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Derived forms of verbs

Dear Mr Paul,

In English, are there any derived forms of verbs which denote specific grammatical values? For example, a derived form of an intransitive verb is to take a direct object.

This is very common in Arabic. Most of the Arabic verbs are three-lettered, and their respective derived forms will have more letters or vowels added with significant semantic or grammatical changes. For example, “to sit” is an intransitive verb, and its derivative form is used to state “to sit (someone)” or "to (let someone) sit".

Likewise, do we have the same paradigm in English? If so, please provide me the syntactic or orthographic layout of forming derived forms of verbs. If not so, please explain me how this idea is achieved in English.

Of note, I am not talking about conjugation of verbs.

Thank you very much.

Re: Derived forms of verbs

No: English verbs are unchanging in that respect. The paradigm for almost all lexical verbs comprises six inflectional forms:

Primary Forms
I took her to school. (preterite)
He takes her to school. (3rd sing present)
They take her to school. (plain present)

Secondary Forms
I need to take her to school. (plain form)
We are taking her to school. (gerund-participle)
They have taken her to school. (past participle)

But they are unchanging according to their transivity:

(1) I teach. (intransitive)
(2) I teach the first year students. (transitive with direct object)
(3) I teach at the local school. (intransitive with adjunct)
(4) I teach the students mathematics. (ditransitive)

Prototypically, a transitive verb has a noun phrase following the verb, as (2), and if the verb is being used ditransitively (object + indirect object), the indirect object (recipient/beneficiary) is positioned immediately after the verb, followed by the direct object, as (4). But there is no change in the form of the verb to mark the contrast in use; as you can see the form of the verb "teach" remains unchanged.

Incidentally, the "to" is not part of the verb; it is a subordinator.


PaulM

Re: Derived forms of verbs

Paul,

This is really helpful. Thank you very much.

// Incidentally, the "to" is not part of the verb; it is a subordinator. //

I agree on this; anyhow, we use an infinitive form of a verb to name it, as stated in GM. That is what made me introduce verbs in such a way.