of the subject.
The Simple Present Subjunctive and Simple Past Subjunctive of the verb to be are shown below. The Indicative forms are also given, for purposes of comparison. The Subjunctive forms which differ from the corresponding Indicative forms are shown in bold type.
Indicative | Subjunctive |
I am | I be |
you are | you be |
he is | he be |
she is | she be |
it is | it be |
we are | we be |
they are | they be |
Indicative | Subjunctive |
I was | I were |
you were | you were |
he was | he were |
she was | she were |
it was | it were |
we were | we were |
they were | they were |
For any verb, the Simple Present Subjunctive is formed from the bare infinitive of the verb.
For any verb except the verb to be, the Simple Past Subjunctive is identical to the Simple Past Indicative.
For all of the past and present tenses conjugated with auxiliaries, the Subjunctive tenses are formed in the same way as the Indicative tenses, except that the Subjunctive of the auxiliaries is used.
Using the example of the verb to work, the following table compares the tenses of the Indicative and Subjunctive Moods. The Subjunctive forms which differ from the corresponding Indicative forms are printed in bold type.
Indicative | Subjunctive |
I work | I work |
you work | you work |
he works | he work |
she works | she work |
it works | it work |
we work | we work |
they work | they work |
Indicative | Subjunctive |
I am working | I be working |
you are working | you be working |
he is working | he be working |
she is working | she be working |
it is working | it be working |
we are working | we be working |
they are working | they be working |
Indicative | Subjunctive |
I have worked | I have worked |
you have worked | you have worked |
he has worked | he have worked |
she has worked | she have worked |
it has worked | it have worked |
we have worked | we have worked |
they have worked | they have worked |
Indicative | Subjunctive |
I have been working | I have been working |
you have been working | you have been working |
he has been working | he have been working |
she has been working | she have been working |
it has been working | it have been working |
we have been working | we have been working |
they have been working | they have been working |
Indicative | Subjunctive |
I worked | I worked |
you worked | you worked |
he worked | he worked |
she worked | she worked |
it worked | it worked |
we worked | we worked |
they worked | they worked |
Indicative | Subjunctive |
I was working | I were working |
you were working | you were working |
he was working | he were working |
she was working | she were working |
it was working | it were working |
we were working | we were working |
they were working | they were working |
Indicative | Subjunctive |
I had worked | I had worked |
you had worked | you had worked |
he had worked | he had worked |
she had worked | she had worked |
it had worked | it had worked |
we had worked | we had worked |
they had worked | they had worked |
Indicative | Subjunctive |
I had been working | I had been working |
you had been working | you had been working |
he had been working | he had been working |
she had been working | she had been working |
it had been working | it had been working |
we had been working | we had been working |
they had been working | they had been working |
The following table summarizes the formation of the English Subjunctive tenses:
Tense | Auxiliary | Verb Form |
Simple Present | do | bare infinitive |
Present Continuous | be | present participle |
Present Perfect | have | past participle |
Present Perfect Continuous | have been | present participle |
Simple Past | did | bare infinitive |
Past Continuous | were | present participle |
Past Perfect | had | past participle |
Past Perfect Continuous | had been | present participle |
As illustrated in these examples, the use of the Simple Present Subjunctive in the subordinate clause of a formal command or request is independent of the tense of the verb in the main clause.
The Simple Present Subjunctive is more commonly used in formal English than in informal English. For instance, the sentence “He advises that you not be late,” is an example of formal English. In informal English, the same idea would probably be expressed by the sentence “He advises you not to be late,” in which the infinitive is used, rather than a clause requiring the Simple Present Subjunctive.