Collins Cobuild English Grammar (80 page)

Sally had
pooh-poohed
the idea of three good meals a day.
Come on, don’t
shilly-shally
. I want an answer.

Other compound verbs look strange because they have been borrowed from foreign languages, for example
ad-lib
and
kow-tow
.

They
ad-libbed
so much that the writers despaired of them.
He resents having to
kow-tow
to anyone or anything.

intransitive compound verbs

3.122
  Some compound verbs do not have an object.

Many people
window-shopped
in the glass of the great store.
If you keep to the rules, you may
roller-skate
.
He has learned to
lip-read
.
I’m learning to
water-ski
.

Here is a list of compound verbs that do not have an object:

baby-sit

back-pedal

hitch-hike

ice-skate

jack-knife

kow-tow

lip-read

name-drop

play-act

roller-skate

shilly-shally

touch-type

water-ski

window-shop

wolf-whistle

transitive compound verbs

3.123
  Other compound verbs typically have an object:

You can
spin-dry
it and it will still retain its shape.
I didn’t have time to
blow-dry
my hair.
At first we
cold-shouldered
him.
They
ill-treated
our ancestors.

Here is a list of compound verbs that typically have an object:

back-comb

blow-dry

cold-shoulder

court-martial

cross-check

cross-examine

cross-question

cross-reference

double-cross

double-glaze

dry-clean

field-test

force-feed

frog-march

ghost-write

ill-treat

pooh-pooh

proof-read

rubber-stamp

short-change

short-weight

soft-soap

spin-dry

spoon-feed

stage-manage

tape-record

toilet-train

wrong-foot

transitive or intransitive compound verbs

3.124
  A third group of compound verbs may be used with or without an object.

Kate had to
double-park
outside the flat.
Murray
double-parked
his car and jumped out.
I tried to
ad-lib
a joke.
The commentator decided to
ad-lib
.

Here is a list of compound verbs that can be transitive or intransitive:

ad-lib

bottle-feed

breast-feed

bulk-buy

chain-smoke

criss-cross

deep-fry

double-check

double-park

mass-produce

short-circuit

sight-read

spring-clean

stir-fry

tie-dye

inflecting compound verbs

3.125
  Only the second part of a compound verb inflects. If the second part is used on its own as a verb, the compound verb usually inflects in the same way as the verb on its own.

See the Reference Section for an explanation of how to inflect verbs.

Linking verbs

3.126
  If you want to describe someone or something, for example to say who or what they are or what qualities they have, you use one of a special set of verbs. These verbs are called
linking verbs
.

Cigarette smoking
is
dangerous to your health.
The station
seemed
a very small one.
He
looked
English.
I
became
enormously fond of her.

The most common linking verbs are
be
,
become
,
look
,
remain
, and
seem
.

adjectives and nouns after linking verbs

3.127
  A linking verb links a subject and an adjective or a noun phrase (called a
complement
). The subject, as usual, comes first and the adjective or noun phrase comes after the verb. The adjective or noun phrase describes or identifies the subject.

Her general knowledge is
amazing
.
The children seemed
frightened
.
That’s
a very difficult question
.
She’s
the head of a large primary school
.
Suleiman Salle became
the first President of Eritrea
.

Linking verbs are explained in paragraphs
3.132
to
3.154
.

Some other intransitive verbs are sometimes used in a similar way to linking verbs. See paragraphs
3.155
to
3.160
.

verbs with object complements:
The film made me sad

3.128
  Some verbs, such as
make
and
find
, are used with an
object complement
, that is, both an object and an adjective or a noun phrase. The adjective or noun phrase describes the object.

The lights
made me sleepy
.
I
found the forest quite frightening
.

These verbs are explained in paragraphs
3.161
to
3.171
.

phrases that begin with a preposition

3.129
  You can often use a phrase beginning with a preposition after a linking verb.

The first-aid box is
on the top shelf
.
I began to get
in a panic
.

For more information about phrases and clauses that can be used after linking verbs, see paragraphs
3.172
to
3.181
.

it
with
be

3.130
  
Be
is often used with
it
as an impersonal subject. This structure is used to comment on places, situations, actions, experiences, and facts.

It was
very quiet in the hut.
It was
awkward keeping my news from Ted.
It’s
strange you should come today.

Some other linking verbs are occasionally used in a similar way.

The use of
it
as an impersonal subject is explained in paragraphs
9.31
to
9.45
.

there
with
be

3.131
  
Be
is often used with
there
as its subject to indicate the existence of something.

There is
another explanation.
There is
a rear bathroom with a panelled bath.

This use of
there
is explained in paragraphs
9.46
to
9.55
.

Adjectives after linking verbs:
He seems happy
,
I’m tired

3.132
  Many
adjectives
can be used after linking verbs.

I am
proud
of these people.
They seemed
happy
.
You don’t want them to become
suspicious
.
They have remained
loyal
to the Government.

They can be modified in various ways or have various structures after them.

We were
very happy
.
Your suspicions are
entirely correct
.
Their hall was
larger than his whole flat
.
He was
capable of extraordinary kindness
.

Adjectives used after linking verbs, and the structures used with them, are explained in paragraphs
2.41
to
2.53
.

3.133
  Here is a list of verbs that can be used as linking verbs with a following adjective:

be

~

appear

feel

look

prove

seem

smell

sound

taste

~

become

come

fall

get

go

grow

keep

remain

stay

turn

Note that the verbs in third group refer to changing or to staying the same.