verb phrases
The verb phrase in English has the following forms:
1) a main verb:
VerbWe
I
Everybody
We are
like
saw.
laughed.
here.
it
the accident
The verb may be in the present tense (are, like) or the past tense (saw, laughed). A verb phrase with only a main verb expresses simple aspect
2) an auxiliary verb ("be") and a main verb in –ing form:
Auxiliary "be" Verb (-ing)Everybody
We is
were watching
laughing
A verb phrase with "be" and –ing expresses continuous aspect.
3) an auxiliary verb ("have") and a main verb with past participle:
Auxillary "have" Verb (past participle)They
Everybody
He have
has
had enjoyed
worked
finished themselves.
hard.
work.
A verb with "have" and the past participle expresses perfect aspect. A verb with have/has expresses present perfect, and a verb with had expresses past perfect.
4) an auxiliary verb ("have" + "been") and a main verb in the –ing form:
Auxiliary "have" + "been" Verb (-ing)Everybody
He has been
had been working
singing hard
A verb with "have" and "been" and the present participle expresses perfect continuous aspect. A verb with have/has expresses present perfect continuous, and a verb with had expresses past perfect continuous.
5) a modal verb (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would) and a main verb:
Modal Verb Main verbThey
He will
might come.
come.
6) We can use modal verbs with the auxiliaries "be", "have", and "have been":
Modal Auxiliary VerbThey
He
She will
might
must be
have
have been listening
arrived
listening
Activities
Active and passive:
Transitive verbs have a passive form as well as an active form:
The hunter killed the lion. (active) <> The lion was killed by the hunter. (passive)
Someone has cleaned the windows <> The windows have been cleaned.
The passive forms are made up of the verb "be" with a past participle:
"be" Past participleEnglish
The windows
Lunch
The work
They is
have been
was being
will be
might have been spoken
cleaned
served
finished
invited
all over the world
soon
to the part
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Hello The LearnEnglish Team!
I was wondering why, in the 6th question of the third test, is just "has" the auxiliary verb and not the both "has" and "been"?
Thank you
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