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Kates2787 Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
Sentence with an auxiliary verb but no main verb??
Hello,
Is it possible for a sentence to only have an auxiliary verb in it and no main verb? I am being asked to label all of the words in the following sentence:
The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three in the morning.
These are my labels:
The - definite article
scent - concrete noun
and - conjunction
smoke - concrete noun
and - conjunction
sweat - concrete noun
of - preposition
a - indefinite article
casino - concrete noun
are - auxiliary verb
nauseating - adjective
at - preposition
three - cardinal number
in - preposition
the - definite article
morning. - concrete noun
I thought that 'are' would be auxiliary but then I noticed that there is no main verb, is that correct? I was under the impression that an auxiliary verb is only present in a sentence where there are 2 verbs close together and it 'supports' the main verb... but there is no 'main verb' here?
Thank you,
Katie
Is it possible for a sentence to only have an auxiliary verb in it and no main verb? I am being asked to label all of the words in the following sentence:
The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three in the morning.
These are my labels:
The - definite article
scent - concrete noun
and - conjunction
smoke - concrete noun
and - conjunction
sweat - concrete noun
of - preposition
a - indefinite article
casino - concrete noun
are - auxiliary verb
nauseating - adjective
at - preposition
three - cardinal number
in - preposition
the - definite article
morning. - concrete noun
I thought that 'are' would be auxiliary but then I noticed that there is no main verb, is that correct? I was under the impression that an auxiliary verb is only present in a sentence where there are 2 verbs close together and it 'supports' the main verb... but there is no 'main verb' here?
Thank you,
Katie
Top answer
'Are' is not an auxiliary here. It is the linking verb, 'be', as a main verb.
- 'Are' is not an auxiliary here.
- It is the linking verb, 'be', as a main verb.
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7 Answers
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'Are' is not an auxiliary here. It is the linking verb, 'be', as a main verb.
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kates2787Is it possible for a sentence to only have an auxiliary verb in it and no main verb?
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Mister MicawberIsn't this an auxiliary, Jim? –Yes, we can!You got me! HAH! Good catch!
How do I want to say it then? -- because there is some sense in which you can't build sentences without main verbs. "Yes, we can" seems to me to be missing some non-auxiliary verb that is to be understood from context.
-- Can we whack down this
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I am not a native English speake but I observe that
It is possible to write without explicit (but with implied, understood to a reader)
- subject,
- main verb,
- auxiliary verb,
and even
- all of them.
Answers (comments):
- Right
- Correct
- Excellent
- OK
Congrats:
- A Happy New Year
Instructions:
- How to (write bus
It is possible to write without explicit (but with implied, understood to a reader)
- subject,
- main verb,
- auxiliary verb,
and even
- all of them.
Answers (comments):
- Right
- Correct
- Excellent
- OK
Congrats:
- A Happy New Year
Instructions:
- How to (write bus
00
Thank you so much for your help everyone, I can't believe I have only just discovered this site!
Katie
Katie
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a verb is called an auxiliary if it has a main verb, otherwise it is not called as auxiliary.If a verb is followed by an adjective, it is called a linking verb not an auxialiary.
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