VERB

A verb is a “doing” word.

The verb describes an action, an occurrence, or a state of being. Whether mental, physical, or mechanical, verbs always express activity.

Often, prefixes and suffixes (affixes) will signify that a word is a verb.  For example, the suffixes -ify, -ize, -ate, or -en usually signify that a word is a verb, as in typify, characterize, irrigate, and sweeten.  Prefixes such as be-, de-, or en-  may signify that a word is a verb, as in bestow, dethrone, and encourage.

These affixes, often inconsistent from verb to verb, are called derivational affixes. Added to a word, they either change the word’s part of speech.

Ex:

Sign = Noun
Sign + ify = Signify = Verb
Physical Verbs

Physical verbs are action verbs. They describe specific physical actions. If you can create a motion with your body or use a tool to complete an action, the word you use to describe it is most likely a physical verb.

Ex:

Let’s run to the corner and back.
I hear the train coming.
Call me when you’re finished with class.
Mental Verbs

Mental verbs have meanings that are related to concepts such as discovering, understanding, thinking, or planning. In general, a mental verb refers to a cognitive state.

Ex:

I know the answer.
She recognized me from across the room.
Do you believe everything people tell you?
States of Being Verbs

Also known as linking verbs, state of being verbs describe conditions or situations that exist. State of being verbs are inactive since no action is being performed. These verbs are usually complemented by adjectives.

Ex:

I am a student.
We are circus performers.
Please is quiet.
Types of Verbs

1. Action Verbs

Action verbs express specific actions, and are used any time you want to show action or discuss someone doing something.

Ex: The bear chased the salmon in the shallow rapids.

2. Transitive Verbs

Transitive verbs are action verbs that always express doable activities. These verbs always have direct objects, meaning someone or something receives the action of the verb.

Ex: The postman will give Sima the letter.

3. Intransitive Verbs

Intransitive verbs are action verbs that always express doable activities. No direct object follows an intransitive verb.

Ex: The cat sneezed.

4. Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary verbs are also known as helping verbs, and are used together with a main verb to show the verb’s tense or to form a question or negative.

Ex: If he were to arrive in the next 10 minutes, we would be on schedule.

5. Stative Verbs

Stative verbs can be recognized because they express a state rather than an action. They typically relate to thoughts, emotions, relationships, senses, states of being, and measurements.

Ex: She believes in fairies.

6. Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that are used to express abilities, possibilities, permissions, and obligations.

Ex: Ram might eat that pie before he gets home.

7. Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs aren’t single words; instead, they are combinations of words that are used together to take on a different meaning to that of the original verb.

Ex: If you drop the baton the team will drop back to last place.

8. Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs are those that don’t take on the regular spelling patterns of past simple and past participle verbs.

Ex: Go get your brother. It’s time to eat dinner.

9. Regular and Irregular Verbs

A regular verb is one that forms its simple past tense and its past participle by adding -ed or -d to the base form of the verb. (Note: There are spelling rules to consider too.) For example

Verb

An irregular verb is one that does not conform to this ruling. For example:

verb

Infinitive Form

When a verb is preceded by the word to, it is said to be in its infinitive form (i.e., its most basic form).

Ex: I have to smoke that!

(to smoke – infinitive form of the verb)

Past Tense (Verb)

Verbs that express actions in the past are said to be in the past tense.

Ex: He talked with more claret than clarity. (Susan Ertz)

(talked – past tense of the verb to talk)

Ex: I ran to the lake.

(ran – past tense of the verb to run)

Present Tense (Verb)

Verbs that express present actions are said to be in the present tense.

Ex: Sam jumps out the window.

(jumps – present tense of the verb to jump)

Ex: Who is ill?

(is – present tense of the verb to be)

Future Tense (Verb)

Verbs that express actions in the future are said to be in the future tense. These are usually formed by preceding the verb with the word will.

Ex: I will take the blame.

(will take – future tense of the verb to take)

Ex: They will surrender.

(will surrender – future tense of the verb to surrender)

Subject of a Verb

The person or thing performing the action of the verb is said to be the subject of the verb or the subject of the sentence.

Ex: Sam stole the boat.

(Sam – subject of the verb to steal)

Ex: Who was that?

(Who – subject of the verb to be, i.e., was)

Direct Object of a Verb

Many verbs perform an action on something. This is called the direct object of the verb.

Ex: Sam can eat a whole chicken.

(a whole chicken – direct object of the verb to eat)

Intransitive Verbs

Some verbs cannot have a direct object. These verbs are called intransitive verbs.

Ex: The rain fell heavily.

(The rain fell, but it did not perform an action on anything. In this example, the verb to fall is an intransitive verb.)

Transitive Verbs

Verbs that can have a direct object (most of them) are called transitive verbs.

Ex: Ram copied the answer.

(The verb copied is a transitive verb. The direct object of the verb is the answer.)

Ex: Tara saw a black fin cutting through the water.

(The verb saw is a transitive verb. The direct object of the verb is a black fin.)

Indirect Object of a Verb

Some verbs have two objects, a direct object and an indirect object. The indirect object is the person or thing for whom the action was performed.

Ex: I will bake him a cake.

(a cake – direct object; him – indirect object)

Ex: The postman gives Anu a letter every day.

(a letter – direct object; Anu- indirect object)

Conjugation of Verbs

A verb will change its form a little depending on the subject. For example:

Ex: I write.

He writes.

Ex: The jackal laughs.

The jackals laugh.

When verbs change in this way, it is known as conjugation. A verb conjugates according to the subject. The subject of a verb can be in one of six forms:

I
You
He / She / It
We
You
They
The first three are the singular forms (known as first person singular, second person singular, and third person singular). The second three are the plural forms (known as first person plural, second person plural and third person plural).

All subjects fit into one of these categories. For example, jackal is like he (i.e., third person singular) and jackals is like they (i.e., third person plural). (This subject rarely causes problems for native English speakers, who conjugate verbs correctly without much thought.)

Participles

Participles are formed from verbs. There are two types: present participles and past participles. Present participles end -ing. Past participles have various endings (Ex: -ed, -en).

verb

Participles are classified as adjectives.

Participles being used as adjectives:

Ex: Our business is badly affected by the soaring price of wool.

The word soaring is a present participle. Here, it is being used as an adjective to describe price.

Ex: He is a forgotten hero.

The word forgotten is a past participle. Here, it is being used as an adjective to describe hero.