Verb phrase
Encyclopedia
In linguistics
, a verb phrase or VP is a syntactic
unit composed of at least one verb and the dependents of that verb. One can distinguish between two types of VPs, finite
VPs (the verb is a finite verb) and non-finite
VPs (the verb is a non-finite verb). While phrase structure grammars
acknowledge both, dependency grammars
reject the existence of a finite VP constituent. In this regard, the understanding of verb phrases can be theory-driven.
, the VP is a phrase
that is headed
by a verb
. A verb phrase may be constructed from a single verb; often, however, the verb phrase will consist of various combinations of the main verb and any auxiliary verb
s, plus optional specifier
s, complement
s, and adjunct
s. For example, consider the following sentences:
(1) a. Yankee batters hit the ball to win their first World Series since 2000.
Example (1a) contains the verb phrase hit the ball to win their first World Series since 2000. Example (1b) contains the main verb saw, the noun phrase
(NP) complement the man, and the prepositional phrase (PP) adjunct through the window. Additionally, example (1c) contains the main verb gave, and two noun phrases Mary and a book, both selected by the verb in this case. Note that according to this definition, the verb phrase corresponds to one understanding of what is called the predicate
.
Up to the mid/late 1980s, it was thought that some languages lacked a verb phrase. These included languages with extremely free word order (so-called non-configurational languages, such as Japanese, Hungarian, or Australian aboriginal languages), and languages with a default VSO order (several Celtic and Oceanic languages). The current view in some varieties of generative grammar (such as Principles and Parameters
) is that all languages have a verb phrase, while others (such as Lexical Functional Grammar
) take the view that at least some of these languages do lack a verb phrase constituent.
acknowledge both finite
and non-finite
VP constituents, dependency grammars
reject the former. That is, among VPs, dependency grammars acknowledge only non-finite VP constituents:
(2) John has finished the work. - Finite VP in bold
(3) John has finished the work. - Non-finite VP in bold
Since has finished the work contains the finite verb has, it is a finite VP, and since finished the work contains the non-finite verb finished but lacks a finite verb, it is a non-finite VP. Starting with Lucien Tesnière
1959, dependency grammars challenge the validity of the initial binary division of the clause into subject
(NP) and predicate
(VP), which means they reject the existence of the second half, which is a finite VP, as a constituent. They do, however, readily acknowledge the existence of non-finite VPs as constituents.
Dependency grammars point to the results of many standard constituency tests
to back up their stance. For instance, topicalization, pseudoclefting, and answer fragments suggest that non-finite VP does but finite VP does not exist as a constituent:
(2) a. *...and has finished the work, John. - Topicalization
The * indicates that the sentence is bad. These data must be compared to the results for non-finite VP:
(3) a. ...and finished the work, John (certainly) has. - Topicalization
The strings in bold are the ones in focus. Attempts to in some sense isolate the finite VP fail in (2a-c), but the same attempts with the non-finite VP in (3a-c) succeed.
or participle
constructions. For example, in the following sentences only the words in bold would be considered to form the verb phrase for each sentence:
(4) a. John gave Mary a book.
This more narrow definition is often applied in functionalist frameworks and traditional European reference grammars. It is incompatible with the phrase structure understanding of the verb phrases, since the strings in bold are not constituents under standard analyses. It is, however, compatible with those grammars, in particular dependency grammars
, that view the catena
as the fundamental unit of syntactic structure as opposed to the constituent
. Furthermore, the verbal elements in (4a-c) are syntactic units consistent with the understanding of predicates
in the tradition of predicate calculus.
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
, a verb phrase or VP is a syntactic
Syntax
In linguistics, syntax is the study of the principles and rules for constructing phrases and sentences in natural languages....
unit composed of at least one verb and the dependents of that verb. One can distinguish between two types of VPs, finite
Finite verb
A finite verb is a verb that is inflected for person and for tense according to the rules and categories of the languages in which it occurs. Finite verbs can form independent clauses, which can stand on their own as complete sentences....
VPs (the verb is a finite verb) and non-finite
Non-finite verb
In linguistics, a non-finite verb is a verb form that is not limited by a subject and, more generally, is not fully inflected by categories that are marked inflectionally in language, such as tense, aspect, mood, number, gender, and person...
VPs (the verb is a non-finite verb). While phrase structure grammars
Phrase structure grammar
The term phrase structure grammar was originally introduced by Noam Chomsky as the term for grammars as defined by phrase structure rules, i.e. rewrite rules of the type studied previously by Emil Post and Axel Thue...
acknowledge both, dependency grammars
Dependency grammar
Dependency grammar is a class of modern syntactic theories that are all based on the dependency relation and that can be traced back primarily to the work of Lucien Tesnière. Dependency grammars are distinct from phrase structure grammars , since they lack phrasal nodes. Structure is determined by...
reject the existence of a finite VP constituent. In this regard, the understanding of verb phrases can be theory-driven.
VPs in phrase structure grammars
In phrase structure grammars such as generative grammarGenerative grammar
In theoretical linguistics, generative grammar refers to a particular approach to the study of syntax. A generative grammar of a language attempts to give a set of rules that will correctly predict which combinations of words will form grammatical sentences...
, the VP is a phrase
Phrase
In everyday speech, a phrase may refer to any group of words. In linguistics, a phrase is a group of words which form a constituent and so function as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence. A phrase is lower on the grammatical hierarchy than a clause....
that is headed
Head (linguistics)
In linguistics, the head is the word that determines the syntactic type of the phrase of which it is a member, or analogously the stem that determines the semantic category of a compound of which it is a component. The other elements modify the head....
by a verb
Verb
A verb, from the Latin verbum meaning word, is a word that in syntax conveys an action , or a state of being . In the usual description of English, the basic form, with or without the particle to, is the infinitive...
. A verb phrase may be constructed from a single verb; often, however, the verb phrase will consist of various combinations of the main verb and any auxiliary verb
Auxiliary verb
In linguistics, an auxiliary verb is a verb that gives further semantic or syntactic information about a main or full verb. In English, the extra meaning provided by an auxiliary verb alters the basic meaning of the main verb to make it have one or more of the following functions: passive voice,...
s, plus optional specifier
Specifier
In X-bar theory in linguistics, specifiers, head words, and complements together form phrases. Specifiers differ from complements because they are not sisters of the head, but rather sisters of the phrase formed by the head and the complement...
s, complement
Complement (linguistics)
In grammar the term complement is used with different meanings. The primary meaning is a word, phrase or clause that is necessary in a sentence to complete its meaning. We find complements that function as an argument and complements that exist within arguments.Both complements and modifiers add...
s, and adjunct
Adjunct
Adjunct may refer to:* Adjunct , words used as modifiers* Adjunct professor, a professor who does not hold a permanent position at a particular academic institution* Adjuncts, sources of sugar used in brewing...
s. For example, consider the following sentences:
(1) a. Yankee batters hit the ball to win their first World Series since 2000.
- b. Mary saw the man through the window.
- c. David gave Mary a book.
Example (1a) contains the verb phrase hit the ball to win their first World Series since 2000. Example (1b) contains the main verb saw, the noun phrase
Noun phrase
In grammar, a noun phrase, nominal phrase, or nominal group is a phrase based on a noun, pronoun, or other noun-like word optionally accompanied by modifiers such as adjectives....
(NP) complement the man, and the prepositional phrase (PP) adjunct through the window. Additionally, example (1c) contains the main verb gave, and two noun phrases Mary and a book, both selected by the verb in this case. Note that according to this definition, the verb phrase corresponds to one understanding of what is called the predicate
Predicate (grammar)
There are two competing notions of the predicate in theories of grammar. Traditional grammar tends to view a predicate as one of two main parts of a sentence, the other being the subject, which the predicate modifies. The other understanding of predicates is inspired from work in predicate calculus...
.
Up to the mid/late 1980s, it was thought that some languages lacked a verb phrase. These included languages with extremely free word order (so-called non-configurational languages, such as Japanese, Hungarian, or Australian aboriginal languages), and languages with a default VSO order (several Celtic and Oceanic languages). The current view in some varieties of generative grammar (such as Principles and Parameters
Principles and parameters
Principles and parameters is a framework within generative linguistics in which the syntax of a natural language is described in accordance with general principles and specific parameters that for particular languages are either turned on or off...
) is that all languages have a verb phrase, while others (such as Lexical Functional Grammar
Lexical functional grammar
Lexical functional grammar is a grammar framework in theoretical linguistics, a variety of generative grammar. It is a type of phrase structure grammar, as opposed to a dependency grammar. The development of the theory was initiated by Joan Bresnan and Ronald Kaplan in the 1970s, in reaction to...
) take the view that at least some of these languages do lack a verb phrase constituent.
VPs in dependency grammars
While phrase structure grammarsPhrase structure grammar
The term phrase structure grammar was originally introduced by Noam Chomsky as the term for grammars as defined by phrase structure rules, i.e. rewrite rules of the type studied previously by Emil Post and Axel Thue...
acknowledge both finite
Finite verb
A finite verb is a verb that is inflected for person and for tense according to the rules and categories of the languages in which it occurs. Finite verbs can form independent clauses, which can stand on their own as complete sentences....
and non-finite
Non-finite verb
In linguistics, a non-finite verb is a verb form that is not limited by a subject and, more generally, is not fully inflected by categories that are marked inflectionally in language, such as tense, aspect, mood, number, gender, and person...
VP constituents, dependency grammars
Dependency grammar
Dependency grammar is a class of modern syntactic theories that are all based on the dependency relation and that can be traced back primarily to the work of Lucien Tesnière. Dependency grammars are distinct from phrase structure grammars , since they lack phrasal nodes. Structure is determined by...
reject the former. That is, among VPs, dependency grammars acknowledge only non-finite VP constituents:
(2) John has finished the work. - Finite VP in bold
(3) John has finished the work. - Non-finite VP in bold
Since has finished the work contains the finite verb has, it is a finite VP, and since finished the work contains the non-finite verb finished but lacks a finite verb, it is a non-finite VP. Starting with Lucien Tesnière
Lucien Tesnière
Lucien Tesnière was one of the most prominent and influential French linguists.Tesnière was born in Mont-Saint-Aignan on May 13, 1893...
1959, dependency grammars challenge the validity of the initial binary division of the clause into subject
Subject
-Philosophy:*Hypokeimenon or subiectum, in metaphysics, the essential being of a thing**Subject , a being that has subjective experiences, subjective consciousness, or a relationship with another entity...
(NP) and predicate
Predicate (grammar)
There are two competing notions of the predicate in theories of grammar. Traditional grammar tends to view a predicate as one of two main parts of a sentence, the other being the subject, which the predicate modifies. The other understanding of predicates is inspired from work in predicate calculus...
(VP), which means they reject the existence of the second half, which is a finite VP, as a constituent. They do, however, readily acknowledge the existence of non-finite VPs as constituents.
Dependency grammars point to the results of many standard constituency tests
Constituent (linguistics)
In syntactic analysis, a constituent is a word or a group of words that functions as a single unit within a hierarchical structure. The analysis of constituent structure is associated mainly with phrase structure grammars, although dependency grammars also allow sentence structure to be broken down...
to back up their stance. For instance, topicalization, pseudoclefting, and answer fragments suggest that non-finite VP does but finite VP does not exist as a constituent:
(2) a. *...and has finished the work, John. - Topicalization
- b. *What John has done is has finished the work. - Pseudoclefting
- c. What has John done? - *Has finished the work. - Answer fragment
The * indicates that the sentence is bad. These data must be compared to the results for non-finite VP:
(3) a. ...and finished the work, John (certainly) has. - Topicalization
- b. What John has done is finished the work. - Pseudoclefting
- c. What has John done? - Finished the work. - Answer fragment
The strings in bold are the ones in focus. Attempts to in some sense isolate the finite VP fail in (2a-c), but the same attempts with the non-finite VP in (3a-c) succeed.
VPs narrowly defined
Verb phrases are sometimes defined more narrowly in scope to allow for only those sentence elements that are strictly considered verbal elements to form verb phrases. According to such a definition, verb phrases consist only of main verbs, auxiliary verbs, and other infinitiveInfinitive
In grammar, infinitive is the name for certain verb forms that exist in many languages. In the usual description of English, the infinitive of a verb is its basic form with or without the particle to: therefore, do and to do, be and to be, and so on are infinitives...
or participle
Participle
In linguistics, a participle is a word that shares some characteristics of both verbs and adjectives. It can be used in compound verb tenses or voices , or as a modifier...
constructions. For example, in the following sentences only the words in bold would be considered to form the verb phrase for each sentence:
(4) a. John gave Mary a book.
- b. They were being eaten alive.
- c. She kept screaming like a maniac.
- d. Thou shall not kill.
This more narrow definition is often applied in functionalist frameworks and traditional European reference grammars. It is incompatible with the phrase structure understanding of the verb phrases, since the strings in bold are not constituents under standard analyses. It is, however, compatible with those grammars, in particular dependency grammars
Dependency grammar
Dependency grammar is a class of modern syntactic theories that are all based on the dependency relation and that can be traced back primarily to the work of Lucien Tesnière. Dependency grammars are distinct from phrase structure grammars , since they lack phrasal nodes. Structure is determined by...
, that view the catena
Catena (linguistics)
The catena is a unit of syntax and morphology. The unit is closely associated with dependency grammars. It is a more flexible and inclusive unit than the constituent and may therefore be better suited than the constituent to serve as the fundamental unit of syntax and morphosyntax...
as the fundamental unit of syntactic structure as opposed to the constituent
Constituent (linguistics)
In syntactic analysis, a constituent is a word or a group of words that functions as a single unit within a hierarchical structure. The analysis of constituent structure is associated mainly with phrase structure grammars, although dependency grammars also allow sentence structure to be broken down...
. Furthermore, the verbal elements in (4a-c) are syntactic units consistent with the understanding of predicates
Predicate (grammar)
There are two competing notions of the predicate in theories of grammar. Traditional grammar tends to view a predicate as one of two main parts of a sentence, the other being the subject, which the predicate modifies. The other understanding of predicates is inspired from work in predicate calculus...
in the tradition of predicate calculus.
See also
- Compound verbCompound verbIn linguistics, a compound verb or complex predicate is a multi-word compound that acts as a single verb. One component of the compound is a light verb or vector, which carries any inflections, indicating tense, mood, or aspect, but provides only fine shades of meaning...
- LinguisticsLinguisticsLinguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
- Non-configurational languageNon-configurational languageIn generative grammar, non-configurational languages are languages in which there is no verb phrase constituent . In configurational languages, the subject of a sentence is outside the VP and the object is inside; in non-configurational languages, since there is no VP constituent, there is no...
- Non-finite verbNon-finite verbIn linguistics, a non-finite verb is a verb form that is not limited by a subject and, more generally, is not fully inflected by categories that are marked inflectionally in language, such as tense, aspect, mood, number, gender, and person...
- Noun phrases
- SyntaxSyntaxIn linguistics, syntax is the study of the principles and rules for constructing phrases and sentences in natural languages....
- X-bar theoryX-bar theoryX-bar theory is a component of linguistic theory which attempts to identify syntactic features presumably common to all those human languages that fit in a presupposed framework...