Verb Phrases
Verb phrases (VP's) in Sereer consist of a verb optionally modified by any or all of the following components: any number of adverbs, a single determiner, a prepositional phrase, a relative clause, and a possessive NP. These components are ordered as follows:
1) Verb
2) Adverb
3) Noun Phrase
4) Prepositional Phrase
Valence patterns and alignment
Intransitive Verbs
Sereer Examples of intransitive verbs include 'to die' and 'to sleep'
Copula-like clauses
Direct object and oblique arguments follow verbs, and there are no restrictions on the ordering of these arguments, as shown in (1) and (2):
<gl id="RainAboutTo" fontsize=12>
axe deɓiidaa
\gll a-xe deɓ-iid-aa
3-PROG rain-PROX-PROG
\trans Its about to rain
</gl>
Transitive Verbs
Ditransitive Verbs
Direct object and oblique arguments follow verbs, and there are no restrictions on the ordering of these arguments, as shown in (1) and (2):
<gl id="YandeLetter" fontsize=12> Miñaan acooɗa (a) Yande oleetar ole \gll Miñaan a-cooɗ-a (a) Yande oleetar ol-e masc.name 3sg.-give-3sg. fem.name ol-e \trans Miñaan gave Yande the letter </gl>
<gl id="LetterYande" fontsize=12> Miñaan acooɗa oleetar ole (a) Yande \gll Miñaan a-cooɗ-a oleetar ol-e (a) Yande masc.name 3sg.-give-3sg. fem.name ol-e \trans Miñaan gave the letter (to) Yande </gl>