Delexical verbs are common verbs such as “have”, “take”, “make” or “give” which when used with particular nouns have very little meaning of their own. In these delexical structures most of the meaning is found in the noun, not in the verb. In most cases, there is a verb which has a similar meaning to the delexical structure. Delexical structures are very common in English and an understanding of them will enrich one’s fluency of the language.
Using delexical structures allows us to add additional information to the action by using adjectives with the nouns, rather than an adverb, which at times can sound awkward.
Let’s take a look at some examples with each particular verb.
Have
“Have” on it’s own indicates possession, but when used in delexical structures the meaning changes. We can use “have” when talking about meals, conversations and disagreements, washing or resting.
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We have breakfast every morning at 8 o’clock.
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They had an argument last night.
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John had a hot shower after his day out in the cold.
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I’m not happy. We need to have a conversation.
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Next year I will have a long holiday in France.
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Note: In the example above, “He had a shower…”, we could also say “He showered,” but by using the delexical structure we are able to include additional details with the use of an adjective (“hot”). It’s also important to note that the delexical structure “have a shower” is perhaps more commonly used than the actual verb “to shower”. This is the case not only with the above mentioned example, but in many of the examples discussed here.
Other nouns which we use with the verb “have” in delexical structure include:
lunch, dinner, a snack, coffee, a chat, a discussion, a talk, a bath, a break, a rest, a dispute, a fight…
Take
“Take”, like “have”, is used with washing or resting as well as several other nouns.
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I need to take a long, hot bath.
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Take a break, you look exhausted.
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Nancy doesn’t like to take risks.
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Can you take care of my dogs while I am on vacation?
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Other nouns which we use with the verb “take” in delexical structure include:
care, a chance, a photograph, a turn…
Note: Both “have” and “take” can be used with the noun forms of certain verbs.
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Let’s have a swim, it’s hot.
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Can you take a look at my article before I submit it to the publisher?
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Make
We use “make” with plans, travel and with reference to talking.
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Have you made the arrangements for your trip yet?
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My parents made a quick visit to the British Museum when they were in London.
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Helen made a very important point in the meeting this morning.
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The President will make his speech at the end of the inauguration.
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Other nouns which we use with the verb “make” in delexical structure include:
a sound, conversation, a comment, a noise, a promise, a suggestion, a choice, a decision, a plan, a trip, a tour…
Give
“Give” is used with noises, facial expressions, affection, hitting and talking.
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Give me a shout when you are ready to go.
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Please give Sally a big hug for me!
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My dad always gives me good advice.
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Go ahead, give it a kick!
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Other nouns which we use with the verb “give” in delexical structure include:
a cry, a laugh, a scream, a smile, a look, a glance, a punch, a slap, a push, a kiss, an answer, information, an interview, a lecture, a report, a warning…
Go and Do
“Go” and “do” can also be used as delexical verbs, but the structure with these verbs is different. We frequently use these verbs in delexical structures with “-ing” nouns.
Go
“Go” is generally used for common activities that involve movement. We use the construction “go for a” when the noun is not a “-ing” noun.
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Beth goes swimming every day.
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Nina doesn’t like to go shopping.
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It’s a beautiful day, we should go for a walk.
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Other nouns which we use with the verb “go” in delexical structure include:
running, walking, jogging, skiing, a jog, a ride, a swim, a run, a stroll…
Do
“Do” is often used with work related activities. We also use “do” when the action is obvious.
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Can you please do the washing?
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You rest, I’ll do the cooking today.
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Let me help you do your hair.
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Other nouns which we use with the verb “do” in delexical structure include:
jobs, work, homework, the washing up, the cleaning, the dishes, exercise, research, damage…
Note: See the lesson Do vs. Make for more delexical structures with these two verbs.
Note: See the lesson Do vs. Make for more delexical structures with these two verbs.
Delexical verbs son verbos comunes como “have”, “take”, “make” o “give” que cuando se usan con sustantivos particulares tienen muy poco significado propio. En estas estructuras la mayor parte del significado se encuentra en el sustantivo, no en el verbo. En la mayoría de casos, hay un verbo que tiene un significado similar o igual a la estructura “delexical”. En muchos casos, hay verbos y estructuras equivalentes en español (ver los ejemplos). Estas estructuras son muy comunes en inglés y una comprensión de ellas enriquecerá la fluidez de la lengua.
El uso de estas estructuras permite añadir información adicional a la acción mediante del uso de adjetivos, en lugar de un adverbio, que a veces puede sonar torpe.
Echemos un vistazo a algunos ejemplos con estos verbos.
Have
“Have” indica posesión, pero cuando se utiliza en estructuras “delexical”, el sentido cambia. Podemos usar “have” cuando hablamos de las comidas, las conversaciones, los desacuerdos, el lavado o los descansos.
Ejemplos:
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We have breakfast every morning at 8 o’clock.(Desayunamos cada mañana a las 8.)
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Lets have a drink!(¡Tomemos una copa!)
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They had an argument last night.(Tuvieron una discusión anoche.)
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John had a hot shower after his day out in the cold.(John tuvo una ducha caliente después de un día en el frío.)
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I’m not happy. We need to have a conversation.(No estoy contenta. Necesitamos tener una conversación.)
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Next year I will have a long holiday in France.(El año que viene tendré unas largas vacaciones en Francia.)
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Nota: En el ejemplo “He had a shower…”, también podemos decir “He showered,” (“Él se duchó…”), pero utilizando la estructura “delexical” podemos incluir información adicional con el uso de un adjetivo (“hot”). También es importante tener en cuenta que la estructura “delexical” tal vez es más utilizada que el verbo “to shower”. Este es el caso no sólo con el ejemplo mencionado, sino en muchos de los ejemplos que presentamos aquí.
Otros sustantivos con los que podemos utilizar el verbo “have” en las estructuras “delexical” pueden ser:
lunch, dinner, a snack, coffee, a chat, a discussion, a talk, a bath, a break, a rest, a dispute, a fight…
Take
“Take”, como “have”, se usa con lavado o descansos, así como varios otros sustantivos.
Ejemplos:
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I need to take a long, hot bath.(Necesito tomar un baño largo y caliente.)
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Take a break, you look exhausted.(Toma un descanso, te veo agotado.)
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Nancy doesn’t like to take risks.(A Nancy no le gusta correr riesgos.)
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Can you take care of my dogs while I am on vacation?(¿Puedes cuidar de mis perros mientras esté de vacaciones?)
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Otros sustantivos con que podemos utilizar el verbo “take” en las estructuras “delexical” pueden ser:
care, a chance, a photograph, a turn…
Nota: Tanto “have” como “take” se pueden utilizar con las formas sustantivas de ciertos verbos.
Ejemplos:
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Let’s have a swim, it’s hot.(Vamos a bañarnos, hace calor.)
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Can you take a look at my article before I submit it to the publisher?(¿Puedes echar un vistazo a mi artículo antes de enviarlo al editor?)
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Make
Utilizamos “make” con planes, viajes y en referencia a hablar.
Ejemplos:
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Have you made the arrangements for your trip yet?(¿Has hecho los arreglos para tu viaje?)
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My parents made a quick visit to the British Museum when they were in London.(Mis padres hicieron una visita rápida al Museo Británico cuando estaban en Londres.)
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Helen made a very important point in the meeting this morning.(Helen hizo una observación muy importante en la reunión esta mañana.)
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The President will make his speech at the end of the inauguration.(El presidente hará su discurso al final de la inauguración.)
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Otros sustantivos con que podemos utilizar el verbo “make” en las estructuras “delexical” pueden ser:
a sound, conversation, a comment, a noise, a promise, a suggestion, a choice, a decision, a plan, a trip, a tour…
Give
“Give” se utiliza con ruidos, expresiones faciales, cariño o en referencia a golpear y hablar.
Ejemplos:
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Give me a shout when you are ready to go.(Dame un toque cuando estés listo para ir.)
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Please give Sally a big hug for me!(Por favor, dale a Sally un gran abrazo de mi parte.)
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My dad always gives me good advice.(Mi padre siempre me da buenos consejos.)
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Go ahead, give it a kick!(Venga, dale una patada.)
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Otros sustantivos con los que podemos utilizar el verbo “give” en las estructuras “delexical” pueden ser:
a cry, a laugh, a scream, a smile, a look, a glance, a punch, a slap, a push, a kiss, an answer, information, an interview, a lecture, a report, a warning…
Go and Do
“Go” y “do” también se pueden utilizar como verbos “delexical”, pero la estructura con estos verbos es diferente. Utilizamos estos verbos a menudo con sustantivos terminados en “-ing”.
Go
“Go” se utiliza en general para las actividades comunes que implican movimiento. Utilizamos la estructura “go for a” cuando el sustantivo no termina en “-ing”.
Ejemplos:
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Beth goes swimming every day.(Beth va a nadar todos los días.)
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Nina doesn’t like to go shopping.(A Nina no le gusta ir de compras.)
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It’s a beautiful day, we should go for a walk.(Es un día hermoso, deberíamos dar un paseo.)
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Otros sustantivos con los que podemos utilizar el verbo “go” en las estructuras “delexical” pueden ser:
running, walking, jogging, skiing, a jog, a ride, a swim, a run, a stroll…
Do
“Do” se utiliza a menudo con las actividades relacionadas con trabajo. También utilizamos “do” cuando la acción es evidente.
Ejemplos:
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Can you please do the washing?(¿Puedes hacer el lavado por favor?)
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You rest, I’ll do the cooking today.(Descansa, haré la comida hoy.)
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Let me help you do your hair.(Déjame ayudarte a arreglar tu cabello.)
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Otros sustantivos con los que podemos utilizar el verbo “do” en las estructuras “delexical” pueden ser:
jobs, work, homework, the washing up, the cleaning, the dishes, exercise, research, damage…
Nota: Ver la lesson Do vs. Make para más estructuras “delexical” con estos dos verbos.
Nota: Ver la lesson Do vs. Make para más estructuras “delexical” con estos dos verbos.
