1. Label the form of each verb in each verb string below.
2. Label any verb strings in perfect or progressive aspect.
3. Also label the tense of the verb string. Which of the verb strings have semantic tense?
4. Briefly explain why you analyzed these strings the way you did.
5. Are any of the sentences in habitual aspect?
(a) The family had never seen the Grand Canyon. Modal verb, main verb
(b) My dog is chasing his tail. Main verb
(c) The dog chases his tail. Main
(d) We might be vacationing in Hawaii this winter. Modal verb, main verb
(e) The director has made a new movie. Auxiliary verb, main verb
(f) Students should be turning in their final papers. Modal verb, Main verb
(g) Lee was resting after running a marathon. Main verb
(h) My sister has been learning about verbs. Modal verb, main verb
(i) Swallows like to roost in our barn. Main verb auxiliary verb
(j) Liza can eat more hotdogs than anyone else. Modal verb, main verb
(k) Some students are attending the concert. Main verb
Thematic roles and passive
1. Using the list of thematic roles in the section “Voice” above, see if you can identify the thematic roles of the following italic noun phrases.
2. In addition, identify any sentences that can undergo passive.
3. Briefly discuss anything you find particularly unexpected and/ or interesting.
(a) Miriam A cut the cake E with a knife I.
(b) Kelly E got sick.
(c) The fox E ran out of the bushes L.
(d) The storm A knocked down the trees E.
(e) The pitcher A threw the ball E to the third baseman L.
(f) The farmer A loaded the wagon E with hay I.
(g) The fox E heard the chickens I cackling.
(h) The children A walked from the park L to the swimming pool L.
(i) The pitcher A threw the third baseman E the ball I.
(j) The shed E suffered serious damage I.
(k) Miriam A sent a letter I.
A-Agent
E-Experiencer
L-locater
I-instrument
Scientific writing: Passive voice
It is quite common to find passive in scientific writing.
1. Identify all of the examples of passive in the following text.
The strength of a concept rests in its ability to organize information. What at first appears to be a disorganized body of knowledge is made comprehensible and useful when a unifying framework is developed. Scientific inquiry is often presented as a jumble of disorganized but interrelated procedures. Teacher and teacher candidates are regularly encouraged to use inquiry processes in demonstrations, lessons, and labs, but there is little organizational pattern provided to relate inquiry to these approaches. (From “Levels of inquiry: Hierarchies of pedagogical practices and inquiry processes,” by Carl J.
