Verbs perform four main and six nominal functions in English: verb phrase head, predicate, noun phrase modifier, adjective phrase complement, subject, subject complement, direct object, object complement, indirect object, and prepositional complement. The following article explains these functions.
Verbs in English are traditionally defined as "words that indicate action or state of being." Verb phrases are formed by one or more verbs and any number of objects, modifiers, and complements. Verbs and verb phrases perform ten grammatical functions in the English language. The ten functions are:
- Verb phrase head
- Predicate
- Noun phrase modifier
- Adjective phrase complement
- Subject
- Subject complement
- Direct object
- Object complement
- Indirect object
- Prepositional complement
The following sections discuss the ten functions and include examples to illustrate use.
Major Functions of Verbs and Verb Phrases
Of the ten possible functions, verbs and verb phrases perform four major functions. The four major functions are:
- Verb phrase head
- Predicate
- Noun phrase modifier
- Adjective phrase complement
The four major functions are prototypical functions of verbs and verb phrases.
Verb Phrase Head
Verbs first function as the heads of verb phrases. The following italicized verbs are examples of heads of verb phrases:
- read
- eat the cookies
- to study
- listen to the music
- wake up
Verbs always function as the heads of verb phrases.
Predicate
Verbs and verb phrases secondly function as predicates. A predicate contains at least one verb and any objects, modifiers, and complements. All clauses contain both a subject and a predicate. The following italicized verb phrases are examples of predicates:
- Carnivores eat meat.
- The librarian is writing an article.
- The door was slammed shut by the child.
- All the guests have woken up.
- Your husband will install my new fence.
- He must have stolen at least three cars.
Only verbs and verb phrases can function as predicates.
Noun Phrase Modifier
Verbs and verb phrases thirdly function as noun phrase modifiers. A noun phrase modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that describes a noun or noun phrase. The following italicized verbs are examples of noun phrase modifiers:
- The books shelved on the sixth floor cover education, art, languages, and literature.
- My daughter is the little girl wearing the pink hat.
- Did you hear that child screaming at her mother?
- I placed the cupcakes to eat on the counter.
Other grammatical forms that can function as noun phrase modifiers include adjective phrases, noun phrases, and prepositional phrases.
Adjective Phrase Complement
Verbs and verb phrases fourthly function as adjective phrase complements. An adjective phrase complement is a word, phrase, or clause that completes the meaning of an adjective. The following italicized verbs are examples of adjective phrase complements:
- His wife is afraid to fly.
- My puppy is eager to learn new tricks.
- The students are curious to know more about verbs.
- She is happy to write another article.
Other grammatical forms that can function as adjective phrase complements include prepositional phrases and noun clauses.
Nominal Functions of Verbs and Verb Phrases
Verbs and verb phrases also perform six nominal functions. Nominal functions are functions prototypically performed by nouns and noun phrases. The six nominal functions of verbs and verb phrases are:
- Subject
- Subject complement
- Direct object
- Object complement
- Indirect object
- Prepositional complement
For more information on the grammatical analyses of verb phrases performing nominal functions, please see the book Introduction to the Grammar of English by Rodney Huddleston from the Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics series.
Subject
Verbs and verb phrases fifthly function as subjects. A subject is a word, phrase, or clause that performs the action of or acts upon the verb. The following italicized verbs are examples of subjects:
- Reading stimulates the mind.
- Drinking milk is healthy.
- Your throwing a tantrum disappoints me.
- To err is human.
- To forgive is divine.
- To lie about cheating is unforgivable.
Only verbs in the form of present participles and infinitives can perform the nominal function of subject. Traditional grammars generally refer to present participles performing nominal functions as gerunds.
For information on the other nominal functions of verbs and verb phrases, please continue to page two.