Verbs describe actions as completed, ongoing, or not completed {aspect}|. Aspect can be about action frequency, regularity, start, or type. Aspect relates to tense and mood. Aspect in Russian and Greek refers to completed or incomplete actions. Aspect in Greek can refer to short action length or future action. Not all languages use aspect.
Verbs {auxiliary verb} can convey tense and mood when used before perfect "have", progressive "be", or passive "be": can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, and would.
Verbs {copula, grammar}| {linking verb} can link subject and complement: am, are, be, is, was, been. Verbs {substantive verb} can be "to be" and equivalents. Verb "to have" denotes possession. Verb "to be" denotes class member, having class, place, or time, or having existence. Verbs "to have" and "to be" carry only tense, mood, and aspect. Some languages do not use "to have" and/or "to be".
Verbs can show kinship or familiarity {familiar form}.
Adjectives or verbs {predicate, grammar}| can state something about subjects or objects. Adjectives are about qualities and states. Verbs are about actions or states. Adverbs modify both adjectives and verbs. Simple predicates have one verb or verb phrase.
Verbs {reflexive verb} can have subject and object.
Finite verbs can be main sentence parts {verb sentence}.
Verbs {infinitive}| can be secondary verbs. Infinitives typically have no person or number. Some languages have personal infinitives, with person and number.
Infinitives {split infinitive} can have an adverb between "to" and verb.
Verbs have different activity types {mode, verb}|.
Verbs {transitive verb}| can describe actions involving subject and direct object.
Verbs {intransitive verb}| can denote class by common noun, describe class by adjective, or equate classes.
Verbs {semi-transitive verb} can have no passive but have direct objects.
Verbs are in statements, commands, wishes, questions, obligations, subjectives, exclamations, or possibilities {mood, verb}. Moods {conditional mood} can be for conditions. Not all languages use mood. Mood and tense relate.
Verbs {modal verb} can directly show mood: may, can, will, shall, ought, must, and need.
Questions, exclamations, assertions, and other verbal phrases have different effects {force, grammar}.
Verbs {impersonal verb} can use third person singular to denote action by unspecified agents.
Verbs {personal verb} can be about I, us, you, he, she, it, or they.
Verbs describe actions in past, present, or future {tense, verb}|. Present, simple past, and future tense are main tenses {primary tense}. Tense {simple tense} can have no auxiliary. Not all languages use tense. Mood and tense relate.
Present tense {historical present} can stand in relation to past.
Actions or states can result from past actions or states {perfect tense}.
Actions or states can be about past {pluperfect} {past perfect tense}.
Tense can express that action was in past {preterit}.
Verbs can be active, passive, or middle {voice, verb}|. Some languages do not have passive voice or middle voice. Languages with no passive voice can use voice {inactive voice}.
Verbs can describe subject actions {active voice}|.
Verbs can describe actions that affect subject but objects do not act {middle voice}.
Verbs can describe object actions on subjects {passive voice}|.
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Date Modified: 2022.0225