Syntax: descriptive

In English, we can have sequences of several auxiliary verbs plus the main verb.

Examples of one auxiliary verb + main verb are the following:

1.  perfect: Prof. Zulch has taught the class many times   [VH*] [VVN]
2.  passive: Bill was taught by Prof. Zulch   [VB*] [VVN]
3.  progressive: Bill is taking a class in Swahili   [VB*] [VVG]

Question 1: Find the register where each of these three constructions (perfect, passive, progressive) is most and least common (between Spoken, Fiction, News, and Academic). 




Highest

Lowest

Perfect



Passive



Progressive





Any surprises?





Examples of two auxiliary verbs + main verb are the following:

4.  perfect + progressive: Bill has been studying a lot   [VH*] been [VVG]
5.  perfect + passive: Bill has been considered for the main prize   [VH*] been [VVN]
6.  progressive + passive: Bill was being considered for the new position   [VB*] being [VVN]

Question 2: : Find the frequency per million of the forms #1-3 in the spoken, fiction, new, and academic registers. Add the frequency per million of forms #1-3 for all four registers together. What is the total? Now find the frequency per million of the forms in #3-6 and add the frequency per million of forms #4-6 for all four registers together. What is the total?


Spoken

Fiction

News

Academic

Totals by tense

(Add across each row)

1 Perfect






2 Passive






3 Progressive











Total of above 3 cells:

4 Perfect Progressive






5 Perfect Passive






6 Progressive Passive











Total of above 3 cells:



Which are more common, combinations of two verbal forms (#1-3) or combinations of three verbal forms (#4-6)?



Any ideas why?





It might even be possible to have three helping verbs:

7.  perfect + progressive + passive: It had been being used for a door-stop
[VH*] been being [VVN]

Question 3: : How many examples of type #7 in the BNC?



Does this surprise you?





Question 4: : Choose a verb (other than use which is given as an example). Google the perfect progressive, perfect passive, progressive passive, and perfect progressive passive forms of the verb you've chosen (e.g. has been using, has been used, is being used, has been being used)

Totals from the BNC

(See table above)

Frequency in Google of the verb you chose

Perfect Progressive



Perfect Passive



Progressive Passive



Perfect Progressive Passive





Do the frequency rankings (most to least frequent tense) from the BNC and your verb coincide?







Question 5: : Give sentences #1-7 to three native speakers, and have them rate each sentence 1-5 (5 being the most ("natural") in terms of acceptability. Do their intuitions agree with the corpus data?