Lesson 1Lesson 1

Action VerbsAction Verbs

•A verb is the main word in the predicate of a sentence.

•An action verb tells what the subject does.

Example:We walked on the beach.We ran toward the ocean.

•Sometimes an action verb tells about an action that you cannot see.

Example:We wanted seashells.I wondered about the tides.

Lesson 2Lesson 2

Main Verbs and Main Verbs and AuxiliariesAuxiliaries

•Some verbs are only one word. Sometimes several words together make up the verb.

Example:Kenneth walked home.I will be going home soon too.

•A verb that is made up of more than one word is called a verb phrase.

•The last word in a verb phrase is the main verb.

•The other verbs are called auxiliary verbs or helping verbs.

Example:Bill Moore has arrived home.The door had been locked.

Common Auxiliary VerbsCommon Auxiliary Verbs

am were do has must might

is be does had will would

are being did can shall should

was been have may could

•Sometimes the auxiliary verb in one sentence is the main verb in another.

•Be sure to read the whole sentence before you identify a main verb and its auxiliaries.

Verb Main Verb Auxiliary Verb

did I did my homework. I did wait for you.

has Bob has it. Bob has taken it.

•Questions are often formed with auxiliary verbs. In questions, the main verb and its auxiliaries may be separated by the subject of the sentence.

Example:Should we leave now?Will the show start early?Who would like a ticket?

Lesson 3Lesson 3

Direct ObjectsDirect Objects

•An action verb is often followed by a word that tells who or what receives the action.

Fran made the basket.

Lou finished the book.

She returned it to the library.

• The word that tells who or what receives the action is called the direct object.

• To find the direct object, first find the verb. Then ask who or what receives the action.

Example:Ann programmed the computer. (Ann programmed what?)Jerry has made a model plane.(Jerry has made what?)The music annoys Mr. Nelson.(The music annoys whom?)

• In some sentences, the direct object is compound.

Example:I need oil paints and a brush for my

hobby.(I need what?)Jane received a guitar and a songbook

for herbirthday.(Jane received what?)

Lesson 4Lesson 4

Transitive and Transitive and Intransitive VerbsIntransitive Verbs

•A transitive verb is an action verb that has a receiver of the action.

•Usually the receiver of the action is a direct object.

•An intransitive verb has no direct object. The same verb can be transitive in one sentence and intransitive in another.

Example:Verb Transitive Intransitivespoke The students spoke

French.They spoke well.

studied Tom studied grammar.

He studied hard.

Transitive – answers who? or what?

Intransitive – answers where? or how?

•Some action verbs are always intransitive. They never have direct objects.

Example:Intransitive Verbs: Her eyes twinkled.

Carla will listen to her carefully.

Lesson 5Lesson 5

Being Verbs and Being Verbs and Linking VerbsLinking Verbs

•Some verbs do not show action. They show what the subject is or is like. Verbs called being verbs show a state of being.

Example:Mr. Wong is the principal.He seems kind.He is here.

•A being verb is often a linking verb. It links the subject of the sentence with a word in the predicate that tells more about it.

Example:This newspaper feels damp.It became wet in the rain.

Common Being and Linking Common Being and Linking VerbsVerbs

am seem look

is be appear

are being feel

was been taste

were become smell

•Linking verbs link the subject with a word in the predicate.

•The word can be a predicate noun or a predicate adjective.

•A predicate noun renames the subject.

•A predicate adjective describes the subject.

•Linking verbs never have direct objects.

Predicate Nouns: Don is our leader. (Don = leader)He has become my friend. (He =

friend)

Predicate Adjectives:Ms. Hill was friendly.She appeared shy to strangers.

Lesson 6Lesson 6

Verb TensesVerb Tenses

•The tense of a verb tells when the action or the state of being takes place. “Tense” comes from the Latin word for time.

•The words present, past, and future all refer to time.

•The present tense tells that something is happening now.

Example:The band arrives.The dancers perform outdoors.The gardens are beautiful.

•The past tense tells that something has already happened.

•Usually the past tense of a verb is formed by adding –ed. The past tense of the verb be is was or were.

Example:The audience applauded.We stayed until the end.The play was wonderful.

•The future tense tells that something is going to happen.

• It is usually formed with the auxiliary verb shall or will.

Example:Gail and Tim will be late.We shall wait for them.Our friends will save the seats for us.

Lesson 7Lesson 7

Principal Parts of VerbsPrincipal Parts of Verbs

•All of the tenses of a verb come from four basic forms.

•The basic forms are the principal parts of the verb.

Principal Parts of VerbsPrincipal Parts of Verbs

Verb PresentParticiple

Past Past Participle

work (is) working

worked (has) worked

share (is) sharing

shared (has) shared

ride (is) riding rode (has) ridden

know (is) knowing

knew (has) known

•The present participle and the past participle are always used with an auxiliary verb.

•Most verbs have past and past participle forms that are formed by adding –d or –ed. These verbs are called regular verbs because they follow this pattern. Notice in the chart that work and share are regular verbs.

• The past and past participle of some verbs are not formed by adding –d or –ed. These verbs are irregular verbs. In the chart, the verbs ride and know are irregular verbs.

• Remember, when a regular verb ends with a consonant and y, change the y to i before adding –ed. When a regular one-syllable verb ends with a vowel and a consonant, double the consonant before adding –ed.

Example:cry – cried hurry – hurried hop -

hopped

Lesson 8Lesson 8

More Irregular VerbsMore Irregular Verbs

•The best way to learn the principle parts that you do not know is to memorize them.

•The chart on the next slide shows some of the principal parts of some irregular verbs.

VERB PRESENT PARTICIPLE

PAST PAST PARTICIPLE

be (is) being was (has) been

blow (is) blowing blew (has) blown

do (is) doing did (has) done

drive (is) driving drove (has) driven

fly (is) flying flew (has) flown

freeze (is) freezing froze (has) frozen

have (is) having had (has) had

lend (is) lending lent (has) lent

make (is) making made (has) made

ring (is) ringing rang (has) rung

see (is) seeing saw (has) seen

speak (is) speaking spoke (has) spoken

steal (is) stealing stole (has) stolen

swim (is) swimming swam (has) swum

take (is) taking took (has) taken

tear (is) tearing tore (has) torn

throw (is) throwing threw (has) thrown

write (is) writing wrote (has) written

Lesson 9Lesson 9

Subject-Verb AgreementSubject-Verb Agreement

• A verb and its subject must agree in number.

• Use a singular verb with a singular subject and a plural verb with a plural subject.

• A compound subject joined by and takes a plural verb.

Example:Singular: The boy calls.Plural: The boys call.Singular: The girl plays.Plural: The boy and the girl play.

•Singular verbs in the present tense usually end in s or es. However, when the singular subject is I or you, the singular verb does not end in s or es.

•Plural verbs in the present tense do not usually end in s.

Example:Singular: I laugh.Plural: The girls run.

• The verb be does not follow the usual rules.

Agreement with the Verb Agreement with the Verb bebe

Subject Verb SentenceI am (present)

was (past)I am well today.I was sick yesterday.

he, she, it, and all singular nouns

is (present)was (past)

It is raining now.The cat is playful.She was hungry.

we, you, they, and all plural nouns

are (present)were (past)

We are cousins.You are friendly.They were teammates.

Lesson 10Lesson 10

More About Subject-Verb More About Subject-Verb AgreementAgreement

•You know that the verb in a sentence must agree with the subject.

•You have also learned that when the parts of a compound subject are joined by and, the verb is plural.

•When or, either…or, or neither…nor is used to join the parts of a compound subject, the verb may be singular or plural.

•Use a plural verb if both parts of the subject are plural.

Example: Books or magazines were always on

the table.

• Use a singular verb if both parts of the compound subject are singular. If one part is singular and one part is plural, make the verb agree with the subject that is closer to it.

Example:Neither Jim nor Sally is ever without a good

book.Neither Ted nor his friends like mystery

books.Neither his friends nor Ted likes mystery

books.

• The verb in a sentence beginning with here or there must also agree with the subject. Here or there is never the subject of a sentence. To find the subject, ask, Who or what is here? or Who or what is there?

Example:Here is the index. (What is here?)There is Ms. Ryan. (Who is there?)There are the card catalogs. (What is there?)

Lesson 11Lesson 11

ContractionsContractions

•A contraction is a word formed by combining two words and shortening one of them.

•An apostrophe takes the place of the letter or letters left out.

•Sometimes the verb is shortened.

Examples:we’re – we are they’ve – they have I’ll –

I will

• Often a verb and not are combined. The word not is shortened.

• Most contractions with not are formed by using an apostrophe to replace the o in not.

Contractions formed with Contractions formed with notnot

isn’t (is not) can’t (cannot)

aren’t (are not) couldn’t (could not)

wasn’t (was not) doesn’t (does not)

weren’t (were not) hasn’t (has not)

won’t (will not) haven’t (have not)

•Only the part of the contraction that is the verb is part of the verb phrase.

•The word not and the contracted form n’t are never part of a verb phrase.

Example:He’s mixed the chemicals carefully. (verb phrase = has mixed)Kenneth shouldn’t add too much acid.(verb phrase = should add)

Lesson 12Lesson 12

Sit, Set; Lie, Lay; Rise, Sit, Set; Lie, Lay; Rise, RaiseRaise

• Some verbs have related but different meanings.

• Three confusing pairs are sit, set; lie, lay; and rise, raise.

Verb Definition Sentencesitset

to rest in an upright positionto put or place an object

I sit in the chair.I set down the cup.

lielay

to rest or reclineto put or place an object

I lie on the blanket.I lay the book down.

riseraise

to get up or go upto move something up, to grow something, or to increase

We rise early.They raise their hands.Farmers raise corn.Ed will raise his fee.

• To decide which verb to use, ask yourself what the subject is doing.

• If the subject is placing an object somewhere, use set or lay.

• If the subject is resting, use sit or lie.

• To decide whether to use rise or raise, ask yourself, Raise what? If your answer names something, use raise. If the question has no answer, you should use rise.

Lesson 13Lesson 13

Lend, Borrow; Let, Leave; Lend, Borrow; Let, Leave; Teach, LearnTeach, Learn

•Here are three more verb pairs that are sometimes confused.

•Lend means “to give.” Borrow means “to take.”

Example:Will you lend me your boots? (Will you

give them?)May I borrow them for a hike? (May I

take them?)

•Let and leave have different meanings too. The verb let means “to permit.” The verb leave means “to go away” or “to allow to remain in one place.”

Example:My brothers let me play with them. (They

permit.)Tomorrow we leave for a camping trip. (We goaway.)I will leave my camera in the tent. (It will

remain.)

•The third confusing pair is teach and learn. Teach means “to give instruction.” Learn means “to get instruction.”

Example:Alice will teach tennis. (She will

instruct.)Babies learn very fast. (They receive

instruction.)