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forms (the corresponding contracted names are "finites" and "verbids";* this category has a lexico-grammatical
force); second, the categories of person, number, tense, aspect, voice, and mood, whose complete set is revealed
in every word-form of the notional finite verb.
* The term "verbids" for the non-finite forms of the verb was introduced by O. Jespersen. Its merit lies in the fact that, unlike the
more traditional term "verbals", it is devoid of dubious connotations as well as homonymic correlations.
Each of the identified categories constitutes a whole system of its own presenting its manifold problems to
the scholar. However, the comparative analysis of the categorial properties of all the forms of the verb,
including the properties of verbids, shows the unquestionable unity of the class, in spite of some inter-class
features of verbids.
Among the various forms of the verb the infinitive occupies a unique position. Its status is that of the
principal representative of the verb-lexeme as a whole. This head-form status of the infinitive is determined by
the two factors. The first factor consists in the verbal-nominative nature of the infinitive, i.e. in its function of
giving the most general dynamic name to the process which is denoted by all the other forms of the verb-
lexeme in a more specific way, conditioned by their respective semantico-grammatical specializations. The
second factor determining the representative status of the infinitive consists in the infinitive serving as the
actual derivative base for all the other regular forms of the verb.
§ 5. The class of verbs falls into a number of subclasses distinguished by different semantic and lexico-
grammatical features.
On the upper level of division two unequal sets are identified: the set of verbs of full nominative value
(notional verbs), and the set of verbs of partial nominative value (semi-notional and functional verbs). The first
set is derivationally open, it includes the bulk of the verbal lexicon. The second set is derivationally closed, it
includes limited subsets of verbs characterized by individual relational properties.
§ 6. Semi-notional and functional verbs serve as markers of predication in the proper sense, since they show
the connection between the nominative content of the sentence and reality in a strictly specialized way. These
"predicators" include auxiliary verbs, modal verbs, semi-notional verbid introducer verbs, and link-verbs.
Auxiliary verbs constitute grammatical elements of the categorial forms of the verb. These are the verbs be,
have, do, shall, will, should, would, may, might.
Modal verbs are used with the infinitive as predicative markers expressing relational meanings of the subject
attitude type, i.e. ability, obligation, permission, advisability, etc. By way of extension of meaning, they also
express relational probability, serving as probability predicators. These two types of functional semantics can
be tested by means of correlating pure modal verb collocations with the corresponding two sets of stative
collocations of equivalent functions: on the one hand, the groups be obliged, be permitted, etc.; on the other
hand, the groups be likely, be probable, etc. Cf.:
Tom may stay for the teleview if he will.> Tom is permitted to stay. The storm may come any minute, you
had better leave the deck.> The storm is likely to come any minute.
The modal verbs can, may, must, shall, will, ought, need, used (to), dare are defective in forms, and are
suppletively supplemented by stative groups similar to those shown above (cf. Ch. Ill, §4). The supplementation
is effected both for the lacking finite forms and the lacking non-finite forms. Cf.:
The boys can prepare the play-ground themselves. > The boys will be able to prepare the play-ground
themselves. > The boys' being able to prepare the play-ground themselves.
The verbs be and have in the modal meanings "be planned", "be obliged" and the like are considered by
many modern grammarians as modal verbs and by right are included in the general modal verb list.
Semi-notional verbid introducer verbs are distributed among the verbal sets of discriminatory relational
semantics (seem, happen, turn out, etc.), of subject-action relational semantics (try, fail, manage, etc.), of
phasal semantics (begin, continue, stop, etc.). The predicator verbs should be strictly distinguished from their
grammatical homonyms in the subclasses of notional verbs. As a matter of fact, there is a fundamental
grammatical difference between the verbal constituents in such sentences as, say, "They began to fight" and
"They began the fight". Whereas the verb in the first sentence is a semi-notional predicator, the verb in the
second sentence is a notional transitive verb normally related to its direct object. The phasal predicator begin
(the first sentence) is grammatically inseparable from the infinitive of the notional verb fight, the two lexemes
making one verbal-part unit in the sentence. The transitive verb begin (the second sentence), on the contrary, is
self-dependent in the lexico-grammatical sense, it forms the predicate of the sentence by itself and as such can
be used in the passive voice, the whole construction of the sentence in this case being presented as the regular