Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

Verbs: characteristics

158c

A typical verb can be recognised because it follows the subject noun phrase,

agrees with the subject noun phrase in person and number and can indicate tense

(except for the modal verbs, 

Û

158b

). For example, dream and walk can be either

nouns or verbs but can be identified by their respective syntactic properties:

That was 

a very frightening dream. 

(noun)

The character 

dreamed that she was in outer space. 

(verb in past tense)

The space walk was the most exciting event. 

(noun)

She 

walks too quickly for me. 

(verb in present tense, agreement in person and number with subject)

Û

also 260 Word formation; 529 Appendix: Irregular verbs for full list of

irregular verbs; 213–216 The verb phrase 1 for further details concerning verb

structure and morphology, and word order for verbs and verb phrases