A verb phrase is a main verb alone or a main verb combined with one or more helping verbs, also called auxiliary verbs. These verbs work together to express an action or state and grammatical meanings such as possibility, completion, continuation, or passive voice.
Compare:
The old clock stopped at midnight.
The old clock might have stopped during the storm.
In the first sentence, stopped forms a one-word verb phrase. In the second, might have stopped contains a modal verb, an auxiliary verb, and the main verb stopped.
Verb phrases do not always appear as an uninterrupted group of words. Questions, negatives, and intervening adverbs can separate the linked verbs, even though they remain part of the same grammatical construction.
What Is a Verb Phrase in English Grammar?
A verb phrase contains a main verb and, in many cases, one or more auxiliary or modal verbs.
The main verb carries the central meaning. The other verbs help express grammatical information, including tense, aspect, voice, and modality.
A verb phrase containing only a main verb is often called a simple verb phrase. One containing auxiliary or modal verbs is a complex verb phrase.
| Verb Phrase | Main Verb | Grammatical Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| disappeared | disappeared | Simple past |
| is disappearing | disappearing | Present continuous |
| has disappeared | disappeared | Present perfect |
| might disappear | disappear | Possibility |
| was discovered | discovered | Passive voice |
| should have been informed | informed | Modality, perfect aspect, and passive voice |
The terms simple and complex describe the verb phrase’s structure, not the difficulty of the sentence.
Verb Phrase vs. Predicate: Where Does the Phrase End?
A verb phrase and a predicate are closely related, but they are not always the same thing.
Consider:
Rebecca has wrapped the fragile ornaments carefully.
In this sentence:
| Part of the Sentence | Grammatical Role |
|---|---|
| Rebecca | Subject |
| has wrapped | Main verb and auxiliary |
| the fragile ornaments | Direct object |
| carefully | Adverbial modifier |
| has wrapped the fragile ornaments carefully | Complete predicate |
The linked verbs has wrapped form the verb phrase under the definition used here.
The predicate includes the verb phrase and the other elements that tell us what Rebecca did.
Some grammar references use verb phrase for a larger structure that also contains objects, complements, or modifiers. This difference in scope is worth knowing when comparing grammatical explanations, but it does not change the roles of the individual words in the sentence.
Here, the focus is on identifying the main verb and its auxiliaries.
For an overview of related structures, see phrases in English grammar.
Main Verbs, Auxiliary Verbs, and Modal Verbs
Every verb phrase has a main verb. Auxiliary and modal verbs may accompany it, but each has a different grammatical role.
Main Verbs
A main verb expresses an action, event, state, or relationship.
A flock of geese crossed the lake.
The old farmhouse belongs to Rachel’s grandparents.
The explanation sounds convincing.
Crossed describes an action, belongs expresses a relationship, and sounds is a linking verb.
Each is the main verb of its clause. A main verb can form a complete verb phrase without any auxiliary.
Primary Auxiliary Verbs
English has three primary auxiliary verbs: be, have, and do.
| Auxiliary | Main Grammatical Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| be | Continuous aspect | The children were collecting seashells. |
| be | Passive voice | The wooden fence was repaired yesterday. |
| have | Perfect aspect | Hannah has completed the crossword. |
| do | Questions | Did your brother find his wallet? |
| do | Negation | The printer does not recognize the cartridge. |
| do | Emphasis | I did remember to lock the gate. |
The auxiliary do commonly appears in questions, negative statements, and emphatic constructions when another suitable auxiliary is absent.
Modal Auxiliary Verbs
Common modal verbs include can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, and would.
They express meanings such as possibility, ability, permission, obligation, and prediction.
Compare:
Chloe may return before dinner.
Chloe must return before dinner.
Chloe will return before dinner.
The main verb is return in all three sentences. Changing the modal changes how the speaker presents the situation.
A central modal is normally followed by the base form of the next verb.
Incorrect:
The visitors might to leave early.
Correct:
The visitors might leave early.
Expressions such as have to, ought to, and be going to follow different grammatical patterns and should not be treated as interchangeable with the central modals.
How Auxiliary Verbs Build Meaning
Auxiliaries can combine with main verbs in different ways to express meanings associated with aspect, voice, and modality.
Continuous Aspect
Continuous constructions use a form of be + an -ing verb form.
The neighbors were painting their front porch when the delivery arrived.
The auxiliary were combines with painting to form the past continuous.
In this context, the painting was underway when another event occurred.
Perfect Aspect
Perfect constructions use have + a past participle.
The courier has delivered the replacement key.
The present perfect connects an earlier event with the present reference time.
Here, the delivery is complete, and the result is relevant to the current situation.
The perfect does not always mean that an action is finished. Its interpretation depends on the verb, tense, and context.
Perfect Continuous Aspect
Perfect and continuous aspect can appear together.
The children have been rehearsing since breakfast.
The complete verb phrase is have been rehearsing.
Have marks perfect aspect, been contributes to the continuous construction, and rehearsing is the main verb.
The sentence presents the rehearsal as continuing over a period leading up to the present reference point.
Passive Voice
Passive constructions commonly use be + a past participle.
The missing painting was recovered near the harbor.
The subject the missing painting undergoes the action expressed by recovered.
Compare the active version:
The police recovered the missing painting near the harbor.
Both sentences describe a recovery, but they present different participants as the subject.
A passive construction can also combine with perfect aspect and modality.
The original building plans might have been misplaced during the move.
The linked verbs have different roles.
| Verb | Role |
|---|---|
| might | Modal auxiliary |
| have | Perfect auxiliary |
| been | Passive auxiliary |
| misplaced | Main verb |
Together, they express a possibility involving an earlier event in the passive voice.
The Order of Auxiliary Verbs
When auxiliaries occur together, they normally follow a regular order:
Modal + perfect have + continuous be + passive be + main verb
Not every position needs to be filled.
| Verb Phrase | Combination |
|---|---|
| could arrive | Modal + main verb |
| has arrived | Perfect + main verb |
| is arriving | Continuous + main verb |
| was invited | Passive + main verb |
| might have arrived | Modal + perfect + main verb |
| has been waiting | Perfect + continuous + main verb |
| could have been invited | Modal + perfect + passive + main verb |
The auxiliaries also determine the form of the verb that follows them.
For example, perfect have takes a past participle, while continuous be takes an -ing form.
Compare:
Correct:
The ferry has been running on a reduced schedule.
Incorrect:
The ferry has being running on a reduced schedule.
When Be, Have, and Do Are Main Verbs
The same word can function as a main verb in one sentence and an auxiliary in another.
| Verb | Main Verb | Auxiliary Verb |
|---|---|---|
| be | The kitchen is unusually quiet. | The children are preparing dinner. |
| have | Mia has two bicycles. | Mia has repaired her bicycle. |
| do | Ethan did the research himself. | Ethan did finish the research before the deadline. |
In The kitchen is unusually quiet, is is a linking main verb connecting the subject with its description.
In The children are preparing dinner, are is an auxiliary forming a continuous construction with preparing.
Similarly, has expresses possession in the first example involving Mia but helps form the present perfect in the second.
The contrast with do is slightly different.
In Ethan did the research himself, did is the main verb.
In Ethan did finish the research, did is an auxiliary adding emphasis to the main verb finish.
The word itself does not determine its role. Its relationship with the other parts of the sentence does.
Verb Phrases in Questions, Negatives, and Interrupted Sequences
In many sentences, the linked verbs appear together. In others, a subject, negative marker, or adverb comes between them.
Questions
In many questions, the first auxiliary appears before the subject.
Compare:
Oliver has returned the borrowed camera.
Has Oliver returned the borrowed camera?
The linked verbs are still has and returned. The subject Oliver separates them in the question.
The same pattern applies to longer sequences.
Will the guests have arrived before the ceremony begins?
The linked verbs are will have arrived, even though the guests appears between the first auxiliary and the others.
When an ordinary simple present or past clause has no auxiliary available, questions commonly require do-support.
Did your sister receive the invitation?
Did carries the past-tense marking. The main verb receive appears in its base form.
Incorrect:
Did your sister received the invitation?
Correct:
Did your sister receive the invitation?
Main verb be behaves differently in ordinary questions:
Was the room empty?
No form of do is needed.
Negative Sentences
The negative marker not usually follows the first auxiliary.
The museum has not reopened since the flood.
The linked verbs are has and reopened. Not marks negation rather than functioning as another verb.
When no suitable auxiliary is available, English commonly introduces do.
Caleb does not remember the address.
The alarm did not sound during the test.
The main verbs remain remember and sound.
Adverbs Between Linked Verbs
Adverbs can also appear between auxiliaries and main verbs.
The guests have already arrived.
The parcel may never reach its destination.
The electrician had carefully inspected the wiring.
The verb sequences are have arrived, may reach, and had inspected.
The adverbs already, never, and carefully add information without functioning as verbs.
How to Identify the Complete Verb Phrase
Look for verbs that work together in one grammatical construction rather than collecting every verb in the sentence.
One Action, Different Verb Structures
Consider how the same action changes across these sentences.
| Sentence | Linked Verb Forms | What Changes |
|---|---|---|
| The technician inspected the wiring. | inspected | Simple past |
| The technician has inspected the wiring. | has inspected | Present perfect |
| Has the technician inspected the wiring? | has … inspected | Question word order |
| The technician has not inspected the wiring. | has … inspected | Negation |
| The wiring has been inspected. | has been inspected | Perfect aspect and passive voice |
The main lexical verb remains inspect.
The auxiliary forms change to express different grammatical meanings, while question formation and negation may separate the linked verbs.
The dots indicate that other words occur between the linked verbs. They do not represent additional verbs.
Contractions Can Hide an Auxiliary
In everyday English, auxiliaries are often contracted.
Compare:
She’s been waiting near the entrance.
She’s waiting near the entrance.
In the first sentence, she’s means she has. The linked verb forms are has been waiting.
In the second, she’s means she is. The linked verb forms are is waiting.
The following verb form helps reveal which auxiliary the contraction represents.
They’d already left when we arrived.
Here, they’d means they had, giving the past perfect construction had left.
A contracted form should be interpreted from its grammatical context rather than expanded automatically in the same way every time.
Several Verbs Do Not Always Form One Verb Phrase
Consider:
Rachel promised to call when she arrived.
The sentence contains three verb forms: promised, call, and arrived.
They do not make one three-word verb phrase.
| Expression | Grammatical Role |
|---|---|
| promised | Finite main verb of the main clause |
| to call | Infinitival construction functioning as a complement of promised |
| arrived | Finite verb in the subordinate time clause |
The verb call belongs to an infinitival construction, while arrived belongs to a separate clause introduced by when.
A similar distinction appears with the past perfect:
By the time the visitors arrived, Elena had covered the outdoor furniture.
Arrived belongs to the introductory time clause, while had covered is the verb phrase of the main clause. The covering occurred before the visitors arrived.
When Two Verbs Share an Auxiliary
An auxiliary can sometimes apply to more than one coordinated main verb.
The volunteers had sorted and packed the donated books before noon.
Had is shared by sorted and packed. Both activities are presented through the past perfect construction.
Now compare:
The volunteers had sorted the books and were packing the boxes.
In this sentence, the two coordinated constructions have different auxiliaries.
Had sorted expresses past perfect aspect, while were packing expresses past continuous aspect.
The second action is presented as ongoing at a relevant past time.
Verb Phrase vs. Phrasal Verb
A verb phrase and a phrasal verb are different grammatical concepts.
A verb phrase contains a main verb and any associated auxiliaries or modals. A phrasal verb combines a verb with one or more particles to form a lexical expression.
Compare:
The organizers have postponed the concert.
The organizers have called off the concert.
In the first sentence, have is an auxiliary and postponed is the main verb.
In the second, call off is a phrasal verb meaning cancel.
The auxiliary have forms a present perfect construction with called. The particle off belongs to the phrasal verb call off; it is not another auxiliary verb.
A phrasal verb can therefore appear within a construction containing auxiliaries, but the two terms describe different features.
Verb Phrase vs. Verbal Phrase
A verb phrase is built around a main verb and may include auxiliary or modal verbs. The term verbal phrase is often used in school grammar for constructions built around gerunds, infinitives, or participles.
The clearest way to distinguish these expressions is to look at their grammatical functions.
| Construction | Example | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund construction | Restoring the old bicycle took all afternoon. | Functions as the subject |
| Infinitival construction | Maya hopes to visit the botanical garden. | Functions as a complement of hopes |
| Participial construction | Damaged during the storm, the gate needed replacing. | Describes the gate |
Compare:
Maya has visited the botanical garden twice.
The main clause contains the finite verb phrase has visited. The auxiliary has combines with the main verb visited to form the present perfect.
Now consider:
Maya hopes to visit the botanical garden.
The main clause has the finite verb hopes. The infinitival construction to visit the botanical garden functions as its complement and describes the activity Maya hopes to undertake.
A nonfinite construction can contain its own verb, objects, and modifiers. It does not function as the finite verb of the main clause.
The term verbal phrase is useful when discussing these constructions, but their grammatical functions are more important than the label.
For the broader distinction between these structures, see phrase vs. clause.
Practice: Identify Verb Phrases
These exercises combine different skills, including auxiliary identification, contractions, separate clauses, and complex questions.
1. Identify the Verb Phrase and Its Components
The damaged photographs should have been preserved before the exhibition.
Identify the complete verb sequence, the main verb, and the auxiliaries.
2. Interpret a Contraction
She’s been reviewing the manuscript since Monday.
What does she’s represent? Identify the complete verb phrase.
3. Identify Verbs in Different Clauses
When the guests arrived, Priya had already prepared the dining room.
Identify the finite verb of each clause and explain the role of already.
4. Recognize a Shared Auxiliary
The children had washed and dried the paintbrushes before lunch.
Which auxiliary is shared? Which two main verbs does it apply to?
5. Analyze a Question With Negation and a Passive Construction
Why might the documents not have been delivered before the office closed?
Identify the modal, the other auxiliaries, the main verb of the principal clause, the negative marker, and the verb in the subordinate clause.
6. Distinguish a Phrasal Verb From an Auxiliary Construction
The committee has turned down the revised proposal.
Identify the auxiliary, main verb, and particle. Explain how the phrasal verb differs from the auxiliary construction.
Answers and Explanations
1. Should have been preserved
The complete verb sequence is should have been preserved.
- Should is the modal auxiliary.
- Have is the perfect auxiliary.
- Been is the passive auxiliary.
- Preserved is the main verb.
The construction combines modality, perfect aspect, and passive voice.
2. Has been reviewing
She’s means she has.
The complete verb phrase is has been reviewing. It combines perfect and continuous aspect.
3. Arrived; had prepared
Arrived is the finite verb in the subordinate time clause.
Had prepared is the verb phrase of the main clause.
Already is an adverb indicating that the preparation was complete before the relevant past time. It is not another verb.
4. Had; washed and dried
The auxiliary had applies to both washed and dried.
The two main verbs form a coordinated construction sharing the same past perfect auxiliary.
5. Might have been delivered; closed
The principal clause contains the linked verb forms might have been delivered.
- Might is the modal auxiliary.
- Have is the perfect auxiliary.
- Been is the passive auxiliary.
- Delivered is the main verb.
- Not is the negative marker, not an auxiliary verb.
Closed is a separate finite verb in the subordinate clause before the office closed.
The question word why is not part of the verb sequence.
6. Has; turned; down
Has is the perfect auxiliary.
Turned is the main verb form, while down is the particle completing the phrasal verb turn down, meaning reject.
The present perfect construction contributes grammatical meaning, while the phrasal verb supplies the lexical meaning of the action.
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