Verbal complex predicates are a prominent feature of Amharic grammar, but they have only been selectively described so far. Some of the most prominent studies on this topic deal with light verb constructions with the verb alä ‘say’, temporal auxiliaries and tense marking, modal auxiliaries and marking of epistemic modality, the so-called functional verb constructions, and phasal aspect. This paper attempts to provide a comprehensive overview of the major types of verbal complex predicates in Amharic main clauses and showing their similarities and differences.