grammatical categories

1.5. the verb

VERBS

Verbs express an action, an occurrence, or a state of being.

 

ESAMPLES/

• Jason built an excellent Web site. (Action)
• It has many links. (Occurrence)
• He is proud of it. (State of being)

Action verbs show the action of a sentence. Some action verbs are runs, studies, works, and fixes. Verbs that express a state of being generally link to the subject words that describe or rename it. Some linking verbs are am, is, are, was, were, be, being, and been. Other linking verbs express the senses: feels, appears, tastes, sounds, seems, looks.

it is important that you be able to recognize verbs so that you can determine whether sentences are complete. All sentences have at least one verb; many sentences will have more than one verb. Verbs may appear singly or in phrases.

Stacy submitted her application to become a management trainee. (Action verb)

Her résumé is just one page long. (Linking verb)

She has been training to become a manager. (Verb phrase)

Stacy feels bad that she will be leaving her current colleagues. (Linking verb and verb phrase)

 

VERB TENSES.

 

The tense of a verb tells the reader or listener when the action or state of being takes place.

An action verb is a verb that shows physical or mental action. You can usually find the action verb in a sentence by asking “What did the person, place, or thing do?”

• smile          taste grow run   read like    call    paint          fly

 

A linking verb is a verb that shows a state of being. It does not show action. Linking verbs link the subject to other words in a sentence. Here are some examples:

• Leonard is my best friend.                      Pandas are endangered.
• I am happy.                                             The sky seems dark.

 

The present tense expresses an action that takes place in the present. For example:

The store is open. I write poems. The sun shines on us.

The past tense expresses an action that has already taken place. Most verbs are regular: To form the past tense -d or -ed is added. For example:

Hannah skipped down the block.           We danced together.

Other verbs are irregular: To form the past tense, their spelling changes in unpredictable ways.

Lily wore a blue hat.                      Patrick was late for school.            We won the game last Saturday.

The future tense expresses an action that will take place in the future. It has not happened yet. For example:

Chris will watch the movie.            We will walk home together. It will rain tomorrow.

 

TYPES OF VERBS

There are several types of verbs to be studied: the action verb, the linking verb, and the helping verb.

• Action Verbs

An action verb tells what action (often a physical action) a subject is performing, has performed, or will perform.

My father delivers packages to department stores each day.

Louie bowled a perfect game last night.

Suzanne skated across the rink in Central Park.

Turn at the next corner, Noel.

Oscar will help Petra with the project.

• Linking Verbs

A linking verb connects (or links) a subject to a noun or an adjective in the predicate. The most common linking verbs are the forms of the verb “to be” ( is, are, was, were, been, being, am ) and appear , become, feel, grow, look, remain, seem, smell, sound, stay, taste, and turn.

 

My sister is a doctor. (The linking verb, is, connects the subject, sister, with the predicate nominative, doctor.)

My sister is studying to become a doctor. (In this sentence the word is is a helping verb for the main verb, studying. Is does not function as a linking verb.)

He appeared tired. (The linking verb, appeared, links the subject, He, with the predicate adjective, tired. )

He appeared at the game. (In this sentence the verb, appeared, is an action verb, not a linking verb.)

In the following group of sentences, the odd-numbered sentences exemplify the linking verb and the even-numbered sentences show the same verb used as either an action verb or a helping verb. Discuss why each verb functions as it does.

1. Reggie looked confused.

2. Reggie looked for his missing wallet.

3. Tammy grew tired during the long concert.

4. Tammy grew tomatoes in her garden this year.

5. I feel confused in math class.

6. I feel the penny at the bottom of this pool.

 

• Helping Verbs

A helping verb assists the main verb in a sentence. There can be more than one helping verb in each sentence. In a questioning (interrogative) sentence, the helping verb is usually separated from the main verb.

The common helping verbs are am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being, has, had, have, do, does, did, may, might, must, can, could, shall, should, will, and would.

The italicized word in each sentence below is the helping verb. The underlined word is the main verb.

The members are going to the city tomorrow evening.

Are the members going to the city tomorrow evening?

That joke has been heard around the office.

Has that joke been heard around the office?

Her brothers are leaving for the train.

Are her brothers leaving for the train?