What Are Pro-Verb Phrases?
Pro-verb phrases are short words or expressions that replace the verb or verb phrase.
As a type of pro-form**, pro-verb phrases refer back to an antecedent and rely on it for meaning rather than having a sense of their own.
English Pro-Verb Phrases
Here is a list of common words that can act as pro-verb phrases in English:
So in Pro-verb Phrases
"So" is one of the most common pro-verb phrases in English which shows agreement between two actions.
"So" + Modals and Auxiliaries
'So' might be followed by 'be' as a main verb, as well as 'modal verbs' and 'auxiliary verbs' to avoid repeating a verb phrase, especially in short responses with pronoun subjects. If the sentence does not have any modal or auxiliary verbs, the supporting auxiliary "do" is added after "so".
When 'so' is used in this way, the verb and subject are inverted and there is no need to repeat the main verb. For example:
"So" in Exclamatives
In exclamative responses, 'so' is commonly used as a substitute for the verb before the subject and verb 'be', modal, or auxiliary verbs. In this case, no inversion is necessary. For example:
"Do" as Pro-verb Phrase
"Do" is commonly used as an auxiliary to form a pro-verb when the antecedent verb phrase has no auxiliary, or when "do" is used in the antecedent as auxiliary for negation. Look at the examples.
She plays the piano, and her brother does too.
She works harder than he does.
They didn't complete the project, but we did.
"Do So" as a Pro-verb Phrase
'Do so' is used to refer to an action already mentioned. For example:
She asked him to leave, and he did so.
He claimed he could fix the car, but he failed to do so.
"Nor", "Neither", and "Either" with "Do"
Adverbs like 'not … either', 'nor' or 'neither' can be used in combination with "do" when the antecedent is a negative verb phrase. For example:
"Do It" and "Do That" as Pro-verb Phrase
'Do it' is used when the subject is different from the subject of the antecedent verb phrase to avoid repeating the whole clause. For example:
'Do that' is used to refer back to deliberate actions because it is more emphatic. For example:
Modal Verbs as Pro-verb Phrases
Modal verbs can also serve as pro-verb phrases to avoid repetition of the main verb phrase. Take a look at the examples:
The Particle 'To' as Pro-verb Phrase
A to-infinitive consists of the particle 'to' plus a bare infinitive. Since the bare infinitive verb carries the meaning of the verb, the particle 'to' can act as a pro-verb to avoid repeating the verb. Take a look at the examples:
Review
Pro-verb phrases are words or phrases that replace a verb phrase to avoid repeating it. Some of the common words that form pro-verb phrases are:
so
do
modal verbs
infinitival "to"
Quiz:
Which response correctly uses a pro-verb phrase to agree with the statement, "I'm enjoying the new book"?
So am I.
So I am.
I do so.
I do.
Sort the words to form a sentence with a pro-verb phrase.
Match each sentence with the suitable pro-verb phrase.
Fill the blanks based on the information from the lesson. (There is one extra option.)
"Do" can act as a pro-verb phrase when the antecedent verb phrase does not contain a(n)
or when negation is involved.
The phrase "do it" is used as a pro-verb when the
is different from that of the antecedent verb phrase.
The word "so" is often used with an auxiliary to avoid repeating the verb phrase and it requires
of subject and auxiliary.
Adverbs like "nor," "neither," or "either" are used with "do" to form a pro-verb phrase representing a
verb phrases.
Which of the following sentences correctly uses a pro‑verb phrase to represent the verb phrase?
He told me to review the material thoroughly; but I don't want to.
He told me to review the material thoroughly; but I don't want it.
He told me to review the material thoroughly; but I don't want so.
He told me to review the material thoroughly; but I don't want do so.
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