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CopenhagenCalling Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Auxiliary verb phrase analysis

Hey clever people

I am stuck in the break down of the following verb phrase:

"do start"

So "start" is HEAD, and "do" is some kind of auxiliary verb, right? But which kind when in this situation? passive? perfect aspect? Its not a modal, and a progressive is always followed by an -ing form, afaiu.

Cheers from Copenhagen
  

Top answer

CopenhagenCalling But which kind I don't think it is any 'kind' of auxiliary. It's just do . You're right that it's not a modal, nor an indicator of the perfect ( have ) nor progressive ( be ) nor passive ( be ).

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13 Answers
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CopenhagenCallingBut which kind
I don't think it is any 'kind' of auxiliary. It's just do. You're right that it's not a modal, nor an indicator of the perfect (have) nor progressive (be) nor passive (be). If it has a special name other than just do, I've never heard it.

In some contexts it is emphatic, so it may b
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Thanks for the quick reply. This is really puzzling to me, because this is the final "question" in a test on the break down of verb phrases, and you are basically saying it is a trick question XD

However, I will run with "emphatic auxiliary" for now, although we have not learned this term yet! Unless someone will cross swords with you on the subject
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Hi,

Do can function as an auxiliary verb or as a full verb.

I usually do my homework at five o'clock - do is a full verb.

Shawn doesn't like reading books - do is an auxiliary verb.

Regards
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RegardsHi,
Do can function as an auxiliary verb or as a full verb.
I usually do my homework at five o'clock - do is a full verb.
Shawn doesn't like reading books - do is an auxiliary verb.

Regards
Yes but the question is: broken down to word level, which type of auxiliary verb is "do" in the verb phrase "do start"?
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Hi,

You should give us the full sentence if you want us to understand what you mean.

Regards
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Palmer (The English Verb) says that do, does, and did are a finite primary auxiliaries, if that helps you.

Some non-finite examples are having, being, been.

The modal verbs are the auxiliaries that are not 'primary'.

I don't know if you're using the same classification system that Palmer uses, so you're on your own on that point.
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RegardsHi,
You should give us the full sentence if you want us to understand what you mean.

Regards
heya sorry but that IS the entire sentence! It is a list of composite verb phrases like this that I must break down into their components
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CalifJimPalmer (The English Verb) says that do, does, and did are a finite primary auxiliaries, if that helps you.

Some non-finite examples are having, being, been.

The modal verbs are the auxiliaries that are not 'primary'.

I don't know if you're using the same classification system that Palmer uses, so you're on your own on that point.
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Hi,

Fine, but do start doesn't sound to me like a full sentence, does it?

Anyway, I hope you've got your answer.

Regards
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CopenhagenCallingthis does not demand a specific tense in the following verb?
do, does, and did always govern the 'base form', i.e, the infinitive without 'to' - never any other form.

CJ