An Analysis of Verb Phrase Used in an Article Daughters Revenge in New York Magazine

The paper is for the final assignment of English Syntax

which is fostered by:

Dr. Eva Tuckyta Sari, S.S., M.Hum have complied by:

Rika Selpiana 180410090003

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

PADJADJARAN UNIVERSITY

2012

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1

The background of analysis

Language is a means of communication. Through language the people is able to communicate each other. Language is used to express ideas, thoughts, and information and so Robert (15:1962) says, We use language in order to communicate one with another, to express our personal reactions to situation, to stimulate a response in someone else, and for the sake of thinking something out. There are so many languages in the world. One of the International languages is English. It is very important for us to learn English, because to communicate with foreign people we use English. Many books, mass media, technology such as computer, notebook and other forms use English in their application. Wardiman (1987:214) says, It is estimated that more than more than 270,000,000 people in the world today speak English as one of chef languages of the world plays an important part in international diplomacy, commerce, and finance In order to communicate English well, we should have English proficiency both in written and spoken. It considered that written English is more difficult than spoken English. Moreover, to better in written English we must know English grammar first. Grammar is the most important thing in learning English. Studying grammar enables us to use English correctly. Biber et all (2002:2) say, every time we write or speak, we are faced with a largely array of choices: not only choices what to say, but how say it. The vocabulary and grammar that we use to communicate are influenced by a number of factors such as reason for

communication, the setting, the people we are addressing, and whether we are speaking or writing. Taken together, these choices give rise to systematic patterns of choices in the use of English grammar. First step to start learning grammar is we must to know how to make sentence. Basically, if we want to make to sentence, we must to know about subject, verb and object. One of the important components in the sentences is verb. In English there is no sentence without verb. According Biber.et all (2002: 103) verbs provide the focal point of the clause. Verbs can be grouped in to three major classes according to their ability to function as main verbs or auxiliary verbs Lexical verbs (e.g. run, eat, and think) function as main verbs (full verbs). Examples: Children and dog ran from side to side He barely ate or slept that night Primary verbs (be, have, and do) can function as both auxiliary and main verbs. Primary verbs as main verbs function: Example: His dad was an art professor Primary verbs as auxiliary function (with main verb underlined) Example: He was wearing a dark ski mask Modal verbs (can, could, shall, should, will, would, may, might, must) function only as auxiliary verbs. Example: People thought he might have been joking Biber et.al (2002:42) say that, verb phrase is a phrase with a verb as its head. Verb phrase have a lexical verb or primary verb as their head (i.e. their main verb). The main verb can stand alone or be preceded by one or more auxiliary verbs. The auxiliaries further define the action, state, or process

denoted by the main verbs. Verb phrases are the essential part of clause, referring to a type of state or action. The writer chooses the title for the final paper An Analysis of Verb Phrase Used in an Article Daughters Revenge in New York Magazine because verb phrase one of the most important in constructing a sentence, so that is why writer interested in it, and has a willing to analyze.

1.2. Problem of the Analysis

1. What kinds of Verb phrase used in article in New York Magazine? 2. What is the function of verb phrase used in article in New York Magazine?

1.3 Objectives of the Analysis

Derived from the problem of the analysis, writer want: 1. To find out kinds of Verb Phrase used in article in New York Magazine

2. To find out the function of verb phrase used article in New York Magazine

1.5 Significances of the Analysis The writer also hopes that, this analysis is useful for the readers of New York Magazine. And then the writer hopes this analysis be useful to the student which want to know about verb phrase.

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 The Description phrase

Before discussed about verb phrase, we should to know about what is phrase. Phrase is a group of words acting as a single part of speech and not containing both a subject and a verb. A phrase may consist of one word or more than one word. The one word phrase is the main word of the phrase. (Eva Tuckyta, 2008:1). Phrases consist of noun phrase, verb phrase, adjective phrase, adverb phrase and prepositional phrase. My focus on this paper is about verb phrase.

A phrase is different from a group in that, whereas a group is an expansion of a word, a phrase is a contraction of a clause. (Halliday, 2004:311).

A phrase is consisting of a head and a specifier. Specifier is help to make more precise the meaning of the head. (OGrady,1987)

Some specifiers

category Determiner (Det) Qualifier (Qual)

Typical function Specifier of N Specifier of V

example The, a, this, those, etc. Never, perhaps, often, always.

Degree word (Deg)

Specifier of A or P

Very, quite, more, almost

2.1.1 The Definition of Verb Phrase

Biber et.al (2002:42) say that, verb phrase is a phrase with a verb as its head. Verb phrase have a lexical verb or primary verb as their head (i.e. their main verb). The main verb can stand alone or be preceded by one or more auxiliary verbs. The auxiliaries further define the action, state, or process denoted by the main verbs. Verb phrases are the essential part of clause, referring to a type of state or action. Verb phrase also can consisting of a verb and adverb or preposition, which together function as a verb. It is called phrasal verb. According to Halliday (2004:351) Phrasal verbs are lexical verbs which consist of more than just the verb word itself. They are of two kinds, plus a third which is a combination of the other two is: verb + adverb, for example look out unearth, retrieve verb + preposition, for example look for seek verb + adverb + preposition, for example look out for watch for the presence of

Lexical verb express many meanings, which be classified into seven major semantic classes : activity verbs, communication verbs, mental verbs, causative verbs, verbs of occurance, verbs of existence or relationship and verbs of aspect ( Biber et.al, 2002:29) For example: John bought it when he was in high school to learn to sew. Bought = activity Learn = mental Sew = activity

A verb phrase is defined as the main verb together with all its auxiliaries (helping verbs). Auxiliary verbs always precede the main verb. There are two types of auxiliary verbs: 1. Inflected auxiliary verbs:

be

have

do

2. Modal auxiliaries

Present: will, shall, can, may Past: would, should, could, might No tense: must

2.1.2 Form of verb phrase Main forms of the verb phrase are:

Present tense simple perfect Drives/drive Has/have driven

Past tense drove Had driven

modal could drive Could have driven

progressive passive Perfect + progressive Perfect passive

is/am/are driving Is/am/are driven Have/has been driving Have/has been driven

Was/were driving Was/were driven Had been driving

Could be driving Could be driven Could have been driving

Had been driven

Could have been driven

Progressive+ passive

Is/am/are being driven

Was/were being driven

Could be being driven

Notes: a. drive the main verb illustrated here, has a distinct past participle form driven. However, occasionally drive can also be a regular verb, so drove could replace driven in the table. b. Could is the only modal auxiliary illustrated here. Any modal could be substituted for it. c. In general, the verb phrases with four or more verbs (could have been driven) are extremely rare.

2.1.3 Kinds of Verb Phrase

According to Biber et.al there are six major kinds of variation in the structure of verb phrase. These are illustrated bellow with the verb see:

1. Tense Present Past 2. Aspect: Perfect Progressive Perfect progressive 3. Voice:

 Active Passive

4. Modality: Unmarked With modal verb 5. Negation: Positive Negative 6. Finite clause type (also called mood): Declarative, indicative Interrogative, Imperative/subjunctive

These structures can combine in numerous ways. For example, the verb phrase will be driving has a modal +progressive aspect, and have been driven has perfect aspect and passive voice. The parts of the verb phrase-and therefore the auxiliary verbs associated with each part-follow a consistent order (optional elements are parentheses):

will modal

have perfect

been progressive

being passive

driven Main verb

Verb phrases with all of these structures are extremely rare, but are possible. The variations in the verb phrase are related to many differences in meaning. However, it is not possible to figure out the meaning simply by looking the form. Rather, a single form can be used to express several meaning, and the same meaning can be expressed by more than one form. There are six kinds of verb phrase. I only focused to tense, aspect and mood.

1. Tenses Tense means time. We know that, as their main functional, verbs describe an action or a state of being on the part of the object. But verb also tells when the action took place or when the state is existed.

a. Simple Present Betty (1993:36) state that simple present is: Something was true in the past, is true in the present, and will be true in the future. It is used for general statements of fact. The simple present is used to express habitual or everyday activity.

The rule to form the simple present tense;

Subject + V1 s/es + N/ Adv Subject + (am, is, are) + N/ Adj/Adv

Examples:

1. She drinks milk everyday 2. The sun rises in the east

Adverbs which show time in these forms are as follows: Every day, Usually, Always, Often, Sometimes, Seldom, Ever, Never, Generally, etc.

b. Simple past tense Simple past tense is most often used to refer to past time; the use of simple past tense is common for describing imagined past states and events. Betty (1993:2) state that simple past tense is at one particular time in the past, this happened. It began and ended in the past. The rule of simple past tense

Subject +V2 + Adj/Adv and Subject + (was/were) + N/Adj/Adv

The time signal to use these form are: Yesterday last.. ago For example: 1. I visited my grandmother yesterday 2. My father was sick two days ago.

2. Aspect Biber (2004:156) aspect adds time meanings to those expressed by tense. Aspect answer the question is the event/state described by the verb completed, or is it continuing? There are two aspects in English: perfect and progressive (sometimes known as continuous)

a. The perfect aspect The perfect aspect most often describes events or states taking place during a preceding period of time Perfect aspect, present time Present perfect verbs often refer to past actions with effects that continue up to present time.

Use the following rule to form the present perfect Subject + Have/Has+ Verb III/Been + O/C

The present perfect is used to indicated a. To show an action this has been finished in the short time. It usually uses the adverb as follows: Already, just, recently, yet, since For example: We have just read the book.

b. To show an action which has been done these is still a connection with now. For example: He has taught English since 2001

c. An action that happened more than once in the past. For example: George has seen this movie three times.

Perfect aspect, past time Past perfect verbs refer to actions in the past that are completed at or before a given time in the past. The actual time is often specified. The rule to form past perfect Subject + Had + Verb III /Been +O/C

Adverbs which show the time used in this time form are: Already, before, after, until, as soon as. b. Progressive aspect Progressive aspect describes an event or state of affairs in the progress or continuing. Progressive aspect, present tense Present progressive is in the progress at the present time, and probably continue. The rule is Subject + (am, is, are) + V-ing+ O/C

Adverbs which show the time used in this time form are: Right now, at this moment/this time, at present. The functions are:

a. To state the event or action in progress For examples:

1. They are playing kites now 2. My father is sleeping right now

b. To state the event or action in mean time For example: My father is buying a car but he will sell soon.

c. To state the event or action in the future For example: My mother and my sister are going to Bali tonight. Progressive aspect past tense Past progressive is in progress at particular time in the past. It probably continued. The rule: Subject +Was/Were +Verb-ing +O/C

Adverbs which show the time used in this time form are: When, while For examples:

1. He was sleeping when I arrived. 2. It is why I was thinking I might hang onto the Volvo.

c. The perfect progressive Verb phrases can be marked for both aspects (perfect and progressive) at the same time. Present perfect progressive For an action that began in the past and still occurring in the present. The rule: Subject + Have/Has + been +V-ing +O/C

Adverbs which show the time used in this time form are: For, Since Examples: 1. I have been waiting here for 10 years. 2. I have been studying for two hours. Past perfect progressive The rule: Subject +had +Been+ V-ing +O/C

1. I had been studying for two hours before my friends came 2. I had been waiting for you for four hours before you came

3. Mood Verbs have three moods: indicative, imperative, and subjunctive. a. The indicative mood The indicative mood states a fact, asks a question, or exclaims. The indicative verb occur as parts of statements and questions.

Examples: John arrives this morning (statement/arrives is indicative mood) How wonderful Bella looks! (exclamation/looks is indicative mood)

b. The imperative mood The imperative mood gives a command. The subject is always "you" understood. Examples: Eat your breakfast (command/subject = you understood/ Eat is imperative mood) Please be nice to her (command/subject = you / be is imperative mood)

c. The subjunctive mood The subjunctive mood occurs in two instances: 1. The sentence indicates a situation contrary to fact. Example: I wouldnt do that if I were you. (but Im not you/ were is subjunctive mood)

2. The sentence + shows a wish, desire, or demand + in a nominal clause beginning with that

+ following verbs such as desire, demand, request, suggest Example: I demand that you be here on time (that clause follows demand/ be is subjunctive mood)

CHAPTER III DISCUSSION

In this chapter, we discuss the verb phrase which used in the article A Daughters Revenge in New York Magazine. I found many verb phrase used in the sentences. There are some paragraphs in this article.

A Daughters Revenge Brigitte Harris cut off her father's penis, accidentally killing him in the process, because, she says, he sexually abused her for years. In 2009, she was convicted of second-degree manslaughter, and sentenced to five to fifteen years. This week she'll have her first parole hearing. Should she be released? Read her story, and take our poll.

Analysis: 1. Brigitte Harris cut off her father's penis. Cut off = prepositional verb We can express the process either phrasal or non-phrasal. There is nothing very much to choose between the two:

Brigitte Harris cut off her father's penis. Brigitte Harris cut her father's penis.

At this point a significant difference arises. If I say:

Brigitte Harris cut her father's penis, the result is that the information focus is now non-final and therefore carries additional overtones of contrast, contradiction or unexpectedness. I cannot say Brigitte Harris cut her fathers unless the Process is split into two

parts. This therefore is what happens, with a phrasal verb: it splits the Process into two parts, one functioning as Predicator and the other as Adjunct.

Brigitte Harris cut off her father's penis.

The mood constituents are cut (predicator), off (adjunct). This verb phrase include adverb as a part of the process, e.g. look out for, put up with, put in for; and others where only the adverb is within the process, e.g. let in for, put up to, as in he let me in for it. Fathers

Briggite Harris actor

cut

off

her

penis

process past finite cut predicator adjunct

goal complement

2. She was convicted of second-degree manslaughter Analysis: was is a primary verb which can function as both auxiliary and main verbs. In this sentence, was function as auxiliary verb. She was convicted of second-degree manslaughter was = auxiliary verb, primary; convicted = main verb, lexical.

Verb phrase

Pre-M

HW

Vaux was

convicted

3. She'll have her first parole hearing will = auxiliary verb, modals; have = auxiliary verb, primary verb, main verb.

will is an auxiliary verb can function as both auxiliary and main verbs. In this sentence, will have function as auxiliary verb. Have is an auxiliary verb, primary verb. In this sentence, have has function as main verb which have pre-modifier will. Verb phrase

Pre-M

HW

VAUX will

have

4. Should she be released? Should = auxiliary verb; be = monotranstive; released = direct object

This sentence is used the indicative mood which states a fact, asks a question, or exclaims. The indicative verb occurs as parts of statements and questions.

Next paragraph

On an early-summer afternoon in 2007, Brigitte Harris took a two-hour subwayand-ferry ride from her apartment in Queens to her sister Carleens apartment in Staten Island. When she arrived, she walked past the living room. Analysis: 5. Brigitte Harris took a two-hour subway-and-ferry ride from her apartment in Queens.

Took = verb, past tense; ride = verb. Present tense Words of the same type can be coordinated, that is, joined by special words such as and and or. Phrases of the same type can be coordinated. In spite of the disparity in length, the two phrases are coordinated Brigitte Harris took a twohour subway-and-ferry ride from her apartment in Queens.

In the verb phrase Brigitte Harris took a two-hour subway-and-ferry ride from her apartment in Queens, the one-word verb phrase took is coordinated with the one word verb phrase ride.

The coordination of these two constituents: a. Brigitte Harris took a two-hour subway-and-ferry ride from her apartment in Queens. b. Brigitte Harris took and ride a two-hour subway-and-ferry from her apartment in Queens.

6. When she arrived, she walked past the living room. Arrived = past tense; walked = past tense, activity.

According to Biber et.al kind of tense is one of the six major kinds of variation in the structure of verb phrase.

Other paragraph

Harris gathered herself together, then walked out of the kitchen and, for the first time in five years, took a look at her father. Eric Goodridge was 55 nowolder and frailer, though still robust at more than 200 pounds. He was in pain, suffering from a kidney stone. The man standing in front of her was different from the one shed envisioned for so long. This man was talking to her like she was 26, not 6. This man was handing her a business card with his phone number. This man was saying, We need to talk.

Analysis: 7. Harris gathered herself together, then walked out of the kitchen Walked = verb phrase, activity, past tense. 8. He was in pain, suffering from a kidney stone. Suffering = verb, Progressive aspect, present tense. Present progressive is in the progress at the present time, and probably continue. 9. The man standing in front of her. Standing = verb, Progressive aspect, present tense. Present progressive is in the progress at the present time, and probably continue. 10. This man was talking to her was = auxiliary verb; talking = main verb, was talking in this sentence show progressive aspect, past tense . Past progressive is in progress at particular time in the past. It probably continued. Verb phrase Pre-M VAUX was HW V talking

11. This man was handing her a business card with his phone number. was= auxiliary verb; handing = main verb was handing in this sentence show progressive aspect, past tense . Past progressive is in progress at particular time in the past. It probably continued.

Verb phrase Pre-M VAUX was HW V handing

12. This man was saying, We need to talk. Was= auxiliary verb; saying = main verb; need to = prepositional verb; talk = verb. was saying in this sentence show progressive aspect, past tense . Past progressive is in progress at particular time in the past. It probably continued.

Verb phrase Pre-M VAUX was Another paragraph: At 12, Harris was sent to Liberia to live with her mother, and what she hoped would be a tearful reunion turned violent. Lucy-Anna beat her with a rattan so hard that it left permanent marks. Life with her mother became so unbearable that she actually went to live with her father again. When [Lucy-Anna] told him I couldnt stay with him because of [the abuse] I denied it ever happened, Harris recalled later in a journal. I convinced myself it never happened. Analysis: HW V saying

13. At 12, Harris was sent to Liberia to live with her mother. was = auxiliary verb; sent = main verb, past tense. Simple past tense is most often used to refer to past time; the use of simple past tense is common for describing imagined past states and events. Verb phrase Pre-M VAUX was 14. Lucy-Anna beat her with a rattan Beat = verb phrase 15. She actually went to live with her father again. Actually = Qualifier; went = main verb, past tense A phrase is consisting of a head and a specifier. Specifier is help to make more precise the meaning of the head. (OGrady,1987). The qualifier (Qual) actually indicates something that she really wants. Verb phrase Qual actually 16. I couldnt stay with him. Couldnt = auxiliary verb, modal; stay = main verb, present tense verb went HW V sent

Verb phrase Pre-M Hw

VAUX V couldnt 17. I denied it ever happened. Denied = verb phrase, past tense 18. I convinced myself it never happened. Convinced = verb phrase, past tense; never = qualifier; happened = verb phrase, past tense. Verb phrase Hw convinced verb phrase Qual V stay

never happened

The qualifier never indicates a non-occuring event.

In April 2007, she swallowed some pills at work. Analysis: 19. In April 2007, she swallowed some pills at work. Swallowed = verb, past tense; some pills = complement; at work = complement In addition to a specifier and the word swallowed, the prhase contain of complement.

The verb phrase swallowed some pills at work consist of the head swallowed and its two complements. Verb phrase noun phrase

V swallowed

pre-M Hw post-M

deg

some pills at

work

CHAPTER IV CONCLUSION

From some paragraph in this article, I found many sentences which used the verb phrase. As we have discussed and explained in the discussion, verb phrase is a phrase with a verb as its head. Verb phrase have a lexical verb or primary verb as their head (i.e. their main verb). Verb phrase have six major variation. There are six major kinds of variation in the structure of verb phrase : 1. Tense : Present and Past. 2. Aspect: Perfect, Progressive and Perfect progressive. 3. Voice: Active and Passive 4. Modality: Unmarked and with modal verb 5. Negation: positive and negative 6. Finite clause type (also called mood): Declarative, indicative Interrogative, Imperative/subjunctive

some specifiers

category Determiner (Det) Qualifier (Qual) Degree word (Deg)

Typical function Specifier of N Specifier of V Specifier of A or P

example The, a, this, those, etc. Never, perhaps, often, always. Very, quite, more, almost

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Azar, Betty.Schramper.1993: Understanding and Using English Grammar. Jakarta.Binarupa Aksara. Benneth, W.A.1968: Aspect of Language and Language Teaching. New York. University Press.

Biber, Douglas. et al. 2002: Student Grammar of Spoken and Writing. England. Pearson Education limited

Dr. Eva Tuckyta Sari Sujatna. 2008. English Syntax for beginners. Uvula Press.

Halliday, M.A.K. 2004 : An Intoduction to Functional Grammar. New York: Oxford University Press Inc. Kolker, Robert (2012), A Daughters Revenge, Nymag, 1 April. http://nymag.com/news/features/brigitte-harris-2012-3/index4.html Accessed 10 April 2012.

Miller, Jim. 2002: An Introduction to English Syntax. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. OGrady, William. Et al. 1987: Contemporary Linguistics. Edinburgh: Longman.