Editing Serial verb construction (section)

== Contrast with compound verbs ==
A distinction is sometimes made between serial verbs and [[compound verb]]s (also known as ''complex predicates''). In a compound verb, the first element (verb or noun) generally carries most of the [[semantic]] load, while the second element, often called a ''[[vector verb]]'' ([[light verb]]) or ''explicator verb'', provides fine distinctions (such as speaker attitude or [[grammatical aspect]]) and carries the [[inflection]] (markers of [[grammatical tense|tense]], [[grammatical mood|mood]] and [[agreement (grammar)|agreement]]). The first element may be a verb in conjunctive [[participle]] form, as in [[Hindi language|Hindi]] and [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]. For example, in [[Hindustani grammar|Hindi]], in the second example below, लिया (''liyā'') (from the verb लेना ''lenā'' "to take") is a vector verb that indicates a completed action which is done for one's own benefit, and खा (''khā'') "eat" is the main or primary verb. In the third example below, डाला (''ḍālā'') (from the verb डालना ''ḍālnā'' "to put" or "to insert") is the vector verb, which indicates recklessness, gruesomeness, or an unwanted action. Both खा लिया (''khā liyā'') and खा डाला (''khā ḍālā'') alternate with the corresponding perfective form of the main verb (in this case, खाया ''khāyā'' "ate") under partly specifiable semantic and pragmatic conditions.
{|
|{{fs interlinear|indent=2|lang = hi 
|उसने आम खाया 
|usne ām khāyā|he/she.ERG mango.NOM.M eat.PFV.M
| "he/she ate the ''mango''"}}
|-
|{{fs interlinear|indent=2|lang = hi 
|उसने आम खा लिया 
|usne ām khā liyā|he/she.ERG mango.NOM.M eat.NF take.PFV.M
| "he/she finished eating the mango"}}
|-
|{{fs interlinear|indent=2|lang = hi 
|उसने आम को खा डाला  |usne ām ko khā ḍālā|he/she.ERG mango.OBL.M ACC eat.NF put.PFV.M
| "he/she devoured the mango" }}
|}
Negating the compound verbs in the [[indicative mood]] usually suppresses the vector verb in favor of their non-compound counterparts. This following sentence makes use of the vector verb लेना (''lenā'') "to take", which is dropped in the negative: 
{|
|{{fs interlinear|indent=2|lang = hi  
|*उसने आम नहीं खा लिया|*usne ām nahī̃ khā liyā
|he/she.ERG mango.NOM.M NEG.IND eat.NF take.PFV.M
| intendedː "he/she did not eat the mango"}}
|-
|{{fs interlinear|indent=2|lang = hi  
|उसने आम नहीं खाया 
|usne ām nahī̃ khāyā
|he/she.ERG mango.NOM.M NEG.IND eat.PFV.M
| "he/she did not eat the ''mango''"}}
|}
However, compound verbs in the [[subjunctive mood]] retain the vector verbs when negated. 
{|
|{{fs interlinear|indent=2|lang = hi  
|उसने आम खा ना लिया हो 
|usne ām khā nā liyā ho
|he/she.ERG mango.NOM.M eat.NF NEG.SUBJ take.PFV be.3S.SUBJ.PRS
| "(I hope that) he/she hasn't eaten the mango"}}
|-
|{{fs interlinear|indent=2|lang = hi  
|उसने आम खा ना डाला हो 
|usne ām khā nā ḍālā ho
|he/she.ERG mango.NOM.M eat.NF NEG.SUBJ put.PFV be.3S.SUBJ.PRS
| "(I hope that) he/she hasn't devoured the mango"}}
|}