Verb phrase

English has only two tenses, so the rest of the work to indicate how an action is performed is done by means of the verb phrase. This is one or more words that combine to perform the function of a Verb: for example, "The house had been painted". Verb phrases can show tense, aspect, voice and mood. Tense is shown by inflection; the other shades of meaning by using auxiliary and modal verbs.

Just as word classes can be divided into those of function and form, verbs too can be divided in a similar way. The basic use of verbs is to express a meaning (of 'doing or being'). Verbs used in this way are called semantic verbs (sometimes main verbs). The others - the auxiliary and modal verbs - are used less for any clear meaning but for the functions they perform.

(Note that a phrasal verb is something else: a verb whose meaning is in several words, such as 'fed up'.)