What is a verbal morpheme: definition and examples

Image: Google Sites

In the lesson that concerns us here from a TEACHER, we are going to touch on a most complex topic for many students.what is a verbal morpheme? It is not easy for everyone to understand this question, so we will add a series of examples to its definition that serve to understand in a more graphic way what this concept consists of, which further enriches the language Spanish. We must not forget that the verb is a word of great significance, since it contributes a lot of meaning to the communicative fact itself, of form that indicates present, past and future action, as well as explain practically everything, such as finished or unfinished acts, activities, etc. So now, without further ado, we jump right into this complex but exciting concept.

Index

1. Definition of verbal morpheme
2. The verbal morpheme mode
3. The tense of the verbal morpheme
4. The other modes of the verbal morpheme

To find out what a verbal morpheme is, we start with its definition. We have already said that the verb is a word of very high communicative significance, since

These communicative values ​​are precisely those that are defined in the verbal morpheme, and are divided into seven morphemes:

• The mode
• appearance
• the attitude
• person
• the number
• time
• the voice

When they are attached to a verb root or lexeme, they are called endings and they vary in person, time, number, and manner. But if they are used to form compound times or the passive time, more common, they are considered auxiliaries, acting like verbal periphrasis.

Image: Friends Forever

This verbal morpheme is the one that shows which is the communicator attitude in front of the statement. So you could show two different attitudes, objective and subjective:

• When the communicator expresses himself objectively, but does not take part in it, he uses the indicative mood, that is, the real one: Paco works here or It is very hot.
• On the other hand, if it is expressed subjectively, it is speaking of desire, or perhaps of doubt or fear, or some other sensation. This is the Subjunctive mode, which is not real, but rather a mental representation: maybe Paco will come or maybe tomorrow won't be cold.

Regarding the mode, we also find two variants, which are the imperative mode in reference to the subjective, and the conditional in reference to the objective.

A good example of an imperative would be speak you or do this. Meanwhile, regarding the conditional, we have examples like I would buy a motorcycle or I drank this soda.

We now enter with the verbal morpheme of time, which indicates chronology in reality that is expressed with the use of the verb. As is logical, we distinguish three variants, which are past, present and future:

• Within the past tense, there are various tenses, such as the imperfect, the simple perfect, the simple, the pluperfect, the previous and compound. Let's see respective examples: I spoke, I spoke, I would speak, I had spoken, I had spoken Y Would have spoken.
• As for the present tense, we have the present and the perfect. A couple of respective examples are: talked Y I have spoken.
• Finally, we have the future tenses, which are simple or compound. As examples, here are these two respective ones: I'll talk Y I will have spoken.

Here we gather the other modes that we have mentioned in the first section. They are as follows:

The speaker's attitude

Regarding the verbal morphemes referring to attitude, they focus on how the communicator behaves. Here we find three different ones, which are enunciative, appellative and interrogative. Let's see in respective examples: Paco is going to sing, sings Paco or Does Paco sing?

Appearance

We go with the following verbal morpheme, which refers to the aspect. Here it is indicated if the process has finished, being in this case perfect, or if it is not known if it ended or not, that is, imperfect. Go as examples: Paco has already finished or I don't know anything about Paco (We don't know if it's over or not).

Person

In reference to the person, we have the most easily identifiable morphemes. Here can be three, which is the first person or sender, the second or receiver and the third, which is neither one nor the other. Let's see the respective examples: I speak, You speak, He speaks.

The number

Another of the simple morphemes refers to the number, when it can only be two, either singular or plural. The examples are simple: I talk to you, you talk to Paco.

The voice

Finally, to know what a verbal morpheme is, you have to analyze the voice. In this case there are also two, on the one hand, active, when the subject is not affected by the process, and the passive, if the subject is affected by the process. As respective examples: It has happened to Paco or It has happened to Paco and me. In this other lesson we will discover examples of active and passive sentences so that you understand what each of them are like and the main differences.

If you want to read more articles similar to What is a verbal morpheme: definition and examples, we recommend that you enter our category of Grammar and Linguistics.