DISCONTINUOUS VERBAL GROUPS
The sequence of elements in VGs is often interrupted by other clause elements, such as subject, adjunct and intensifiers as in has not yet been completed and were being so badly managed.. Such interruptions are seen in the following exchange, in which A asks B about her father, who is a wine dealer:
A. Did he import1 from any particular place in France, or all over?
B. Well, he used to sort of be2 forever going3 to Bordeaux, so I assumed from that that that was his main connection.
(adapted from J. Svartvik and R. Quirk, A Corpus of English Conversation)
1interrupted by Subject; 2interrupted by intensifier; 3interrupted by Adjunct
As well as in interrogative structures, separation of the VG by the subject is produced in certain types of thematization (Only then did he realize the harm he had done; Had we known your address, we would have got in touch with you).
Discontinuity of the VG is also produced by negative or semi-negative items (I would never have believed that of him; You can hardly expect them to wait all day).
