Difference between revisions of "Be"

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(Major Uses)
(Major Uses)
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*introduces various modal structures with (<span style="color:darkblue;font-variant:small-caps;">to</span>)
 
*introduces various modal structures with (<span style="color:darkblue;font-variant:small-caps;">to</span>)
 
:*<span style="color:darkblue;font-variant:small-caps;">be <span style="font-size:x-small;color:gray;">un</span><span style="color:indigo;">'''able'''</span> to</span> -- ''être capable de'', ''pouvoir''
 
:*<span style="color:darkblue;font-variant:small-caps;">be <span style="font-size:x-small;color:gray;">un</span><span style="color:indigo;">'''able'''</span> to</span> -- ''être capable de'', ''pouvoir''
:*span style="color:darkblue;font-variant:small-caps;">be <span style="color:indigo;">'''about'''</span> to</span> --  ''être sur le point de''
+
:*<span style="color:darkblue;font-variant:small-caps;">be <span style="color:indigo;">'''about'''</span> to</span> --  ''être sur le point de''
:*span style="color:darkblue;font-variant:small-caps;">be <span style="font-size:x-small;color:gray;">un</span><span style="color:indigo;">'''able'''</span> to</span> -- ''être facile (de / à)''
+
:*<span style="color:darkblue;font-variant:small-caps;">be <span style="color:indigo;">'''easy'''</span> to</span> -- ''être facile (de / à)''
:*be difficult to: ''être difficile (de / à)''
+
:*<span style="color:darkblue;font-variant:small-caps;">be <span style="color:indigo;">'''difficult'''</span> to</span> -- ''être difficile (de / à)''
:*be <span style="font-size:x-small;color:gray;">un</span>likely to -- ''être probable que''
+
:*span style="color:darkblue;font-variant:small-caps;">be <span style="font-size:x-small;color:gray;">un</span><span style="color:indigo;">'''likely'''</span> to</span> -- ''être probable que''
:*be supposed to -- ''être censé''
+
:*<span style="color:darkblue;font-variant:small-caps;">be <span style="color:indigo;">'''supposed'''</span> to</span> -- ''être censé''
:*be <span style="font-size:x-small;color:gray;">un</span>willing to -- ''vouloir bien''
+
:*span style="color:darkblue;font-variant:small-caps;">be <span style="font-size:x-small;color:gray;">un</span><span style="color:indigo;">'''willing'''</span> to</span> -- ''vouloir bien''
  
  

Revision as of 10:46, 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
  • present participle (-ing)
The present 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 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.
be + -ing derives historically from be + on + -ing
  • past participle (-en / -ed)
The past participle is more like a photograph than a movie.
  • Lincoln and Kennedy were both assassinated.
  • Everything was frozen.
  • It was golden. (cf. adjectives like wooden, rotten)
  • introduces various modal structures with (to)
  • be unable to -- être capable de, pouvoir
  • be about to -- être sur le point de
  • be easy to -- être facile (de / à)
  • be difficult to -- être difficile (de / à)
  • span style="color:darkblue;font-variant:small-caps;">be unlikely to</span> -- être probable que
  • be supposed to -- être censé
  • span style="color:darkblue;font-variant:small-caps;">be unwilling to</span> -- vouloir bien