Collins Cobuild

Unit 3
The verb group
Main points
In  a  clause,  the  verb  group  usually  comes  after  the  subject  and
always has a main verb.
The main verb has several different forms.
Verb groups can also include one or two auxiliaries, or a modal, or
a modal and one or two auxiliaries.
The verb group changes in negative clauses and questions.
Some verb groups are followed by an adverbial, a complement, an
object, or two objects.
1
 The  verb  group  in  a  clause  is  used  to  say  what  is  happening  in  an
action or situation. You usually put the verb group immediately after
the subject. The verb group always includes a main verb.
I waited.
They killed the elephants.
2
Regular verbs have four forms: the base form, the third person singular
form of the present simple, the ‘-ing’ form or present participle, and
the ‘-ed’ form used for the past simple and for the past participle.
ask
asks
asking
asked

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dance dances
dancing
danced
reach reaches
reaching
reached
try
tries
trying
tried
dip
dips
dipping
dipped
Irregular verbs may have three forms, four forms, or five forms.
Note that ‘be’ has eight forms.
cost costs
costing
think thinks
thinking thought
swim swims
swimming swam
swum
be
am/is/are being
was/were been
See pages
442
–
447
for details of verb forms.
3
The main verb can have one or two auxiliaries in front of it.
I had met him in Zermatt.
The car was being repaired.
The main verb can have a modal in front of it.
You can go now.
I would like to ask you a question.
The main verb can have a modal and one or two auxiliaries in front of
it.
I could have spent the whole year on it.
She would have been delighted to see you.

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4
In negative clauses, you have to use a modal or auxiliary and put ‘not’
after the first word of the verb group.
He does not speak English very well.
I was not smiling.
It could not have been wrong.
Note that you often use short forms rather than ‘not’.
I didn’t
know that. He couldn’t see it.
5
In ‘yes/no’ questions, you have to put an auxiliary or modal first, then
the subject, then the rest of the verb group.
Did you meet George?
Couldn’t you have been a bit quieter?
In ‘wh’-questions, you put the ‘wh’-word first. If the ‘wh’-word is the
subject, you put the verb group next.
Which came first?
Who could have done it?
If  the  ‘wh’-word  is  the  object  or  an  adverbial,  you  must  use  an
auxiliary  or  modal  next,  then  the  subject,  then  the  rest  of  the  verb
group.
What did you do?
Where could she be going?
6
Some verb groups have an object or two objects after them.
See Units
51
and
52
.
He closed the door.
She sends you her love.

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Verb  groups  involving  link  verbs,  such  as  ‘be’,  have  a  complement
after them.
See Unit
73
.
They were sailors.
She felt happy.
Some verb groups have an adverbial after them.
We walked through the park.
She put the letter on the table.

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