1. Action and State:
* Action Verbs: They describe what the subject is doing (e.g., "run," "eat," "write").
* State Verbs: They describe the subject's state of being or condition (e.g., "be," "seem," "know").
2. Core Meaning:
* Lexical verbs provide the essential information about what is happening in the sentence. They answer questions like "What is the subject doing?" or "What is the subject's state?"
3. Sentence Structure:
* Predicates: Lexical verbs are the core element of the predicate, the part of the sentence that tells us what the subject does or is.
4. Tense and Aspect:
* Lexical verbs can be conjugated to show tense (past, present, future) and aspect (perfect, progressive) which further clarifies the timing and duration of the action or state.
5. Voice:
* Lexical verbs are involved in determining the voice of the sentence (active or passive).
Examples:
* "The dog barked at the mailman." ("Barked" is the lexical verb, showing the action of the dog.)
* "She feels happy." ("Feels" is the lexical verb, describing her state of being.)
* "The book was written by a famous author." ("Written" is the lexical verb, showing the action in the passive voice.)
In essence, lexical verbs are the verbs that make a sentence dynamic, informative, and grammatically complete. They provide the essential meaning and allow us to understand what is happening or being described.