Verbal Group In Systemic Grammar
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Verbal group is one of the most complex areas of English grammar. It involves several systems including finiteness, modality, tense, polarity, and voice. Finiteness distinguishes between finite verbs like "eats" in independent clauses and non-finite verbs like "eating" in dependent clauses. The tense system has three terms - present, past, and future - realized through verb forms like "-s", "-ed", and "will/shall". Polarity distinguishes positive verbs from negative verbs marked by "not". Voice distinguishes between active verbs and passive verbs formed with "be" plus the past participle.
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Verbal Group In Systemic Grammar
- 1. Verbal Group Verbal group is one of the most complex area of the English grammar. This complexity is brought about by the fact that a relatively large number of systemic choices are made here. The main complexity, in fact, is occasioned by the tense system.
- 2. Muhammad Sajid us Salam Mphil Linguistics Islamia University Bahawalpur [email_address]
- 3. The principal system of Verbal group are; Finiteness Modality Tense Polarity Voice
- 4. Finiteness The system of finiteness is a primary distinction in the verbal group. A finite verbal group is obligatory in an independent clause. A non-finite verbal group is one criterion of a dependent clause.
- 5. The system has the terms finite and non-finite, thus; Finite (- s, -d, base form of verb ) Finiteness Non-Finite (ing, en,ed, base
- 6. Modality Finiteness is realized at the initial element in group structure. If a modal verb is present it will be the initial element. The choice in the system of modality is a choice b/w marked and unmarked term. The presence of an element contrasting with its absence, and can therefore be named modal and non-modal.
- 7. Systems Terms Realization Modal Any modal verb Modality Non-modal Any other group
- 8. Tense A grammar should not only describe what has occurred, but should be capable of predicting what structures and combinations may occur. Traditionally, a tense system in English has three terms Present Tense Past Future
- 9. The term present is realized by the –s forms of the verb (she eats). The term past is realized by the –d form of the verb (she walked). The term future is realized by will/shall+ base form of the verb ( I will eat; they shall eat).
- 10. Polarity The system of polarity is a system with the term positive and negative. In this system there is always a one-to-one correlation realization. The term negative is always realized by the negator (not, n’t).
- 11. So this system is simply; System Term Realization Positive (Any group without negator) Polarity Negative Not, n’t
- 12. Voice The system of voice in English has two terms, active and passive. The former being unmarked and latter realized by part of the verb be+ en form of the verb. The system is simply thus; System Terms Realization Active Any group not marked as passive Voice Passive (part of ) be +-en
- 13. This system is closely related to the transitivity system. Distinction b/w operative (active) John washed the dishes. And receptive (passive) The dishes were washed by John, requires among other things, an active verbal group at p in the former and a passive verbal group at p in the later.