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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 ).

— CalifJim

  • 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 ).
  • If it has a special name other than just do , I've never heard it.
  • In some contexts it is emphatic, so it may be called the emphatic auxiliary on those occasions, but emphasis is not its only function, so 'emphatic auxiliary' doesn't seem to tell the whole story.
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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
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