the quest for the holy verb

8/3/2019 The Quest for the Holy Verb

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The Quest for

The Holy VerbI. IntroductionA learner of the English language faces many problems in his attempt to learnhow to express himself in British English.One of the biggest problems is that of the English grammar concerning theverbs.How come? Unlike Dutch, it doesnt contain incredibly long lists full of rulesand irregularities. Where a learner of the Dutch language could get lost in anendless, grammatical structure, a learner of the English language is in thepossibility of discovering a certain logic in it all.Then where lies the problem?Throughout our lives, we are being confronted with the English languageconstantly, especially with American English. Television, the internet,

computer games, etc. We are bathing in English all day long.But what we do forget is that (1) we are often confronted with AmericanEnglish not British English and (2) due to this constant feeding of AmericanEnglish, we become numb for possible mistakes and misuse of the language.

Speaking English has become a normality but speaking it in a proper andcorrect way a curiosity. Why would we bother. Everybody understands us,no?

In this syllabus, I will try to give you a concise summary of the Englishgrammar, concerning the verbal forms, in an attempt to offer you some tips

and tricks to recognise and use the correct verbal forms in English.

Good luck on your quest!

Mr. Spruyt


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II. How to recognise different types of verbs from far, far away?

The list in full, ladies and gentlemen! By studying this list, you will be able torecognise any verb immediately. Studying? By heart? Sounds like bad newsto me!

The good news is this: I will give you some clues on how to detect thedifferent forms more easily.

III. Some clues for your quest

The simple tenses arent really that hard. Especially the present simple, thepast simple and the future simple are quite easy.The perfect simple tenses need a closer look.

a) The perfect simple tensesKeyword to the perfect tenses is the verb to have. Whenever you have to

analyse a verbal form and you come across a form of to have as an auxiliaryverb, you can be pretty sure that youre dealing with a perfect form. Have alook:

De basis van een perfect tense is het werkwoord to have. Wanneer je een werkwoordsvormmoet analyseren en je komt een vorm van to have tegen als hulpwerkwoord, kan je er bijnazeker van zijn dat het om een perfect-vorm gaat. Kijk hier eens naar:

He has worked = present perfect (simple)Simple present of to have + Past participle (pa.pa.)

The pa.pa. is the ed form of a regular verb or the past form of theirregular verb.

He had worked = past perfect (simple)Simple past of to have + pa.pa.

b) The continuous tensesContinuous might ring a bell to Dutch-speaking people. It sounds like the wordContinue or Continuteit. In fact the continuous tense most of the timedenotes a longer action and wants to stress the duration of it.

Continuous zou wel eens een belletje kunnen laten rinkelen. Het word klinkt zoals het

Nederlandse woord continu of continuteit. Feitelijk wijst de continuous in het Engels vaakop een langere actie en wil ze de duur of lengte van die actie benadrukken.

PRESENT PRESENT

PERFECT

PAST PAST

PERFECT

FUTURE

Simple He works He hasworked

He worked He had worked He will work

Continuous He is working He hasbeenworking

He was working He had beenworking

He will beworking

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If you want to recognise a continuous tense on the spot, look for the ingform! Maybe you can remember it like this:

- ing = cont !

What you need to know for the rest is that the continuous tense needs somekind of auxiliary verb namely to be

Wat je nog moet weten over de continous is dat ze een soort van hulpwerkwoord nodig heeft.

He is working late = Present continousPresent form of to be + -ing form

He has been working late = present perfect continuousPresent perfect form of to be + -ing form

He was working late = Past continous

Past form of to be + -ing formHe had been working late = Past perfect continuous

Past perfect form of to be + -ing formHe will be working late = Future continuous

Future form of to be + -ing form

You must have noticed I put some things in bold-type, yes?Not only will you be able to recognise a continuous tense right away, you willalso be able to tell whether its present, past or future. You do this by lookingat the auxiliary verb.

Je hebt waarschijnlijk opgemerkt dat ik enkele items in het vet heb gezet?Je zal niet alleen in staat zijn om onmiddellijk een continuous tense te herkennen, je zal ookkunnen vertellen of het gaat om een tegenwoordige, een verleden of een toekomendecontinuous gaat. Je doet dat door naar het hulpwerkwoord te kijken.

Action plan for the continous:1. Can I find an ing-form? No No continuous then!

Yes This is a continous!Proceed to 2.

2. Wich tense is the auxiliary verb?

Present Present continuousPresent perfect Present perfect continuousPast Past continuousPast perfect Past perfect continuousFuture Future continuous

c) OverviewBeginning to lose grip already? Dont worry, have a look at the next page. Thescheme should help you in your quest for the correct verbal form.

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d) How to form and when to usePresent simple

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FormStudy the grid below.As you will see, the infinitive is used to form the present simple.

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I stop do not stop Do I stop ?You dont youWe weThey they

He stops does not stop Does he stop ?She doesnt sheIt it

Mind you that for some verbs, just adding s in the 3rd person singular is notenough. Compare :

I stop He stopsI do He does

I watch He watchesI fly He flies

Verbs ending in o : inf. +e +sVerbs ending in a hissing sound : inf. + e + sVerbs ending in a consonant + y : y changes in I +e +s

UseWe use the present simple

1. To express a habitI often go to school by bus.

2. To express a general truthWater boils at 100 C.

3. With verbs offeeling and thinking.to like, to love, to hate, to want, to know, to hope, to forget, to enjoy, to see

I know the result of the match.

Present ContinuousFormThe simple present of to be + the ing form (= inf. without to + ing)

Mind you! 1. Verbs ending in e : e is dropped:

I am coming home (inf. = to come)2. Verbs ending in a short vowel + consonant : double theconsonant!

I am travelling(inf. = to travel)

UseWe use the present continuous

1. for actions going on at the time of speakingI am reading this sentence (now).

2. for definite arrangement in the (near) futureIm leaving tomorrow. (Ive already bought the ticket.)

Past SimpleForm

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-ing =

oss :wel = klinkernsonant = medeklinker


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Study the grid below. As you will see, the infinitive is used to form the pastsimple. You have seen that before? Of course you have! The simple presentis also formed with the infinitive.


I worked did not work Did I work

You didnt youWe weThey they

He Did heShe sheIt it

The example to work was used here. However, we have to make adistinction (=onderscheid) between regular verbs and irregular verbs. Thegood news is that forming the regular verbs is not difficult at all, the bad newsis that you have to study the irregular ones by heart (=uit het hoofd).

For the regular verbsGeneral rule : Affirmative : inf. without to + ed

Negative : simple past of to do + inf. without to.Go back to the grid with the present simple forms. There you willsee that to do is also used but in the present form. Get the link?

Interrogative : simple past of to do + inf. without to.

Exceptions!1. Verbs ending in e : e is dropped :

I liked her very much (to like)

2. Verbs ending in a short vowel + consonant : consonant is doubled :I stopped the car.I travelled around the world in 80 days.

3. Verbs ending in consonant + y : y changes in I :I studied hard yesterday. (to study)

For the irregular verbsAffirmative : see list with irregular verbs the teacher gave you.Negative and Interrogative : simple past of to do + inf. without to.

UseWe use the past simple1. for a definite past time (with yesterday, last.., etc.)

He drove to London yesterday.2. for a succession (= opeenvolging) of actions in the past.

I got up, shaved and drove to work.

Past ContinuousForm

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-ing =


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The simple past of to be + the ing formAffirmative : I was studyingNegative : We werent playingInterrogative : Were they listening?

UseHave a look back at the present continuous. There you could read for actionsgoing on at the time of speaking. Logically, there will be no difference withthe past continuous, only that its not a present tense but a past tense!So we use the past continuous:

For actions going on at a given time in the pastAt nine oclock in the morning the pupils were waiting for theirteacher.

Lets see where you are now. What have you dealt with so far?

The darker items have been done. Have been done, which tense might that

be? Continue your quest!

The Present Perfect (Simple)Form

PRESENT PRESENTPERFECT

PAST PASTPERFECT

FUTURE

Simple He works He hasworked He worked He had worked He will work



He will beworking

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Use of the Simple Past tense and the Past Continuous Tense together

Tricky? No! Keep this in mind:Longer action / background action Past ContinuousShorter action / foreground action Simple Past

For example, this is what Alans diary says for yesterday:2 p.m. 3 p.m. : Playing tennis with Macy.

This is what happened:While I was playing tennis with Macy, Tom came by.Terwijl/toen ik met Macy aan het tennissen was, kwam Tom voorbij.

to have =


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On page 2, you could read the following: Keyword to the perfect tenses is theverb to have. This is indeed so!

The Simple Present of to have + the Past Participle (pa.pa.) voltooid deelwoord

Affirmative : I have lived here for two years and I still do.Negative : She hasnt studied today.Interrogative : Have they just arrived?

UseWe use the Present Perfect (simple) for actions in the past that have aconnection with the present. Have a look at the following sentences.

I havejust seen her.Has he answered yet?They have been busy this week/this month/!Have you ever/already/often been to London?

This is a so-called indefinite past, we dont know when it actually

happened

Julian has been here for two hours/since 8 a.m.(so hes still with us now)

The Present Perfect ContinuousFormFor the formation of the Present Continuous, you could read the following:The simple present of to be + the ing form (= inf. without to + ing).For the Present Perfect Continuous, we wont be needing the simple presentof to be. Does the following sound logic to you?

The Present Perfect Continuous is formed with the Present Perfect of to be +the ing form.

Affirmative : I have been living here for three years and I still do.Negative : He hasnt been reading long.Interrogative : Have they been walking?

UseWe use the Present Perfect Continuous for actions that began in the past andare still going on at the moment of speaking or have onlyjust finished . Wewant to stress duration.The Past Perfect (Simple)FormFor the formation of the Present Perfect (Simple) you could read the following:

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PaPa!Pa.pa.? What the hell is that? Quite simple; its what you might call in Dutch voltooiddeelwoord.The formation is no problem at all either.

Regular verbs : inf. without to + edsee formation of the regular verbs in the Simple Past tense.

Irregular verbs : see the list the teacher gave you.

to have =

to have =


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The Simple Present of to have + the Past Participle (pa.pa.)For the Past Perfect (Simple) we wont be needing the simple present of tobe. That would be illogic, dont you think?

The Past Perfect (Simple) is formed with the Past Perfect of to be + the ing

form.Affirmative : I had cleaned up all the mess.Negative : I hadnt met him before.Interrogative : Had she walked?

UseWe use the Past Perfect for the actions in the past that happened beforeanother action or a particular moment in the past, a so-called before-past.

The Past Perfect ContinuousFormThe Past Perfect of to be + the ing form

Affirmative : I had been walking all day.Negative : I hadnt been sleeping.Interrogative : Had you been writing letters?

UseYou use the Past Perfect Continuous to express the duration of an actionup to a certain time in the past.

When you called I had been reading for hours.Toen je belde zat ik al uren te lezen.

Can you find similarities with the use of the Past Simple and the PastContinuous (background and foreground action)?Have a look at the square on page 7.

Lets see where you are now. What have you dealt with so far?

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Use of the Simple Past tense and th e Past Perfect Simple tense togetherBefore-past? Tricky? No! Keep this in mind:

Action/particular moment in the past Past SimpleAction before that action/particular moment in the past Past Perfect Simple

For example, this is what Alans diary says for yesterday:10 p.m. : Party at Macys house

(party starts at 9!)This is what happened:When I arrived at Macys house, the party had alreadybegun.Toen ik aankwam bij Macy, was de fuif al begonnen.


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The darker items have been done! Good work. Now we will deal with the

future tenses! Will deal, which tense might that be? Continue your quest!

And now for something completely different :

The Future TensesThe future tenses are in no way similar the other tenses. Not only do theyexpress a totally different dimension of time (the future), theyre also formed ina different way. In this last part of The Quest for the Holy Verb, you will alsosee that tenses other than the Future tenses can be used to talk about thingsconcerning the future.

The Future SimpleFormBasically, a form of will (sometimes shall) is used to form the Future Simple.


1st sinula

I will stop will not/wont stop Shall I stop ?

2nd You will stop will not/wont stop Will You stop ?

3rd He/she/it will stop will not/wont stop Will He/she/it stop ?

1stlural

We will stop will not/wont stop Shall We stop ?

2nd You will stop will not/wont stop Will You stop ?

3rd They will stop will not/wont stop Will They stop ?

UseWe use the Simple Future Tense (for a lot of things, really):

1. to talk about something in the future that will certainly happen(but has nothing to do with someones intention or decision, seepage )Tomorrow will be Sunday.

2. to express an opinion in the future.I dont think Alan will come to the party next week.

3. forinvitationsWill you dance with me?

4. forrequests

Will you open the door, please?5. foroffers

PRESENT PRESENTPERFECT

PAST PASTPERFECT

FUTURE

Simple He works He hasworked

He worked He had worked He will work



He will beworking

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Will =


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Shall I open the window?6. forsuggestions

Shall we go to the cinema?7. afterto hope, to expect, to be afraid, ...

I hope Alan will come tonight.

8. In a main clause(= hoofdzin)a. before or after a time-clause in the present

Will you give me a ring as soon as you get my letter?b. before or after a conditional clause in the present

If the sun shines, we will go to the park.

The Future ContinuousFormThe simple future of to be + the ing form

Affirmative : You will be leading another life.Negative : He wont be telling the truth!

Interrogatvie : Will he be laying the table?

UseQuite simple, actually. Have a look.

1. to express an action that will be going on at certain time inthe future (We stress duration, as always when using a Continuous tense)We will be learning English at the same time next week.

2. when asking about their future actionsWill you be using the car tomorrow?

III. The passive voice

a. What does it look like?So far, you have dealt with all active tenses. But as in any other language,

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Theres more to the future than thisThere are some other tenses or structures you use in particular situations when talking aboutthe future. Have a look.

The GOING TO-Future or Intentional future Unsure(I think) Im going to take a lot of pictures.

Form : Simple present of to be + going to + infinitive without toUse : Intentions , predictions

The Present Continuous or Arranged future SureIm seeing my doctor tomorrow.

Form : Present ContinuousUse : Fixed arrangements


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passive tenses are also used. They have the same grammatical structures(e.g. the verbal forms youve studied so far are also used in passivestructures) but the order of object and subject gets mixed up. Lets have alook.

Active Sir Gallahad killed the dragon.

Passive The dragon was killed (by Sir Gallahad).

Lets take a closer look at the first sentence.

Sir Gallahad killed the dragon .Subject (onderwerp) Main verb

Simple past of to killObject (lijdend voorwerp)

This is the active sentence, right? Lets have a look at the passive sentence.

The dragon was killed (by Sir Gallahad) .Subject (onderwerp) Main verb

Simple past of to killObject (handelend voorwerp)

Did you see what happened?

Sir Gallahad killed the dragon .

The dragon was killed (by Sir Gallahad) .

Right! The subject and object of the active sentence change places when putinto the passive. And most of the time, the object of the passive sentence isomitted (=wordt weggelaten).Why?

- Because its unimportant (onbelangrijk) e.g. The thieves were caught.- Its unknown (onbekend) e.g. The painter was killed.

- Its obvious (logisch) e.g. The photo was taken.- The action is more important than the actor

e.g. The candle was lit.

b. How do I form a passive sentence?In order to learn how to form a passive, we start from an active sentence.Here it is:

King Arthur has defeated the Black Knight !

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Subject (onderwerp) Main verb Object (lijdend voorwerp)

STEP 1 : Whats the tense of the main verb?In this case, its the present perfect simple of to defeat.

If youre not sure, check your quest on page 4!STEP 2 : Which person is the main verb in?In this case, its the 3rdperson singular .I have, you have, he/she/it has!

STEP 3 : Take to be and put in the the person of the main verb.In this case, that would be the present perfect simple ofto be, 3rd person singular !

(he) has beenSTEP 4 : Add the past participle of the main verb.

In this case, the main verb is to defeat. This is a regularverb, so the pa.pa. is defeated.

But thats already there? Of course, the present perfect uses thepa.pa. also.

RESULT : has been defeated

Now, all there is left for you to do is to cross the subject and object of youractive sentence and add the correct verbal form.

King Arthur has defeated the Black Knight .

The Black Knight has been defeated (by King Arthur) .

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Formation of the verb in a passive sentence

to be in the same tense as the main verb in your

active sentence+pa.pa. of the main verb

the quest for the holy verb

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