1.1. The Verb: General Characterictics
Grammatically the verb is the most complex part of speech since it performs the central role in the expression of the predicative functions of the sentence (these functions show the connection between the situation/event named in the utterance and reality).
The verb is characterised by a complex structure of grammatical categories and various subclass divisions. Furthermore, it falls into two sets of forms different from each other: the finite set and the non-finite set.
1) Semantic features of the verb
The verb possesses the general categorial grammatical meaning of process presented dynamically, i.d. it has the ability to denote a process developing in time. This processual meaning is typical of the semantics of all the verbs (those denoting actions, states, forms of existence, types of attitude, evaluations, etc.).
2) Morphological features of the verb.
· Verbs are characterised by specific forms of word-building and certain formal features expressing the corresponding grammatical categories.
The verb stems may be:
1) simple (go, take, read, etc),
2) sound-replacive (food – to feed; blood – to bleed),
3) stress-replacive (import – to import; transport – to transport),
4) expanded (the verb-deriving suffixes –ate, -en, -ifó, -ise ize: cultivate, broaden, clarify, normalise; the verb-deriving prefixes be-, en-/em-: belittle, befriend, engulf, embed); other characteristic verbal prefixes re-, under-, over-, sub-, mis-, un-: remake, undergo, overestimate, submerge, misunderstand, undo),
5) composite/compound (derived from composite non-verb stems; the compounds of the conversion type (blackmail n. — blackmail v.) and of the reduction type (proof-reader n.—proof-read v.).
6) phrasal (occupy the position between analytical forms of the verb and syntactic word combinations. There can be distinguished combinations: a) ahead-verb + a noun, e.g. have a smoke; b) a head-verb + a verbal postposition, e.g stand up, go on, give in).
· The grammatical categories of the verb are:
1) the category of finitude according to which there are distinguished finite and non-finite forms. This category is lexico-grammatical;
2) the category of person,
3) number,
4) tense,
5) aspect,
6) voice,
7) mood.
The complete set of these categories is revealed in every word-form of the notional finite verb. The grammatical categories of the English verb find their expression in synthetical and analytical forms. The formative elements expressing these categories are grammatical affixes, inner inflexion and function words.