Periphrasis Examples: A Comprehensive Guide to Auxiliary Constructions

Periphrasis, the use of auxiliary words to express grammatical relationships, is a fundamental aspect of English grammar. Understanding periphrasis is crucial for mastering verb tenses, aspects, moods, and voice.

This article provides an in-depth exploration of periphrasis, covering its definition, structure, types, and usage rules, complete with numerous examples and practice exercises. This guide is beneficial for English language learners of all levels, from beginners seeking to understand basic verb forms to advanced students aiming to refine their grammatical accuracy and stylistic versatility.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Definition of Periphrasis
3. Structural Breakdown of Periphrasis
4. Types of Periphrasis
   • Tense and Aspect Periphrasis
   • Modal Periphrasis
   • Passive Voice Periphrasis
   • Causative Periphrasis
5. Examples of Periphrasis
   • Tense and Aspect Examples
   • Modal Examples
   • Passive Voice Examples
   • Causative Examples
6. Usage Rules of Periphrasis
7. Common Mistakes in Periphrasis
8. Practice Exercises
9. Advanced Topics in Periphrasis
10. Frequently Asked Questions
11. Conclusion

Definition of Periphrasis

Periphrasis, in grammar, refers to the use of multiple words to express a grammatical function that could be expressed by a single word or morpheme. It involves using auxiliary verbs or other function words in combination with a main verb to indicate tense, aspect, mood, voice, or other grammatical categories. Essentially, it’s a roundabout way of conveying grammatical information.

Periphrasis provides flexibility and nuance in expressing grammatical relationships. Instead of relying solely on inflectional morphology (changes in the form of a word), English often uses periphrastic constructions.

This makes the language more analytical, relying on word order and auxiliary verbs rather than complex word endings.

The key characteristic of periphrasis is the presence of an auxiliary verb. Auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs, assist the main verb in conveying grammatical information. Common auxiliary verbs in English include be, have, and do, as well as modal verbs such as can, will, should, and might.

Structural Breakdown of Periphrasis

The structure of a periphrastic construction typically involves one or more auxiliary verbs followed by a main verb. The auxiliary verb(s) carry the grammatical information (e.g., tense, mood), while the main verb provides the lexical meaning (the action or state).

The order of the auxiliary verbs and the form of the main verb are crucial for conveying the intended meaning.

Here’s a basic structural pattern:

Auxiliary Verb(s) + Main Verb

The number of auxiliary verbs can vary. Some constructions have only one, while others have two or even three.

The form of the main verb also changes depending on the tense, aspect, or voice being expressed. Common forms of the main verb include the base form, the past participle, and the present participle.

Consider these examples:

• He is speaking. (Present continuous tense)
• They have eaten. (Present perfect tense)
• The book was written. (Passive voice)

In the first example, “is” is the auxiliary verb, and “speaking” is the main verb in the present participle form. Together, they form the present continuous tense.

In the second example, “have” is the auxiliary verb, and “eaten” is the main verb in the past participle form, forming the present perfect tense. The third example uses “was” as the auxiliary verb and “written” (past participle) to form the passive voice.

Types of Periphrasis

Periphrasis is used to express various grammatical categories, including tense, aspect, mood, and voice. Here are the main types of periphrasis in English:

Tense and Aspect Periphrasis

This type of periphrasis involves using auxiliary verbs to indicate the tense (past, present, future) and aspect (simple, continuous, perfect, perfect continuous) of a verb. The auxiliary verbs be and have are commonly used in tense and aspect periphrasis.

Examples:

• I am working. (Present continuous)
• She has visited. (Present perfect)
• They will travel. (Future simple)
• We had been waiting. (Past perfect continuous)

Modal Periphrasis

Modal periphrasis involves using modal auxiliary verbs to express possibility, necessity, permission, obligation, or ability. Common modal verbs include can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, and would.

Examples:

• You should study. (Advice/Recommendation)
• They can swim. (Ability)
• We must leave. (Obligation)
• It might rain. (Possibility)

Passive Voice Periphrasis

Passive voice periphrasis involves using the auxiliary verb be followed by the past participle of the main verb. This construction indicates that the subject of the sentence is receiving the action, rather than performing it.

Examples:

• The letter was written.
• The house is being painted.
• The cake has been eaten.

Causative Periphrasis

Causative periphrasis involves using verbs like have, get, or make to indicate that someone is causing something to happen, often to someone or something else. It shows indirect action, where the subject doesn’t perform the action directly, but arranges for it to be done.

Examples:

• I had my car repaired.
• She got her hair cut.
• They made him cry.

Examples of Periphrasis

To further illustrate the concept of periphrasis, here are more detailed examples organized by category:

Tense and Aspect Examples

The following table provides examples of tense and aspect periphrasis using various tenses and aspects.

Tense/Aspect	Example	Explanation
Present Simple	He does play the guitar.	Emphasis on the action (using auxiliary “do”).
Present Continuous	She is reading a book.	Action in progress at the moment of speaking.
Present Perfect	They have finished their work.	Action completed at an unspecified time in the past, with relevance to the present.
Present Perfect Continuous	We have been learning English for five years.	Action that started in the past and continues to the present.
Past Simple	I did go to the store.	Emphasis on the action (using auxiliary “do”).
Past Continuous	He was watching TV when I arrived.	Action in progress at a specific time in the past.
Past Perfect	She had left before I got there.	Action completed before another action in the past.
Past Perfect Continuous	They had been playing football for hours before it started to rain.	Action that continued for a period of time before another action in the past.
Future Simple (will)	I will go to the party.	Future action or intention.
Future Simple (going to)	She is going to travel next month.	Future plan or intention.
Future Continuous	They will be working at 9 AM tomorrow.	Action in progress at a specific time in the future.
Future Perfect	We will have finished the project by next week.	Action completed before a specific time in the future.
Future Perfect Continuous	He will have been living here for ten years by the end of the year.	Action that will continue for a period of time before a specific time in the future.
Emphatic Present Simple	I do believe you.	Used for emphasis, especially when someone doubts you.
Emphatic Past Simple	She did call yesterday.	Affirming a past action that might be questioned.
Progressive Infinitive	He seems to be sleeping.	Expresses an action in progress within an infinitive clause.
Perfect Infinitive	She claims to have seen a ghost.	Indicates an action completed before the time of speaking.
Perfect Progressive Infinitive	They are believed to have been living abroad.	Expresses a prolonged action completed before the time of speaking.
Used to	I used to play football.	A past habit or state that is no longer true.
Be used to	I am used to waking up early.	Being accustomed to something.
Get used to	I am getting used to the new routine.	Becoming accustomed to something.
Conditional Continuous	I would be traveling if I had the money.	An action that would be in progress if a condition were met.
Conditional Perfect	She would have gone if she had known.	An action that would have been completed if a condition had been met.
Conditional Perfect Continuous	They would have been working longer if they hadn’t been interrupted.	An action that would have been in progress for a longer period if a condition had been met.

Modal Examples

The following table provides examples of modal periphrasis, illustrating the different meanings conveyed by modal verbs.

Modal Verb	Meaning	Example
Can	Ability, possibility, permission	I can speak Spanish. (Ability) It can be difficult. (Possibility) You can go now. (Permission)
Could	Past ability, polite request, possibility	He could swim when he was younger. (Past ability) Could you help me? (Polite request) It could rain later. (Possibility)
May	Possibility, permission	It may rain tomorrow. (Possibility) You may leave the room. (Permission)
Might	Possibility (less certain than “may”)	She might come to the party.
Must	Obligation, strong probability	You must follow the rules. (Obligation) He must be tired. (Strong probability)
Shall	Suggestion, future (formal)	Shall we go for a walk? (Suggestion) The meeting shall begin at 9 AM. (Future, formal)
Should	Advice, obligation (weaker than “must”)	You should eat healthy food. (Advice) We should respect our elders. (Obligation)
Will	Future intention, prediction	I will help you. (Intention) It will be sunny tomorrow. (Prediction)
Would	Past habit, polite request, conditional	He would often visit his grandmother. (Past habit) Would you like some tea? (Polite request) I would go if I had time. (Conditional)
Ought to	Moral obligation, advice	You ought to apologize. (Moral obligation) She ought to see a doctor. (Advice)
Had better	Strong advice, warning	You had better be on time. (Strong advice)
Be able to	Ability (alternative to “can”)	I am able to speak French.
Be going to	Future intention	I am going to study abroad.
Have to	Necessity, obligation	I have to go to work.
Need to	Necessity	You need to practice more.
Be supposed to	Expectation, obligation	You are supposed to be here at 8 AM.

Passive Voice Examples

The passive voice is formed using a form of the auxiliary verb “be” and the past participle of the main verb. The following table provides examples of passive voice periphrasis in different tenses.

Tense	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Present Simple	They clean the house.	The house is cleaned.
Present Continuous	They are cleaning the house.	The house is being cleaned.
Present Perfect	They have cleaned the house.	The house has been cleaned.
Past Simple	They cleaned the house.	The house was cleaned.
Past Continuous	They were cleaning the house.	The house was being cleaned.
Past Perfect	They had cleaned the house.	The house had been cleaned.
Future Simple (will)	They will clean the house.	The house will be cleaned.
Future Simple (going to)	They are going to clean the house.	The house is going to be cleaned.
Modal Verb (can)	They can clean the house.	The house can be cleaned.
Modal Verb (should)	They should clean the house.	The house should be cleaned.
Infinitive	We need to clean the house.	The house needs to be cleaned.
Gerund	Cleaning the house is important.	The house being cleaned is important.

Causative Examples

Causative verbs (have, get, make, etc.) indicate that someone is causing something to happen. Here are examples of causative periphrasis:

Causative Verb	Example	Explanation
Have	I had my hair cut.	I arranged for someone to cut my hair.
Get	She got her car washed.	She arranged for someone to wash her car.
Make	They made him apologize.	They forced him to apologize.
Let	My parents let me go to the party.	My parents allowed me to go to the party.
Help	I helped her clean the house.	I assisted her in cleaning the house.
Force	The teacher forced him to rewrite the essay.	The teacher compelled him to rewrite the essay.
Allow	The manager allowed us to leave early.	The manager permitted us to leave early.
Enable	The new software enabled us to finish the project faster.	The new software made it possible for us to finish the project faster.
Cause	The rain caused the river to flood.	The rain led to the river flooding.
Encourage	The coach encouraged the team to practice harder.	The coach motivated the team to practice harder.

Usage Rules of Periphrasis

Using periphrasis correctly involves understanding the specific rules for each type of construction. Here are some general guidelines:

• Tense and Aspect: Use the correct auxiliary verb (be, have, do) and the appropriate form of the main verb (base form, present participle, past participle) to indicate the desired tense and aspect. For example, use “is/are/am + -ing” for present continuous and “have/has + past participle” for present perfect.
• Modal Verbs: Modal verbs are always followed by the base form of the main verb. They do not change form to agree with the subject. For example, “He can swim,” not “He cans swim.”
• Passive Voice: Use a form of the verb “be” (is, are, was, were, been, being) followed by the past participle of the main verb. Ensure that the form of “be” agrees with the subject.
• Causative Verbs: The structure depends on the causative verb used. “Have/Get + object + past participle” indicates that someone else performed the action. “Make + person + base form” indicates that someone was forced to do something.

Exceptions and Special Cases:

• Some verbs are rarely used in the continuous form (stative verbs) – e.g., know, believe, understand.
• Modal verbs do not have infinitive or participle forms. Use alternative expressions like “be able to” instead of “to can”.
• The auxiliary verb “do” is used for emphasis, negation, and questions in the present simple and past simple tenses.

Common Mistakes in Periphrasis

Here are some common mistakes learners make when using periphrasis, along with corrections:

Incorrect	Correct	Explanation
He cans swim.	He can swim.	Modal verbs do not change form.
I am knowing the answer.	I know the answer.	Stative verbs are not typically used in the continuous form.
She has went to the store.	She has gone to the store.	Use the correct past participle form.
The letter is write by him.	The letter is written by him.	Use the correct past participle form in passive voice.
I must to go.	I must go.	Modal verbs are followed by the base form of the verb, without “to”.

Practice Exercises

Test your understanding of periphrasis with these exercises:

Exercise 1: Identify the type of periphrasis

Identify the type of periphrasis used in each sentence (Tense/Aspect, Modal, Passive Voice, Causative).

Sentence	Type of Periphrasis
1. She is reading a book.
2. They can speak English.
3. The car was washed.
4. I had my computer repaired.
5. We will travel next week.
6. You should study hard.
7. The cake has been eaten.
8. I got my house painted.
9. He must leave now.
10. The report is being written.

Answer Key:

Sentence	Type of Periphrasis
1. She is reading a book.	Tense/Aspect
2. They can speak English.	Modal
3. The car was washed.	Passive Voice
4. I had my computer repaired.	Causative
5. We will travel next week.	Tense/Aspect
6. You should study hard.	Modal
7. The cake has been eaten.	Passive Voice
8. I got my house painted.	Causative
9. He must leave now.	Modal
10. The report is being written.	Passive Voice

Exercise 2: Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb

Complete the following sentences using the correct form of the verb in parentheses, using periphrastic constructions where appropriate.

Sentence	Answer
1. She __________ (read) a book right now.
2. They __________ (finish) their work yesterday.
3. I __________ (go) to the party tomorrow.
4. The letter __________ (write) by him.
5. You __________ (study) hard if you want to pass.
6. He __________ (play) football when he was younger.
7. We __________ (live) here for five years.
8. I __________ (have) my car repaired.
9. It __________ (rain) later.
10. She __________ (be) a doctor next year.

Answer Key:

Sentence	Answer
1. She __________ (read) a book right now.	is reading
2. They __________ (finish) their work yesterday.	finished
3. I __________ (go) to the party tomorrow.	will go
4. The letter __________ (write) by him.	was written
5. You __________ (study) hard if you want to pass.	should study
6. He __________ (play) football when he was younger.	used to play
7. We __________ (live) here for five years.	have been living
8. I __________ (have) my car repaired.	had
9. It __________ (rain) later.	might rain
10. She __________ (be) a doctor next year.	will be

Exercise 3: Rewrite the sentences using periphrasis

Rewrite the following sentences using periphrastic constructions to emphasize a particular aspect or meaning.

Original Sentence	Rewritten Sentence
1. He plays the guitar.
2. She knows the answer.
3. They cleaned the house.
4. I will help you.
5. You must go.
6. She can swim.
7. They are cleaning the house.
8. I had my hair cut.
9. It may rain.
10. She studies hard.

Answer Key:

Original Sentence	Rewritten Sentence
1. He plays the guitar.	He does play the guitar.
2. She knows the answer.	She does know the answer.
3. They cleaned the house.	The house was cleaned by them.
4. I will help you.	I am going to help you.
5. You must go.	You have to go.
6. She can swim.	She is able to swim.
7. They are cleaning the house.	The house is being cleaned.
8. I had my hair cut.	I got my hair cut.
9. It may rain.	It is possible that it will rain.
10. She studies hard.	She does study hard.

Advanced Topics in Periphrasis

For advanced learners, here are some more complex aspects of periphrasis:

• Periphrastic “do” in Subjunctive Mood: In older or more formal English, “do” can be used periphrastically in subjunctive clauses (e.g., I insist that he do his homework.)
• Multiple Auxiliary Verbs: Understanding the order and interaction of multiple auxiliary verbs in complex tenses (e.g., He might have been being watched.)
• Periphrasis and Style: Using periphrasis for stylistic effect, such as emphasis or formality.
• Diachronic Perspective: Studying the historical development of periphrastic constructions in English.
• Cross-linguistic Comparison: Comparing periphrastic strategies in English with those in other languages.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the difference between periphrasis and inflection?

   Inflection involves changing the form of a word (e.g., adding suffixes) to indicate grammatical information, while periphrasis involves using multiple words (usually auxiliary verbs and a main verb) to convey the same information. For example, “walked” (inflection) vs. “was walking” (periphrasis).

2. Why does English use periphrasis so much?

   English has gradually lost much of its inflectional morphology over time. Periphrasis has become a primary way to express grammatical relationships such as tense, aspect, mood, and voice, providing a more analytical structure to the language.

3. Are modal verbs always considered periphrastic?

   Yes, modal verbs are always considered part of periphrastic constructions because they function as auxiliary verbs, helping the

   main verb to express nuances like possibility, necessity, or obligation.

4. How do I know when to use periphrasis?

   Periphrasis is often required for expressing complex tenses, aspects, and moods. It’s also used in the passive voice and causative constructions. Understanding the specific grammatical rules for each construction is key.

5. Is periphrasis always necessary?

   No, not always. Sometimes, a simple verb form can convey the same meaning. However, periphrasis often provides more precision and nuance, especially in expressing complex temporal relationships or modal meanings.

6. Can overusing periphrasis make my writing sound awkward?

   Yes, it can. While periphrasis is essential in many cases, overuse can lead to wordy and convoluted sentences. Strive for a balance between precision and conciseness in your writing.

Conclusion

Periphrasis is a vital aspect of English grammar, enabling speakers and writers to express a wide range of grammatical relationships with precision and flexibility. By understanding the different types of periphrasis, their usage rules, and common mistakes, English language learners can significantly improve their grammatical accuracy and stylistic versatility.

Through consistent practice and attention to detail, mastering periphrasis will enhance your ability to communicate effectively and confidently in English.