Chapter XVI

THE VERB: THE PROBLEM

OF MORPHOLOGICAL CLASSES

The question of verbal classes in Modern English has given rise to conflicting statements. Various systems have been proposed both in the way of theoretical investigation and in the way of practical language teaching. The terms "weak and strong verbs", "regular and irregular verbs", "living and dead conjugation", and some others have been used, and a given verb included into one class or another as the case might be.

However, one main problem has not so far been solved, or even properly formulated with reference to the English language: which of the forms of a verb ought to be taken as a starting point, that is, as a form from which all the other forms of the verb might be derived, as it were, automatically. Putting this in the language of modern linguistic science, we should find the form of the verb on whose basis the other forms may be predicted.

In English, much as in German, the task is far from being an easy one. If we take the infinitive as a starting point, we shall have to admit that in a number of cases the form of the infinitive gives no possibility to predict the other forms of the verb. For instance, in the infinitives live and give there is nothing to suggest that the past tense of the one is lived, and of the other, gave. Again, in the infinitives shine and pine there is nothing to suggest that the past tense is shone and pined, respectively. We might then think that maybe another form of the verb would yield more possibilities for predicting the remaining forms on its basis. We might think of the past tense and of the second participle.

Let us now inquire into this matter and see whether either of these forms does yield such a possibility. Or, rather, let us ask the questions: Are there cases in which the form of the past tense does not predict that of the infinitive and that of the second participle? And are there cases in which the form of the second participle does not predict that of the infinitive and that of the past tense?

Forms of the type lived, called, stopped, attempted are unambiguous enough in this respect. They predict without any provisos the infinitive forms live, call, stop, attempt, and also the fact that the past tense and the second participle sound the same. Indeed, the number of such cases is large enough (it does not matter here whether we take the past tense, or the second participle as the starting point). But how do things stand with such forms of the past tense as, for instance, wrote, drank, won, stole, bore, held, etc.? Here we run into difficulties. We could establish that a past tense with the vowel [ou] predicts an infinitive with the vowel [ai] and a second participle with the vowel [i] and the suffix -n. Then we could say that the form wrote predicts the infinitive write and the

The Past Tense as a Starting Point 145

second participle written, and the same could be said about the past tense forms drove and rose. But the form stole, which has the same vowel sound and the same vowel letter as wrote, drove and the rest of them, does not fit into this type: the corresponding infinitive is steal and the corresponding second participle stolen. So the form stole would have to be included in a special list. The same must be said about the past tense forms chose and froze, which also have the same vowel sound and the same vowel letter and do not predict their infinitives choose, freeze, and their second participles chosen, frozen. So chose and froze would also have to be put on a special list. If we take the past tense forms bore, tore, wore, swore, we may say that they do predict their infinitives bear, tear, wear, swear, and their second participles born(e), torn, worn, sworn. There seems to be no case contradicting this, that is, no past tense form with the vowel sound [o:] and the letter о which would correspond to an infinitive and a second participle of a different structure from those just mentioned. So that may be accepted without provisos.

To arrive at a definite conclusion in this matter, a thorough investigation of all the material available ought to be undertaken. It goes without saying that we cannot expect to arrive at a system that might do without "exceptions", that is, special cases which would have to be entered on a special list. However, a moderate degree of regularity would seem to be attainable, after all. Probably different systems might be worked out in this sphere, each having its advantages and its drawbacks, and it would be a question of choosing the one that was most likely to give a comprehensive view of the whole and required as few special lists as possible.

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