Formation of the Interrogative and Negative Sentences Using The

International Journal of Applied Research 2015; 1(7): 693-697 ISSN Print: 2394-7500 ISSN Online: 2394-5869 Impact Factor: 5.2 Formation of the interrogative and Negative sentences IJAR 2015; 1(7): 693-697 www.allresearchjournal.com using the complete verb form based approach: Class Received: 16-04-2015 Accepted: 19-05-2015 room procedures M Raghu Rama Seshu Associate Professor, K L M Raghu Rama Seshu, S.K. Sheela University, Guntur. Abstract Dr. S.K. Sheela In most ESL/EFL class room contexts teaching the formation of Tenses and the interrogative and Associate Professor, negative sentences using the various forms of the verbs becomes a lot difficult task. Most of the ESL KL University, and EFL learners find it difficult to understand the formation of tenses and apply them in their day to day interaction. Similarly, formation of the interrogative and negative verbs and their application is somewhat difficult for the learners. It becomes all the more difficult for them to use the non-finites in the formation of tenses and the finites in the formation of the interrogative and negative sentences. The reason for the difficulty in forming the interrogative and negative verb forms using ‘not’ could be attributed to the learners’ lack of understanding of the all the forms of the English verb. As far as traditional teaching is concerned most teachers follow the three form --‘Do—did—done, go—went – gone’ approach to teaching the English verb. The effectiveness of this approach is doubtful as other forms are not discussed. Hence, most students fail to apply the verb forms in their correct tenses and contexts. This has become a concern not only for the teacher but also for the ESL and EFL learner, who has to work in a global business scenario after his education. This inadequacy results in poor and embarrassing work place communication. Keywords: Formation, sentences, verb, Class room procedures Introduction The verb is the heart beat of the language systems across the world. It is the meaning part of the sentences telling about either the actions of the subject or the state of being or possession. As regards the English verb, it has been dealt in ESL and EFL classes in an incomplete and incomprehensive manner thus making it difficult to understand and apply it in real life situations. Further, the later 20th century learner of English as a Second Language or Foreign Language had fewer opportunities of reading well written Standard English prose thus distancing himself from learning the subtle applications of the Verb. Therefore, the learners’ understanding of the Verb has been faulty and hence his power of using it to mean correctly into sentences has become haphazard. The reason for this confusion could be attributed to: 1. the method of teaching the verb and 2. The teacher’s lack of complete understanding of the English Verb, 3. The standard of the content and materials. Any case the learner suffers significantly and fails to apply the verb in day to day conversation and other contexts. Traditionally, the English verb has been taught in the ESL and EFL classes as having three forms: for example: take—took—taken; do—did—done. Technically speaking there may not appear any faults in this method and it is absolutely right as far as the native proficiency is considered. But, for a Second language or foreign language learner the method is inadequate as it does not familiarize him to the other forms of the verb. Even, most of the teachers believe the first form: ‘take or do’ to be the present tense form and the other two are the past and the past participles. It may be right as far as the lexis is concerned. But, theoretically the first form represents the dictionary entry i.e. the infinitive. This may be explained through the example of ‘BE’ which in fact is an infinitive. The method does not discuss the other Correspondence: important and some of the most commonly used forms the verb-the present tenses, and the M Raghu Rama Seshu Associate Professor, K L present participle. Further, this method does not even touch upon the finites and the non- University, Guntur. finites- an understanding of which is very essential for effective language learning. ~ 193 ~ International Journal of Applied Research The learner always finds it difficult to use the verb in the Category 2: Auxiliaries present and past tenses as his understanding is limited: hence Infinitive FINITES Participles he is prone to say ‘they doesn’t comes, he didn’t came’ etc. Present Present Not only in the negative sentences but in the affirmatives too Tense Past Past Present V1 Tense the learner would tend to say ‘he come or they comes’ etc. Singular V4 V5 V6 Plural V2 Another important defect of the method and the V3 understanding resulting from this method is in the use of the (to) do Do Does Did Done Doing (To) past tense. Most of the learners would easily confuse Have Has Had Had Having between the past tense, the past perfect and the present Have were perfect. Where a correction is required with respect to the (To) Be Are/Am Is Been Being past tense, most students would use the past perfect in its / was place as in ‘He has come yesterday’ if frequently corrected to This category of the verbs represents the auxiliaries. It may ‘He had come yesterday’. These specific cases have been be observed that all English verbs have six forms, whether considered as indicatives of the importance of covering the they belong to category 1 or 2, except the defective verbs- finites. As regards the auxiliaries, specially the modals, many the Modals, which are discussed below. It may also be teachers would believe them to be having three forms,- observed that ‘BE’ is the only verb in the entire language to ‘will—would—would, can—could—could’. A deeper have two different forms in the Past Tense understanding would reveal that there are only two forms ’Will—would, Can—could’. Other auxiliaries like ‘BE’ are Category 3: Modal Auxiliaries These auxiliaries are also called discussed in the same manner as ‘are--were—been, am— Defective Verbs as they cannot form the infinitives, Present was—been, is—was—been’ which is technically correct. singular, or the participles. This leaves the learner in a state of confusion when he has to Infinitive FINITES Participles use these verb forms in contexts of his own or understand Present Present them when he reads a standard prose text. In order to enable Tense Past Past Present V1 Tense the learner to overcome the difficulty a more comprehensive Singular V4 V5 V6 Plural V2 method of teaching the English verb is required. This new V3 method should focus on not just three forms but should deal XXX Will XXX Would XXX XXX the verb in its completeness. The method should naturally XXX Can XXX Could XXX XXX focus on the Infinitive, the Participles (The Non-Finite XXX May XXX Might XXX XXX Forms) and the Present and the Past Tenses (The Finite XXX Must XXX XXX XXX XXX forms).It should also discuss how various verb forms could be used in meaningful contexts in a comprehensive manner. Formation of Interrogative and negative verbs using the The method should also integrate in it the use of the Complete Verb forms auxiliaries, modals in order to make the understanding more In the class room a teacher does not feel much difficulty effective. When it is done it should enable the learner to forming the negative or interrogative for ‘will come’ nor understand and apply the verb in a better fashion to make does the learner. The learner can easily say it is ‘will not meaningful sentences to begin with. This method should be come or will they come?’ The same is the case with ‘can do, particularly useful to the non-native speakers of English in has made, is going, are singing, etc.’ The ease with which the ESL and EFL contexts. they can do it lies not in the familiarity alone, but in their The English verb should be discussed in comprehensive way unawareness of the presence of the split verb and the including the root form, the finites and the participles in that presence of the natural finite in them in the form of either order. For example: ‘will, or can or has or is or are’ In most cases the teachers of ESL and EFL themselves are not aware of these finites. Therefore for improving the understanding of the formation Category 1 of the interrogative and negative verbs, it is necessary to Infinitive FINITES Participles discuss all the forms of the English verb in the class room. Present Present ‘Then, what are these forms and how to discuss them and in Tense Tense Past Past Present which order?’ is the natural question that arises in the minds V1 Plural Singular V4 V5 V6 of teachers and learners. V2 V3 Before we start our discussions on the formation of the (to) take Take Takes Took Taken Taking interrogative and negative forms of the verbs, we need to (To) discuss the various verb forms in a systematic manner. We Work Works Worked Worked Working Work need also to discuss what are the natural finites, non- finites and their kinds. It would be useful to detail the learners on (To) Bring Brings Brought Brought Bringing Bring the unique features of specially the finites. Instead of the three form approach we need to discuss the 6 form approach where the discussion of the verb typically begins with the From the above table it may be observed that the V1 and V2 infinitive, then the finites and then the participles.

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