1. Meaning Based Grammar: The Argument for the Auxiliary
Presented by: Kris Mitchell

2. Outline Important Concepts Proposed Sentence Structures
Semantic Origins
Key Concepts
Proposed Sentence Structures
Core Auxiliaries
Semi-Auxiliaries
Modal
Rules for Auxiliaries (NICE)
Notes on Ordering

3. Semantic Origins Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) Universal Meaning
(Wierzbicka & Goddard)
Be & Do

4. Key Concepts
Meaning in grammar is greatly affected by Auxiliary choice: tense, aspect, voice, modality, ability, perspective, emphasis and much more.
All of the above grammar forms (meanings) have an Auxiliary to match.
Exception: Natural Be Verb (Copula) has no auxiliary.
Note on Exception: Other Auxiliary forms may be added to Natural Be Verb to influence meaning.
Auxiliaries are a choice that represent meaning/message.
Note: Changing only the auxiliary in a sentence changes the meaning, and therefor the message.

5. Key Concepts
Auxiliaries are made up of 2 key pieces or reaction points.
Piece 1: Reacts to the subject and is responsible for Sub-Aux Agreement (Sub-V agreement)
Piece 2: Both contains and reacts to the verb and is responsible for verb form, (aka conjugation) : infinitive, past and present participles.
Note: The past and present simple aux pieces may appear in 2 forms: Separate (emphasis): Above rules apply. or
Joined (Regular meaning): In this case, Piece 1 becomes responsible for both Sub-Aux Agreement and Verb form at the same time.

6. Sentence & Question Structure
Sub (aux)-V (o/c). Aux Sub V (o/c)? QP Aux Sub V (o/c)? *VP = (aux)-V (o/c)

7. Core Auxiliaries Simple Future Present: (do/does) do Passive* Perfect
Simple (Modal): will do
Be-Aux Phrases:
(do) do
(does) do
be going to do
Past: (did) do
be about to do
Passive*
Perfect
be done
Present: have/has done
Simple Present Passive: am/are/is done
Past: had done
Continuous
Simple Past Passive: was/were done
be doing
Present: am/are/is doing
Past: was/were doing

8. Semi-Auxiliaries Common: Used to: (did) use to do Passive Semi-Aux:
(do/does/did) have to do
(did) use to do
(do/does/did) get to do
(do/does/did) seem to do
Passive Semi-Aux:
(do/does/did) mean to do
(do/does/did) get done
(do/does/did) happen to do
(do/does/did) tend to do
Interesting Cases:
(do/does/did) need to do
(do/does/did) like to do
(do/does/did) dare to do
(do/does/did) want to do
(do/does/did) love to do

9. Modal Auxiliaries Common: Special Cases: need do dare do
should do
need do
can do
dare do
could do
would do
Modal Auxs with Be:
may do
be able to do
must do
be likely to do
would rather do
had better do
be supposed to do
ought to do
be going to do (future)
will do (future)
be about to do (future)

10. Rules for Auxiliary Behaviour
NICE (Howes, 2007)
Negation: The negative (not/n’t) always attaches to the aux.
Note: If more than one Aux, negation attaches to 1st Aux in the sequence
Exception: Natural Be Verb
Inversion: Auxs are switched with subjects to create question grammar.
Notes: i) Only the 1st Aux in the sequence is switched
ii) Prep are not switched

11. Rules for Auxiliary Behaviour
NICE (Howes, 2007)
Code: Auxs are always used for short forms (ellipsis)
Notes: i) usually just the 1st in sequence but can be more.
ii) The prep and neg are used.
Exception: Natural Be Verb
Emphasis: All Auxs may be emphasized through intonation.
Special Cases: Simple & Semi-Aux
Option: The 1st Aux piece (do/does/did) may appear in its original position.

12. Notes on Ordering
Common Modals: Always appear first in sequence, and are never combined with other common modals.
Core Passive Aux: Always appears last
The rest are quite flexible, and order will vary depending on meaning.
Note: This includes Be-Aux Modals.

13. References
Goddard, C. (2011). Semantic analysis: A practical introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Howes, C. (2007). Auxiliary verbs: A dynamic syntax account (MSc thesis). King’s College London, UK. Retrieved from