Grammar: Word classes

Overview

Verbs and adverbs

There are two main sub-classes of verbs:

	lexical verbs
	auxiliary verbs

Lexical verbs

Lexical verbs are traditionally said to express an action or state. But lexical verbs express a much wider range of meanings such as:

	doing (eat, kick, jump, read)
	thinking and feeling (know, like, hear, want)
	saying (say, tell, ask, answer)
	naming and describing (be, have, seem, appear)

Lexical verbs are an open word class. We do make up new verbs to talk about new activities, such as download, log on.

Lexical verbs are typically the last verb in the verb group (eg We have eaten). The lexical verb expresses what the verb group is about, or what event is being represented.

For information on the function of lexical verbs, see Grammar: Clause: Using the clause to represent experience: The processes: 'What's happening?': Overview

For information on the different types of lexical verbs, see Grammar: Word classes: Verbs: Overview

Auxiliary verbs

Auxiliary verbs are a closed word class. This class includes finite and non-finite auxiliary verbs. 

Finite auxiliary verbs express either tense (do, does, did, has, have, had, am, is, are, was, were) or modality (can, may, could, will, would, should, must). They always occur as the first verb in the verb group: He has gone already; Of course he can go.

The auxiliary verb do can also be used as a 'helper' verb to create a interrogative or negative clause structure. Do does not have any lexical meaning in this function. 

Non-finite auxiliary verbs (having, being) also express aspect (in the verb group: having gone).

For more information, see:

	Grammar: Groups & phrases: Verb group: Time & tense: Overview
	Grammar: Groups & phrases: Verb group: Adjusting interactions: modality: Overview
	Grammar: Word classes: Verbs: Verb formation: Overview

Adverbs

Adverbs constitute a more varied word class than any of the other word classes. The class of adverbs is often referred to as a 'ragbag' class, where everything is collected that does not fit neatly into any other class.

To make sense of this class of words we need to recognise various sub-classes of adverbs:

they can provide more detail about an activity: How?       softly When?     recently  Where?    here they can indicate the degree of certainty: possibly, probably, definitely they can express a personal viewpoint: unfortunately, importantly, honestly they can indicate the level of intensity: very, fairly, extremely they can link one sentence to another sentence in a text: however, therefore, finally

For more information, see:

	Grammar: Clause: Using the clause to represent experience: The circumstances: 'How?', When?', 'Where?'
	Grammar: Groups & phrases: Adverb group: Expressing how / when / where
	Grammar: Groups & phrases: Adverb group: Expressing 'probability'
	Grammar: Groups & phrases: Adverb group: Expressing a personal viewpoint