What are verbs?

words used to express:

an action

a condition

or a state of being

Action Verbs

Linking Verbs

Helping Verbs

3 types of verbs:

Action Verbs

Linking Verbs (to be)

Helping Verbs

ACTION VERBS

• tell what its subject is

doing

• the action expressed can

be physical or mental

Physical action

Early humans movedconstantly.

They carried all possessions with them.

Mental action

Early humans worriedabout survival.

They feared large animals.

Linking Verbs

• connects or links a subject to a word in the predicate (noun or pronoun)

• tell what the subject is

Words that express

condition are called

Linking verbs

Linking verbs “link”

the subject to the predicate.

Early humans were hunters.(were links human to hunters)

They often felt hungry.

(felt links they to hungry)

appear, become, feel, grow,

look, remain, seem,

smell, sound, taste

Am are were being

Is was be been

Linking Verbs

The most common linking verbs

are forms of the verb “be.”

Action or linking? Some words

function as more than one type of verb.

Animals appeared at their campsites.

(“appeared” functions as an action verb)

Some animals appeared friendly.

(“appeared” functions as a linking verb)

Forms of the verb “be” can be used as linking or helping

verbs.

Forms of the verb “be”

Singular Plural

1st person I am we are

2nd person you are you are

3rd person he, she, it is they are

1st person I was we were

2nd person you were you were

3rd person he, she, it was they were

Helping Verbs

• HELP the main verb express action or precise shades of meaning

• help form some of the tenses and the voice of the main verb

• Helping verbs always come before* action verbs.

*Sometimes adverbs interrupt and come in between the helping and action verbs.

EXAMPLE: Might always be

When there are two or more words in the

verb, the last word is the main verb and

the other words are the helping verbs.

Verb (Verb

Phrase)Helping Verb Main Verb

is making is making

has been making has been making

was mixing was mixing

might have mixed

might (always) be

might have

might

mixed

be

Verb phrase

the combination of

one or more

helping verbs with

a main verb

Verb Phrases

Jane is working on her project.

Frank was listening to music.

You have been working hard.

Helping or Linking?

•The game of checkers is old. _________

•He became an inventor. _________

•I am studying. _________

•She was smart. _________

•The sun is shining. _________

•The sun is shiny. _________

•Miss. Brooks was the teacher. _________

•Miss. Brooks was teaching. _________

Direct Objects

What is a direct object?

A direct object is the

noun or pronoun that

receives the action of

the verb.

• In some sentences the subject and

verb alone can express a complete

thought.

Erika ran.

• In other sentences a direct object is

needed to help express the complete

thought.

Erika found the keys.

(Adding the direct object “keys” helps the

reader understand the sentence.)

• Example #1

Lisa found. (Found what?)

Lisa found the home.

• Example #2

Erika recorded. (Recorded what?)

Erika recorded the discovery.

Use a direct object to

express a complete thought.

All verb tenses are made from the three principal parts of a verb: present, past, and past participle.

Verb Tense

• Present tense – expresses an action (or existence)

that is happening now or that happens continually

or regularly.

• Past tense – expresses an action (or existence) that

was completed at a particular time in the past.

• Future tense – expresses an action (or existence)

that will take place in the future.

• Participles – expresses an action (or existence)

that started at some point and ended in the past.

Principal Parts of Verbs

Present Past Past Participle

call called (have) called

Print printed (have) printed

watch watched (have) watched

review reviewed (have) reviewed

carry carried (have) carried

pick picked (have) picked

Subject and Verb Agreement

Subjects and verbs

in sentences must

agree in number.

Number = singular or plural

Singular subjects need

singular verbs.

Paul wonders if there is

life on other planets.

Plural subjects

need plural verbs.

The girls wonder if

there is life on other

planets.* Note: wonder does not have an “s” at the end.

*Please note that the letter “s” on a verb is considered singular.

Subject

(nouns)

Verb (simpl e

predicate)

Numb er

dog barks singular

dogs bark plural

expert gives singular

experts give plural

law guarantees singular

laws guarantee plural

The prepositional phrase can

interrupt the subject and verb!

The dog in the window was

jumping.

The dogs in the window

were jumping.

Special Forms of Certain Verbs

• A few verbs have special forms.

• Make sure all verbs still agree in number by

using the correct verb.Singular Plural

is are

was were

has have

does do

Special Forms Examples

• The clue is here. (singular)

• The clues are here. (Plural)

• The clues were here. (Plural)

• The Investigator has no answer. (Singular)

• The investigators have no answer. (Plural)

Active Voice

the subject is doing the action

The baseball hit the batter.

Passive Voice

the subject is receiving

the action

The batter was hit by the baseball.

• CAN and MAY

–can “able to”

–may “to be allowed/permitted to”

• LIE and LAY

– lie “to rest” or “to recline” {lie,lay,lain}

– lay “to put or place something” {lay,laid,laid}

• RISE and RAISE– rise “to move upward” or “to get up”

– raise “to move something upward” or “to lift”

• SIT and SET

– sit “to be in a seat” or “to rest”

– set “to put or place something”

Confusing words continued

ACCEPT (verb)

• to receive something offered

• To regard as true

• To admit to a place, group or organization

EXCEPT (preposition)

• With the exclusion of; but, otherwise than

EXCEPTED (verb)

• to leave out, exclude