Chapter published in:
Grammar of Spoken and Written English
Douglas Biber, Stig Johansson, Geoffrey N. Leech, Susan Conrad and Edward Finegan
[Not in series 232] 2021
► pp. 355–448

Chapter 5
Verbs

Article outline
  • 5.1Major verb functions and classes
    • 5.1.1Frequency of lexical, modal, and primary auxiliary verbs
      • corpus findings
      • discussion of findings
    • 5.1.2Distribution of lexical verbs and copula be across registers
      • corpus findings
      • discussion of findings
  • 5.2Single-word lexical verbs
    • 5.2.1Classification of verbs into semantic domains
      • 5.2.1.1Major semantic domains of single-word verbs
      • 5.2.1.2Distribution of semantic domains
        • corpus findings
        • discussion of findings
      • Activity verbs are most5.2.1.3Semantic domains of verbs
        • corpus findings
        • discussion of findings
    • 5.2.2Most common lexical verbs
      • 5.2.2.1Overall use of the most common lexical verbs
        • corpus findings ,
        • discussion of findings
      • 5.2.2.2Most common verbs in each register
        • corpus findings
        • discussion of findings
    • 5.2.3Verbs with animate and inanimate subjects
      • corpus findings ,
      • discussion of findings
    • 5.2.4Valency patterns for single-word lexical verbs
      • 5.2.4.1Valencies of common verbs across semantic domains
        • corpus findings ,
        • discussion of findings
      • 5.2.4.2Variation in verb valency patterns
      • 5.2.4.3Intransitive and monotransitive patterns
        • corpus findings
        • discussion of findings
      • 5.2.4.4Intransitive, monotransitive, and complex transitive patterns
        • corpus findings
        • discussion of findings
      • 5.2.4.5Intransitive, monotransitive, and ditransitive patterns
        • corpus findings
        • discussion of findings
      • 5.2.4.6Monotransitive and ditransitive but not intransitive patterns
        • corpus findings
        • discussion of findings
      • 5.2.4.7Verbs taking almost all patterns
        • corpus findings
        • DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
      • 5.2.4.8General patterns
    • 5.2.5Regular lexical verb inflections
      • 5.2.5.1Consonant doubling of regularly inflected verbs
      • 5.2.5.2Doubling of base-final l followed by -ed across dialects
        • corpus findings
        • discussion of findings
    • 5.2.6Irregular lexical verb inflections
      • 5.2.6.1Classes of irregular verbs
      • 5.2.6.2Regular and irregular forms
        • corpus findings ,
        • discussion of findings
      • 5.2.6.3 Got and gotten
        • corpus findings
        • discussion of findings
    • 5.2.7Verb derivation
      • 5.2.7.1Most frequent verb derivational affixes
      • 5.2.7.2Productivity of verb derivational affixes
        • corpus findings
        • discussion of findings
  • 5.3Multi-word lexical verbs
    • 5.3.1Features distinguishing multi-word verb combinations
      • 5.3.1.1Multi-word combinations functioning as different structural categories
    • 5.3.2Phrasal verbs
      • 5.3.2.1Semantic domains of phrasal verbs
      • 5.3.2.2Register distribution of phrasal verbs
        • corpus findings
        • discussion of findings
      • 5.3.2.3The most common phrasal verbs
        • corpus findings
        • discussion of findings
      • 5.3.2.4Productivity of particular verbs and adverbial particles
        • corpus findings
        • discussion of findings
    • 5.3.3Prepositional verbs
      • 5.3.3.1Semantic domains of prepositional verbs
      • 5.3.3.2Register distribution of prepositional verbs
        • CORPUS FINDING
        • discussion of findings
      • 5.3.3.3The most common prepositional verbs
        • discussion of findings
      • 5.3.3.4Productivity of particular verbs and prepositions
        • corpus findings
        • discussion of findings
    • 5.3.4Phrasal-prepositional verbs
      • 5.3.4.1Register distribution of phrasal-prepositional verbs
        • corpus findings
        • discussion of findings
      • 5.3.4.2The most common phrasal-prepositional verbs
        • corpus findings
        • discussion of findings
    • 5.3.5Other multi-word verb constructions
  • 5.4Main and auxiliary functions of primary verbs
    • 5.4.1Be
    • 5.4.2Have
    • 5.4.3Do
      • 5.4.3.1Main verb do in idiomatic expressions
      • 5.4.3.2 Do as pro-verb
      • 5.4.3.3Register distribution of main verb and pro-verb do
        • corpus findings
        • discussion of findings
      • 5.4.3.4Auxiliary do in emphatic function
      • 5.4.3.5Lexical associations of emphatic do
        • corpus findings
        • discussion of findings
      • 5.4.3.6Auxiliary do-support in negatives and interrogatives
  • 5.5Copular verbs
    • 5.5.1Verbs functioning as copulas
    • 5.5.2Complements of copular verbs
    • 5.5.3Register distribution of copular verbs and common predicative adjectives
      • corpus findings
      • discussion of findings
      • 5.5.3.1Current (non-sensory) copular verbs
      • 5.5.3.2Sensory copular verbs
      • 5.5.3.3Resulting copular verbs
    • 5.5.4Valency patterns of the copulas be, seem, and appear
      • 5.5.4.1Complement types with be, seem, and appear
        • corpus findings
        • discussion of findings
      • 5.5.4.2Subject and complement types with be
        • corpus findings
        • discussion of findings