671:
Attempts to motivate the existence of a finite VP constituent tend to confuse the distinction between finite and non-finite VPs. They mistakenly take evidence for a non-finite VP constituent as support for the existence a finite VP constituent. See for instance
Akmajian and Heny (1980:29f., 257ff.),
388:(VP), which means they reject the notion that the second half of this binary division, i.e. the finite VP, is a constituent. They do, however, readily acknowledge the existence of non-finite VPs as constituents. The two competing views of verb phrases are visible in the following trees:
263:
Phrase structure grammars view both finite and nonfinite verb phrases as constituent phrases and, consequently, do not draw any key distinction between them. Dependency grammars (described below) are much different in this regard.
396:
408:
as a constituent, since it corresponds to a complete subtree. The dependency tree on the right, in contrast, does not acknowledge a finite VP constituent, since there is no complete subtree there that corresponds to
571:
frameworks and traditional
European reference grammars. It is incompatible with the phrase structure model, because the strings in bold are not constituents under that analysis. It is, however, compatible with
720:
Osborne, T., M. Putnam, and T. Groß 2011. Bare phrase structure, label-less structures, and specifier-less syntax: Is
Minimalism becoming a dependency grammar? The Linguistic Review 28: 315–364.
518:
Verb phrases are sometimes defined more narrowly in scope, in effect counting only those elements considered strictly verbal in verb phrases. That would limit the definition to only main and
292:
reject the former. That is, dependency grammars acknowledge only non-finite VPs as constituents; finite VPs do not qualify as constituents in dependency grammars. For example:
662:
For a discussion of the evidence for and against a finite VP constituent, see
Matthews (2007:17ff.), Miller (2011:54ff.), and Osborne et al. (2011:323f.).
510:
The strings in bold are the ones in focus. Attempts to in some sense isolate the finite VP fail, but the same attempts with the non-finite VP succeed.
376:
These examples illustrate well that many clauses can contain more than one non-finite VP, but they generally contain only one finite VP. Starting with
252:) take the view that at least some languages lack a verb phrase constituent, including those languages with a very free word order (the so-called
694:
Akmajian, A. and F. Heny. 1980. An introduction to the principle of transformational syntax. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
743:
253:
244:
Current views vary on whether all languages have a verb phrase; some schools of generative grammar (such as
614:
395:
568:
471:
The * indicates that the sentence is bad. These data must be compared to the results for non-finite VP:
249:
127:
treat the subject as just another verbal dependent, and they do not recognize the finite verbal phrase
256:, such as Japanese, Hungarian, or Australian aboriginal languages), and some languages with a default
710:
Matthews, P. 2007. Syntactic relations: A critical survey. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge
University Press.
599:
581:
421:
285:
245:
128:
530:
constructions. For example, in the following sentences only the words in bold form the verb phrase:
629:
380:
1959, dependency grammars challenge the validity of the initial binary division of the clause into
273:
164:
120:
155:. It may be composed of only a single verb, but typically it consists of combinations of main and
681:
Klammer and Schulz (1996:157ff.), for instance, pursue this narrow understanding of verb phrases.
237:, all of which comprise the verb phrase. Note, the verb phrase described here corresponds to the
160:
47:
577:
222:
8:
729:
van Valin, R. 2001. An introduction to syntax. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge
University Press.
634:
385:
257:
238:
131:. Understanding verb phrase analysis depends on knowing which theory applies in context.
89:
84:
653:
Concerning Tesnière's rejection of a finite VP constituent, see Tesnière (1959:103–105).
604:
573:
289:
148:
140:
124:
96:
55:
377:
381:
168:
59:
51:
700:
Klammer, T. and M. Schulz. 1996. Analyzing
English grammar. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
672:
Finch (2000:112), van Valin (2001:111ff.), Kroeger (2004:32ff.), Sobin (2011:30ff.).
218:
714:
704:
619:
519:
432:
suggest that non-finite VP does, but finite VP does not, exist as a constituent:
429:
281:
594:
580:(verb chain) as the fundamental unit of syntactic structure, as opposed to the
425:
156:
104:
737:
723:
Sobin, N. 2011. Syntactic analysis: The basics. Malden, MA: Wiley–Blackwell.
697:
Finch, G. 2000. Linguistic terms and concepts. New York: St. Martin's Press.
726:
Tesnière, Lucien 1959. Éleménts de syntaxe structurale. Paris: Klincksieck.
20:
609:
277:
210:
100:
95:
Verb phrases generally are divided among two types: finite, of which the
27:
527:
523:
112:
108:
248:) hold that all languages have a verb phrase, while others (such as
199:
hit the ball well enough to win their first World Series since 2000
177:
hit the ball well enough to win their first World Series since 2000
337:
but lacks a finite verb, it is a non-finite VP. Similar examples:
624:
144:
116:
71:
39:
413:. Note that the analyses agree concerning the non-finite VP
225:). The third example presents three elements, the main verb
152:
43:
420:
Dependency grammars point to the results of many standard
201:; the second is a verb phrase composed of the main verb
404:
The constituency tree on the left shows the finite VP
417:; both see it as a constituent (complete subtree).
82:. A verb phrase is similar to what is considered a
735:
567:This more narrow definition is often applied in
197:The first example contains the long verb phrase
705:Analyzing syntax: A lexical-functional approach
134:
260:order (several Celtic and Oceanic languages).
707:. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
64:A fat man quickly put the money into the box
276:(constituency grammars) acknowledge both
267:
167:(not including subject complements), and
424:to back up their stance. For instance,
78:and its arguments, but not the subject
736:
576:and other grammars that view the verb
139:In phrase structure grammars such as
103:; and nonfinite, where the head is a
513:
13:
68:quickly put the money into the box
14:
755:
715:A critical introduction to syntax
394:
369:– Another non-finite VP in bold
329:, it is a finite VP, and since
675:
665:
656:
647:
184:saw the man through the window
1:
687:
333:contains the non-finite verb
254:non-configurational languages
615:Non-configurational language
135:In phrase structure grammars
123:acknowledge both types, but
7:
587:
359:– One non-finite VP in bold
10:
760:
250:lexical functional grammar
213:), and the adjunct phrase
74:; it consists of the verb
18:
325:contains the finite verb
274:phrase structure grammars
246:principles and parameters
121:Phrase structure grammars
641:
630:Phrase structure grammar
481:, John (certainly) has.
241:of traditional grammar.
205:, the complement phrase
62:. Thus, in the sentence
19:Not to be confused with
552:like a football maniac.
458:What has John done? – *
448:*What John has done is
345:do not want to try that
314:– Non-finite VP in bold
497:What has John done? –
487:What John has done is
428:, pseudoclefting, and
268:In dependency grammars
233:, and the noun phrase
460:Has finished the work
450:has finished the work
440:has finished the work
411:has finished the work
406:has finished the work
323:has finished the work
300:has finished the work
288:(complete subtrees),
744:Syntactic categories
717:. London: continuum.
363:They do not want to
223:prepositional phrase
90:traditional grammars
16:Sentence constituent
635:Predicate (grammar)
574:dependency grammars
545:alive by mosquitos.
349:– Finite VP in bold
304:– Finite VP in bold
290:dependency grammars
125:dependency grammars
99:of the phrase is a
42:unit composed of a
703:Kroeger, P. 2004.
605:Dependency grammar
422:constituency tests
215:through the window
141:generative grammar
70:constitute a verb
56:independent clause
713:Miller, J. 2011.
504:
503:– Answer ellipsis
499:Finished the work
494:
489:finished the work
484:
479:finished the work
465:
464:– Answer ellipsis
455:
445:
415:finished the work
370:
360:
350:
331:finished the work
315:
310:finished the work
305:
60:coordinate clause
751:
682:
679:
673:
669:
663:
660:
654:
651:
543:were being eaten
514:Narrowly defined
502:
493:– Pseudoclefting
492:
483:– Topicalization
482:
463:
454:– Pseudoclefting
453:
444:– Topicalization
443:
398:
368:
358:
355:want to try that
348:
313:
303:
219:adverbial phrase
191:gave Mary a book
159:, plus optional
759:
758:
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750:
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661:
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648:
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639:
620:Non-finite verb
590:
541:The picnickers
520:auxiliary verbs
516:
430:answer ellipsis
378:Lucien Tesnière
270:
175:Yankee batters
171:. For example:
157:auxiliary verbs
137:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
757:
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617:
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595:Auxiliary verb
591:
589:
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553:
550:kept screaming
546:
539:
515:
512:
508:
507:
506:
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469:
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467:
466:
456:
446:
426:topicalization
402:
401:
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374:
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361:
351:
319:
318:
317:
316:
306:
269:
266:
195:
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136:
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105:nonfinite verb
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
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569:functionalist
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57:
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41:
37:
33:
29:
22:
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560:
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549:
542:
538:Mary a book.
535:
517:
509:
498:
488:
478:
470:
459:
449:
439:
419:
414:
410:
405:
403:
375:
364:
354:
353:They do not
344:
334:
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322:
320:
309:
299:
286:constituents
271:
262:
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202:
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196:
190:
183:
176:
138:
94:
83:
79:
75:
67:
66:, the words
63:
35:
31:
25:
21:phrasal verb
610:Finite verb
600:Constituent
582:constituent
229:, the noun
211:noun phrase
165:complements
143:, the verb
129:constituent
101:finite verb
50:except the
32:verb phrase
28:linguistics
688:References
528:participle
524:infinitive
282:non-finite
161:specifiers
113:participle
109:infinitive
536:has given
386:predicate
384:(NP) and
308:John has
239:predicate
85:predicate
80:a fat man
48:arguments
40:syntactic
738:Category
588:See also
442:, John.
438:*...and
365:try that
335:finished
169:adjuncts
46:and its
522:, plus
477:...and
382:subject
284:VPs as
207:the man
147:is one
52:subject
38:) is a
625:Phrase
578:catena
321:Since
278:finite
272:While
235:a book
189:David
149:headed
145:phrase
117:gerund
72:phrase
54:of an
642:Notes
557:shalt
555:Thou
534:John
343:They
298:John
182:Mary
151:by a
561:kill
559:not
548:She
280:and
231:Mary
227:gave
221:and
217:(an
153:verb
97:head
44:verb
30:, a
526:or
327:has
258:VSO
209:(a
203:saw
115:or
88:in
76:put
58:or
26:In
740::
584:.
501:.
491:.
462:.
452:.
367:.
357:.
347:.
312:.
302:.
163:,
119:.
111:,
92:.
36:VP
563:.
193:.
186:.
179:.
34:(
23:.
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