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

Perfect and progressive combined

Perfect aspect and progressive aspect may combine in the verb phrase:

I

’ve been looking for you.

She should 

have been studying , not watching TV.

306 | Introduction to word classes and phrase classes

Cambridge Grammar of English

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Verb phrases: voice

159d

Verb phrases also indicate voice. The passive voice is usually formed with

auxiliary be and the -ed participle of a lexical verb (

Û

479 on the passive with

get

). Voice gives information about the roles of different participants in an event

(e.g. who the agent was, who the recipient was):

I 

was stung by a wasp.

Was she promoted?

Passive voice may occur in verb phrases involving modal verbs:

He could 

be charged with murder.

Passive voice may occur in non-tensed verb phrases involving the -ing form and

the infinitive:

Being left here waiting like this, I’m inclined to walk out and say ‘forget it’.

To be accepted completely, you have to live here a long time.

Passive voice may combine in the verb phrase with progressive and perfect aspect:

Our car 

was being repaired at the time.

I

’ve been asked that question many times.