English verbs: Difference between revisions
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*the base, which is equivalent to the [[infinitive]] without 'to' and most forms of the [[present tense]] (for example, '''wâit, to wâit, Î wâit''') ''(The accents, which are not part of the language, are included to show stress and pronunciation: see [[English spellings]] for a table and [[English phonemes]] for the [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]. Words in italics suggest meaning, and an equals sign is placed between [[homophones]])'' | *the base, which is equivalent to the [[infinitive]] without 'to' and most forms of the [[present tense]] (for example, '''wâit, to wâit, Î wâit''') ''(The accents, which are not part of the language, are included to show stress and pronunciation: see [[English spellings]] for a table and [[English phonemes]] for the [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]. Words in italics suggest meaning, and an equals sign is placed between [[homophones]])'' | ||
*the -'''s''' form, which is used for the [[third person]] [[singular]] of the present tense ('''hê wâits, shê wâits''') | *the -'''s''' form, which is used for the [[third person]] [[singular]] of the present tense ('''hê wâits, shê wâits''') | ||
*the -'''íng''' form, used for the [[present participle]] and [[gerund]] ('''Î'm wâiting, wâiting ís bŏring'''; in most cases the base sheds any final '''e''': compare '''sínging''' ''sing'' with '''síngeing''' ''singe'', pronounced *sínjing) | *the -'''íng''' form, used for the [[present participle]] and [[gerund]] ('''Î'm wâiting, wâiting ís bŏring'''; in most cases the base sheds any final '''e''': compare '''sínging''' ''sing'' with '''síngeing''' ''singe'', pronounced *sínjing). A final consonant may double in order to keep the stressed vowel short: '''overláp''' becomes '''overlápping | ||
*the past form, which is used both for the [[past tense]] and the [[past participle]], and which consists of adding -'''ed''' to the base (from '''wâit''', '''I wâited, shê has wâited''', *wâitid; from '''loòk''', '''loòked''' *lùkt; from '''sêem''', '''sêemed''' *sêemd), or, in the case of verbs ending in -'''e''', -'''d''' only (from '''fâde''', '''fâded''' *fâidid) | *the past form, which is used both for the [[past tense]] and the [[past participle]], and which consists of adding -'''ed''' to the base (from '''wâit''', '''I wâited, shê has wâited''', *wâitid; from '''loòk''', '''loòked''' *lùkt; from '''sêem''', '''sêemed''' *sêemd), or, in the case of verbs ending in -'''e''', -'''d''' only (from '''fâde''', '''fâded''' *fâidid) | ||
'''Irregular verbs''' also have these forms, and form the -'''s''' and -'''ing''' forms regularly: '''béar, béars, béaring'''. But the past tense and/or past participle are not formed regularly: '''to béar''' has the [[principal parts (verb)|principal parts]] '''béar, bŏre, bŏrn''', which means that there is no form *beared; instead, an example of the past tense is '''shê bŏre hím''' and of the past passive '''hê was bŏrn'''. | '''Irregular verbs''' also have these forms, and form the -'''s''' and -'''ing''' forms regularly: '''béar, béars, béaring'''. But the past tense and/or past participle are not formed regularly: '''to béar''' has the [[principal parts (verb)|principal parts]] '''béar, bŏre, bŏrn''', which means that there is no form *beared; instead, an example of the past tense is '''shê bŏre hím''' and of the past passive '''hê was bŏrn'''. | ||
Revision as of 19:20, 4 November 2009
Regular verbs in English have four forms:
- the base, which is equivalent to the infinitive without 'to' and most forms of the present tense (for example, wâit, to wâit, Î wâit) (The accents, which are not part of the language, are included to show stress and pronunciation: see English spellings for a table and English phonemes for the IPA. Words in italics suggest meaning, and an equals sign is placed between homophones)
- the -s form, which is used for the third person singular of the present tense (hê wâits, shê wâits)
- the -íng form, used for the present participle and gerund (Î'm wâiting, wâiting ís bŏring; in most cases the base sheds any final e: compare sínging sing with síngeing singe, pronounced *sínjing). A final consonant may double in order to keep the stressed vowel short: overláp becomes overlápping
- the past form, which is used both for the past tense and the past participle, and which consists of adding -ed to the base (from wâit, I wâited, shê has wâited, *wâitid; from loòk, loòked *lùkt; from sêem, sêemed *sêemd), or, in the case of verbs ending in -e, -d only (from fâde, fâded *fâidid)
Irregular verbs also have these forms, and form the -s and -ing forms regularly: béar, béars, béaring. But the past tense and/or past participle are not formed regularly: to béar has the principal parts béar, bŏre, bŏrn, which means that there is no form *beared; instead, an example of the past tense is shê bŏre hím and of the past passive hê was bŏrn.