The Form and Meaning of the English Auxiliary

This paper introduces selected concepts from a theory of linguistic structure called space grammar, and employs these concepts to seek an integrated account of the form and meaning of the English auxiliary. It is argued that the form of the auxiliary, apart from certain morphological adjustments, reflects each step of the conceptual path leading from the speaker to the objective situation described by the main verb. Observations are made on the nature of auxiliary status, classes of predicates, and the semantic value of individual auxiliary elements. The analysis enables one to explain many properties of simple and complex sentences.