Verbs
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An Overview
Verbs are a class of words used to show the performance of an action (do, throw, run), existence (be), possession (have), or state (know, love) of a subject. To put it simply a verb shows what something or someone does.
Most statements in speech and writing have a main verb. These verbs are expressed in tenses which place everything in a point in time.
Verbs have moods, which indicate the viewpoint of the verb, whether it is a fact, a command or hypothetical.
Verbs have a voice too. The voice shows whether the subject of a sentence is carrying out an action, or is having an action carried out on it.
Verbs are conjugated (inflected) to reflect how they are used. There are two general areas in which conjugation occurs; for person and for tense .
Conjugation for tense is carried out on all verbs. All conjugations start with the infinitive form of the verb. The infinitive is simply the to form of the verb For example, to begin. The present participle form (the -ing form), is formed by adding ing to the bare infinitive. For example, the present participle of the verb to begin is beginning. There are two other forms that the verb can take, depending on the tense type and time, the simple past form (began) and the past participle (begun). See here for a list of irregular verbs.
Conjugation for person occurs when the verb changes form, depending on whether it is governed by a first, second, or third person subject. This gives three conjugations for any verb depending on who is acting as the subject of the verb. For example, we have: to begin, you begin , and he begins. Note that only the third conjunction really shows a difference.
While most English verbs simply do not show extensive conjugation forms for person, an exception is the verb to be.
Verbs are a class of words used to show the performance of an action (do, throw, run), existence (be), possession (have), or state (know, love) of a subject. To put it simply a verb shows what something or someone does.
Most statements in speech and writing have a main verb. These verbs are expressed in tenses which place everything in a point in time.
Verbs have moods, which indicate the viewpoint of the verb, whether it is a fact, a command or hypothetical.
Verbs have a voice too. The voice shows whether the subject of a sentence is carrying out an action, or is having an action carried out on it.
Verbs are conjugated (inflected) to reflect how they are used. There are two general areas in which conjugation occurs; for person and for tense .
Conjugation for tense is carried out on all verbs. All conjugations start with the infinitive form of the verb. The infinitive is simply the to form of the verb For example, to begin. The present participle form (the -ing form), is formed by adding ing to the bare infinitive. For example, the present participle of the verb to begin is beginning. There are two other forms that the verb can take, depending on the tense type and time, the simple past form (began) and the past participle (begun). See here for a list of irregular verbs.
Conjugation for person occurs when the verb changes form, depending on whether it is governed by a first, second, or third person subject. This gives three conjugations for any verb depending on who is acting as the subject of the verb. For example, we have: to begin, you begin , and he begins. Note that only the third conjunction really shows a difference.
While most English verbs simply do not show extensive conjugation forms for person, an exception is the verb to be.
An Overview
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Action Verbs
Action verbs are verbs that show the performance of an action. They are dynamic verbs that show something happening.
There are regular and irregular action verbs.
For example:
•To walk is a regular action verb
The simple past tense is formed by adding -ed to the end of the verb. However there are several rules depending on the spelling of the verb, these are:-
If the base of the verb ends in:-
-e only add -d (raid - raided)
a consonant plus -y the y is turned into -ied (study - studied / try - tried)
-c add -ked (panic - panicked)
a single vowel plus a consonant and is stressed on its final syllable the consonant is usually doubled and -ed added (plan - planned)
-p, g or -m the consonant is usually doubled and -ed added (ram - rammed / tap - tapped / gag - gagged)
-l the consonant is usually doubled (travel - travelled)
•To run is an irregular action verb
The only rule is that there are no rules for the spelling of irregular verbs, they have to be learnt. Sorry!
Action verbs are verbs that show the performance of an action. They are dynamic verbs that show something happening.
There are regular and irregular action verbs.
For example:
•To walk is a regular action verb
The simple past tense is formed by adding -ed to the end of the verb. However there are several rules depending on the spelling of the verb, these are:-
If the base of the verb ends in:-
-e only add -d (raid - raided)
a consonant plus -y the y is turned into -ied (study - studied / try - tried)
-c add -ked (panic - panicked)
a single vowel plus a consonant and is stressed on its final syllable the consonant is usually doubled and -ed added (plan - planned)
-p, g or -m the consonant is usually doubled and -ed added (ram - rammed / tap - tapped / gag - gagged)
-l the consonant is usually doubled (travel - travelled)
•To run is an irregular action verb
The only rule is that there are no rules for the spelling of irregular verbs, they have to be learnt. Sorry!
Action Verbs
Linking Verbs
Linking verbs do not express action. Instead, they connect the subject of the verb to additional information about the subject. Look at the examples below:
Keila is a shopaholic.
Ising isn't something that Keila can do. Is connects the subject, Keila, to additional information about her, that she will soon have a huge credit card bill to pay.
During the afternoon, my cats are content to nap on the couch.
Areing isn't something that cats can do. Are is connecting the subject, cats, to something said about them, that they enjoy sleeping on the furniture.
After drinking the old milk, Bladimiro turned green.
Turned connects the subject, Bladimiro, to something said about him, that he was needing Pepto Bismol.
A ten-item quiz seems impossibly long after a night of no studying.
Seems connects the subject, a ten-item quiz, with something said about it, that its difficulty depends on preparation, not length.
Irene always feels sleepy after pigging out on pizza from Antonio's.
Feels connects the subject, Irene, to her state of being, sleepiness.
The following verbs are true linking verbs: any form of the verb be [am, is, are, was, were, has been, are being, might have been, etc.], become, and seem. These true linking verbs are always linking verbs.
Then you have a list of verbs with multiple personalities: appear, feel, grow, look, prove, remain, smell, sound, taste, and turn. Sometimes these verbs are linking verbs; sometimes they are action verbs.
How do you tell when they are action verbs and when they are linking verbs?
If you can substitute am, is, or are and the sentence still sounds logical, you have a linking verb on your hands.
If, after the substitution, the sentence makes no sense, you are dealing with an action verb instead. Here are some examples:
Sylvia tasted the spicy squid eyeball stew.
Sylvia is the stew? I don't think so! Tasted, therefore, is an action verb in this sentence, something Sylvia is doing.
The squid eyeball stew tasted good.
The stew is good? You bet. Make your own!
I smell the delicious aroma of a mushroom and papaya pizza baking in the oven.
I am the aroma? No way! Smell, in this sentence, is an action verb, something I am doing.
The mushroom and papaya pizza smells heavenly.
The pizza is heavenly? Definitely! Try a slice!
When my dog Oreo felt the wet grass beneath her paws, she bolted up the stairs and curled up on the couch.
Oreo is the wet grass? Of course not! Here, then, felt is an action verb, something Oreo is doing.
My dog Oreo feels depressed after seven straight days of rain.
Oreo is depressed? Without a doubt! Oreo hates the wet.
This substitution will not work for appear. With appear, you have to analyze the function of the verb.
Swooping out of the clear blue sky, the blue jay appeared on the branch.
Appear is something a blue jay can do—especially when food is near.
The blue jay appeared happy to see the bird feeder.
Here, appeared is connecting the subject, the blue jay, to its state of mind, happiness.
Linking verbs do not express action. Instead, they connect the subject of the verb to additional information about the subject. Look at the examples below:
Keila is a shopaholic.
Ising isn't something that Keila can do. Is connects the subject, Keila, to additional information about her, that she will soon have a huge credit card bill to pay.
During the afternoon, my cats are content to nap on the couch.
Areing isn't something that cats can do. Are is connecting the subject, cats, to something said about them, that they enjoy sleeping on the furniture.
After drinking the old milk, Bladimiro turned green.
Turned connects the subject, Bladimiro, to something said about him, that he was needing Pepto Bismol.
A ten-item quiz seems impossibly long after a night of no studying.
Seems connects the subject, a ten-item quiz, with something said about it, that its difficulty depends on preparation, not length.
Irene always feels sleepy after pigging out on pizza from Antonio's.
Feels connects the subject, Irene, to her state of being, sleepiness.
The following verbs are true linking verbs: any form of the verb be [am, is, are, was, were, has been, are being, might have been, etc.], become, and seem. These true linking verbs are always linking verbs.
Then you have a list of verbs with multiple personalities: appear, feel, grow, look, prove, remain, smell, sound, taste, and turn. Sometimes these verbs are linking verbs; sometimes they are action verbs.
How do you tell when they are action verbs and when they are linking verbs?
If you can substitute am, is, or are and the sentence still sounds logical, you have a linking verb on your hands.
If, after the substitution, the sentence makes no sense, you are dealing with an action verb instead. Here are some examples:
Sylvia tasted the spicy squid eyeball stew.
Sylvia is the stew? I don't think so! Tasted, therefore, is an action verb in this sentence, something Sylvia is doing.
The squid eyeball stew tasted good.
The stew is good? You bet. Make your own!
I smell the delicious aroma of a mushroom and papaya pizza baking in the oven.
I am the aroma? No way! Smell, in this sentence, is an action verb, something I am doing.
The mushroom and papaya pizza smells heavenly.
The pizza is heavenly? Definitely! Try a slice!
When my dog Oreo felt the wet grass beneath her paws, she bolted up the stairs and curled up on the couch.
Oreo is the wet grass? Of course not! Here, then, felt is an action verb, something Oreo is doing.
My dog Oreo feels depressed after seven straight days of rain.
Oreo is depressed? Without a doubt! Oreo hates the wet.
This substitution will not work for appear. With appear, you have to analyze the function of the verb.
Swooping out of the clear blue sky, the blue jay appeared on the branch.
Appear is something a blue jay can do—especially when food is near.
The blue jay appeared happy to see the bird feeder.
Here, appeared is connecting the subject, the blue jay, to its state of mind, happiness.
Linking Verbs
Main Verb
Sometimes there is more than one kind of verb in a sentence. There are auxiliary verbs , modal verbs, and main verbs (sometimes called full or non-auxiliary verbs).
The main verb expresses the main action or state of being of the subject in the sentence and changes form according to the subject (singular, plural, 1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person).
Most statements in speech and writing have a main verb.
The main verb changes its form according to the verb form (perfect tense, past tense, simple tense etc).
For example:
•Dogs usually chase cats.
•But my cat chases my dog.
•My cat is chasing my dog.
•My dog has sometimes chased my cat.
•But, only because my cat ate my dog's dinner.
•My cat has been eating my dog's dinner a lot.
Sometimes there is more than one kind of verb in a sentence. There are auxiliary verbs , modal verbs, and main verbs (sometimes called full or non-auxiliary verbs).
The main verb expresses the main action or state of being of the subject in the sentence and changes form according to the subject (singular, plural, 1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person).
Most statements in speech and writing have a main verb.
The main verb changes its form according to the verb form (perfect tense, past tense, simple tense etc).
For example:
•Dogs usually chase cats.
•But my cat chases my dog.
•My cat is chasing my dog.
•My dog has sometimes chased my cat.
•But, only because my cat ate my dog's dinner.
•My cat has been eating my dog's dinner a lot.
Main Verb
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