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This monograph is one of the studies on English verb syntax, especially focusing on its changes in Old and Middle English periods. Investigations have been made so far by the author on 'impersonal' verbs, reflexive constructions, verbs of motion, verbs of emotion, and other verbs in various semantic fields. In this study the author explains all the periphrastic expressions found in the early history of English, some of which survived up to Modern English, by using dictionary data and her own findings. She tries to show the devices of periphrastic expressions with modal and other auxiliaries, which have supplied simple verb forms in writings and translations in the process of the language change.
List of contents
Chapters: 1. Introd, 2. beon/habban + past ptc, 3. beon + past ptc, 4. man, 5. beon + pres ptc, 6. beginnan + inf, 7. gan/con + inf, 8. don, 9. uton + inf, 10. causative, 11. modals, 12. double modals, 13. 'impers' and 'refl', 14. 'prep + noun' and V-Adv, 15. periphrases died out, 16. Conclusion
About the author
Michiko Ogura is professor of English at Tokyo Woman's Christian University. Her field of study is Old and Middle English syntax and word study. Her publications include
Verbs in Medieval English(1996),
Verbs in Motion in Medieval English(2002), and
Words and Expressions of Emotion in Medieval English(2013).
