Difference between revisions of "Be"

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(Major Uses)
(introduces partiples and participials)
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*<span style="color:darkblue;font-variant:small-caps;">Subject '''is''' P:</span> ''The sun is up.  The network is down.  The story is out.''
 
*<span style="color:darkblue;font-variant:small-caps;">Subject '''is''' P:</span> ''The sun is up.  The network is down.  The story is out.''
  
=introduces partiples and participials=
+
=introduces present & past participles=
  
 
==continuous / progressive (be + -<i>ing</i>)==
 
==continuous / progressive (be + -<i>ing</i>)==

Revision as of 10:21, 23 December 2019

Avertissement: cette page est destiné à un analyse grammatical du mot "be" :P


Forms

  • dictionary form (bare infinitive): be
  • present tense: am (1s), is (3s), are (1p, 2s/p, 3p)
  • past tense: was (1s, 3s), were (1p, 2s/p, 3p)


  • present participle: being
  • past participle: been

Major Uses

Most fundamentally be is a copula.

  • Subject is NP: She is the boss.
  • Subject is AdjP: The cat's paws are muddy.
  • Subject is PP: Your keys are on the table.
  • Subject is P: The sun is up. The network is down. The story is out.

introduces present & past participles

continuous / progressive (be + -ing)

Much has been said about this active voice tense. Present tense participles following the copula are common. The participle can be interpreted as a verb, a noun (usually called a gerund), or an adjective.

  • He was writing. (V)
  • This is (his) writing. (N)
  • It is interesting. (Adj)

Only the first is considered verbal.

The terms "continuous" and "progressive" are both inappropriate in some ways. The use of be + ing usually implies that the speaker is putting the listener in the middle of the action "in medias res": the speaker or writer is like a filmmaker recording an action. Alternately, it can indicate a series of occurrences.

The term is however historically justified because be + -ing derives etymologically from be + on + -ing

passive voice marker (be + -en)

  • Lincoln and Kennedy were both assassinated.
  • Everything was frozen.
  • It was golden. (ADJ, (predicate adjective))