Show very with a verb pleased in the expression very pleased is nothing more than the past participle passive of please used as an adjective very so BO far as I 1 am aware is never used with any other part of a verb acerb and then only when that part has become adjective by usage the following quotation from popes popa s shows its use as an adjective thou triumph st victor of the ugh high wrought day and tho the pleasa damo dame soft bott smiling away A similar use of the word is when we say a persons face has a pleased expression this being the case it is as correct to say very pleased as to say very much pleased Ann andales imperial dictionary subject very has among old writers very was frequently used adoue to modify a past participle and it is still to some extent so BO used thus sir IV W jones has very concerned gibbon very unqualified sydney smith very altered ete etc 11 As there is no verb unqualified caa 1 be nothing else but an adjective jec tive tiye and concerned and altered come under the same part of speech when we say 1 I am very pleased there is no action implied but there is simply a description of the state or condition in which one is at the time of speaking F 0 Birk birtbeck beek terry in notes and queries |