Main Verb

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Main Verb

by navdeepbajwa » Mon Jan 25, 2010 4:54 am
What is the difference between main verb and helping verb and how we can find which is the main verb. How we can distinguish Main verb from helping verb and past participle

Also what is the difference between modifier and prepositional phrase

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by komal » Tue Jan 26, 2010 5:28 am
hi navdeep

Difference between main verb n helping verb


A helping verb accompanies the main verb in a clause and helps to make distinctions in mood, voice, aspect, and tense. A helping or auxiliary verb (such as have, can, or will) accompanies the main verb in a clause and helps to make distinctions in mood, voice, aspect, and tense. The main verb represents the chief action in the sentence. Some helping verbs can also stand alone and act as a main verb, e.g., be, being, been, am, are, is, was, were, do, does, did, have, had, and has. Other helping verbs have to work with a main verb: may, might, must, could, should, would, can, shall, and will. Remember that sometimes another word separates the helping verb from the main verb, as in "She could not find her keys" where not separates them. Up to three helping verbs can accompany a main verb, "The child must have been teasing the cat", but many main verbs do not need any helping verb.

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by Osirus@VeritasPrep » Tue Jan 26, 2010 6:27 am
In response to your question about the differences between a modifier and a prepositional phrase. This is a question that I am familiar with because I struggled with prepositional phrases being used as modifiers for a while. A prepositional phrase is a modifier. It has to modify a noun or pronoun and it has to touch the noun/pronoun that it is modifying except for specific rare instances. One thing I have found helpful is memorizing common prepositions and instantly identifying them whenever I read anything. It will make it easier to spot on test day. Good luck.

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by money9111 » Tue Jan 26, 2010 8:36 pm
navdeepbajwa where did you find a list of common prep phrases? I'd like to memorize them as well
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