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

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539 Glossary for any unfamiliar terms

Verb phrase 1: structure of verb phrases | 401

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The quasi-modal meanings of catenative verbs may be illustrated by the fact that

they can be removed without any major change to the meaning:

Do you 

happen to know Suzie’s number?

(or: Do you know Suzie’s number?)

Do you 

happen to have a spare pen?

(or: Do you have a spare pen?)

We don’t 

tend to go to London very often.

(or: We don’t go to London very often.)

In the case of fail to, a simple negative may be substituted:

The package 

failed to arrive on time.

(The package did not arrive on time.)

However, non-catenative lexical verbs cannot be removed in this way without

major changes to meaning:

I often 

long to change my job.

(compare: I often change my job.)

Û

285a where non-catenative lexical verbs which are followed by the to-infinitive

are dealt with

✪

Passive

Catenative verbs do not occur in the passive. Voice is indicated in the verbs

following the catenative verb:

Large sums 

appear to have been removed from the fund without adequate

explanation. 

(Large sums have been appeared to remove from the fund …)

England’s market-led success in the last century, for example, 

failed to be

matched in equally market-oriented Ireland.

(England’s market-led success in the last century, for example, was failed to

match …)