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Serial verb construction
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== Uses == The terms "serial verbs", "serialization", etc. are used by different authors to denote somewhat different sets of constructions. There are also differences in how the constructions are analyzed, in terms of both [[syntax]] and [[semantics]]. In general, a structure described as a serial verb construction will consist either of two (or possibly more) consecutive verbs or of two or more consecutive [[verb phrase]]s in which each verb may have its own [[object (grammar)|object]] and possibly other modifiers. There will usually be no marking, by means of [[affix]]es or [[subordinating conjunction]]s, that one verb is [[dependency grammar|dependent]] on the other, and they will not be linked by [[coordinating conjunction]]s. Some linguists insist that serial verbs cannot be dependent on each other; however, if a language does not mark dependent verbs with affixation, it can be hard to determine whether any dependency relation exists when verbs appear in sequence.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sebba|first=Mark|title=The Syntax of Serial Verbs: An Investigation Into Serialisation in Sranan and Other Languages|year=1987|publisher=John Benjamins Publishing|isbn=902725222X|pages=3β4}}</ref> Serial verbs normally denote actions that are closely connected and can be considered to be part of the same event. They may be actions taking place simultaneously, or one may represent the cause, purpose or result of the other. In most cases, the serial verbs in a sequence are understood to share the same [[subject (grammar)|subject]]. Certain expressions resembling serial verb construction are found in English (surviving from [[Early Modern English]]), such as ''let's '''go eat''''' and '''''come live''' with me''.<ref name="Tallerman" /> In such constructions, the second verb would normally be regarded as a [[uses of English verb forms#Bare infinitive|bare infinitive]] (and can generally be replaced by a "full" infinitive by the insertion of ''to'' before it).
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