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the situation reflected in the sentence. These forms are associated with one another in an extremely complex
and intricate system. The peculiar aspect of the complexity of this system lies in the fact that, as we have stated
before, the finite verb is directly connected with the structure of the sentence as a whole. Indeed, the finite verb,
through the working of its categories, is immediately related to such sentence-constitutive factors as
morphological forms of predication, communication purposes, subjective modality, subject-object relation,
gradation of probabilities, and quite a few other factors of no lesser importance.
As has been mentioned elsewhere, the complicated character of the system in question has given rise to a lot
of controversies about the structural formation of the finite verb categories, as well as the bases of their
functional semantics. It would be not an exaggeration to say that each fundamental type of grammatical
expression capable of being approached in terms of generalized categories in the domain of the finite verb has
created a subject for a scholarly dispute. For instance, taking as an example the sphere of the categorial person
and number of the verb, we are faced with the argument among grammarians about the existence or non-
existence of the verbal-pronominal forms of these categories. In connection with the study of the verbal
expression of time and aspect, the great controversy is going on as to the temporal or aspective nature of the
verbal forms of the indefinite, continuous, perfect, and perfect-continuous series. Grammatical expression of
the future tense in English is stated by some scholars as a matter-of-fact truth, while other linguists are eagerly
negating any possibility of its existence as an element of grammar. The verbal voice invites its investigators to
exchange mutually opposing views regarding both the content and the number of its forms. The problem of the
subjunctive mood may justly be called one of the most vexed in the theory of grammar: the exposition of its
structural properties, its inner divisions, as well as its correlation with the indicative mood vary literally from
one linguistic author to another.
On the face of it, one might get an impression that the morphological study of the English finite verb has
amounted to interminable aimless exchange of arguments, ceaseless advances of opposing "points of view", the
actual aim of which has nothing to do with the practical application of linguistic theory to life. However, the
fallacy of such an impression should be brought to light immediately and uncompromisingly.
As a matter of fact, it is the verb system that, of all the spheres of morphology, has come under the most
intensive and fruitful analysis undertaken by contemporary linguistics. In the course of these studies the
oppositional nature of the categorial structure of the verb was disclosed and explicitly formulated; the
paradigmatic system of the expression of verbal functional semantics was described competently, though in
varying technical terms, and the correlation of form and meaning in the composition of functionally relevant
parts of this system was demonstrated explicitly on the copious material gathered.
Theoretical discussions have not ceased, nor subsided. On the contrary, they continue and develop, though
on an ever more solid scientific foundation; and the cumulative descriptions of the English verb provide now an
integral picture of its nature which the grammatical theory has never possessed before. Indeed, it is due to this
advanced types of study that the structural and semantic patterning of verbal constructions successfully applied
to teaching practices on all the stages of tuition has achieved so wide a scope.
§ 2. The following presentation of the categorial system of the English verb is based on oppositional criteria
worked out in the course of grammatical studies of language by scholars of different countries. We do not
propose to develop a description in which the many points of discussion would receive an exposition in terms
of anything like detailed analysis. Our aim will rather be only to demonstrate some general principles of
approach - such principles as would stimulate the student's desire to see into the inner meaningful workings of
any grammatical construction which are more often than not hidden under the outer connections of its textual
elements; such principles as would develop the student's ability to rely on his own resources when coming
across concrete dubious cases of grammatical structure and use; such principles as, finally, would provide the
student with a competence enabling him to bring his personal efforts of grammatical understanding to relevant
correlation with the recognized theories, steering open-eyed among the differences of expert opinion.
The categorial spheres to be considered in this book are known from every topical description of English
grammar. They include the systems of expressing verbal person, number, time, aspect, voice, and mood. But
the identification and the distribution of the actual grammatical categories of the verb recognized in our survey
will not necessarily coincide with the given enumeration, which will be exposed and defended with the
presentation of each particular category that is to come under study.
CHAPTER XIII
VERB: PERSON AND NUMBER