Difference between revisions of "Be"
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:::The mediopassive can be formed with <span style="color:darkblue;font-variant:small-caps;">get</span>. | :::The mediopassive can be formed with <span style="color:darkblue;font-variant:small-caps;">get</span>. | ||
− | :::*My parents got <s><span style="font-size:x-small;color:gray;">(already)</span></s> married in 1968. | + | :::*My parents <span style="color:darkgreen;font-variant:small-caps;">got</span> <s><span style="font-size:x-small;color:gray;">(already)</span></s> married in 1968. |
− | :::*My parents were <span style="font-size:x-small;color:gray;">(already)</span> married in 1980.. | + | :::*My parents <span style="color:darkblue;font-variant:small-caps;">were</span> <span style="font-size:x-small;color:gray;">(already)</span> married in 1980.. |
− | :::*My parents are <span style="font-size:x-small;color:gray;">(still)</span> married in 2019. | + | :::*My parents <span style="color:darkblue;font-variant:small-caps;">are</span> <span style="font-size:x-small;color:gray;">(still)</span> married in 2019. |
*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>) |
Revision as of 11:57, 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 Particle: The sun is up. The network was down. The doctor may be in.
- 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. Together with be, it forms the passive voice.
- Lincoln and Kennedy were both assassinated.
- Everything was frozen.
- It was golden. (cf. adjectives like wooden, rotten)
- The mediopassive can be formed with get.
- My parents got
(already)married in 1968. - My parents were (already) married in 1980..
- My parents are (still) married in 2019.
- My parents got
- The mediopassive can be formed with get.
- 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)
- be unlikely to -- être probable que
- be supposed to -- être censé
- be unwilling to -- vouloir bien