Verbs and Verb Usage Grammar English 9

What is a Verb? O A verb is a word that expresses time while showing an action and/or a condition of being. O The verb is perhaps the most important part of speech in English.

Three Main Types of Verbs O There are three main types of verbs: O Action Verbs O Linking Verbs O Helping Verbs

Action Verbs O Action verbs tell what action someone or something is performing. O For example: O The king rules the kingdom. O Famine struck the people.

Action Verbs (cont.) O Action verbs show mental action as well as visible action. O For example: O We chose two books about China. O They remember the film about China.

Lets Practice! O Identify the action verb in each sentence. Then, determine whether it is visible or mental. O 1. Kings had tombs decorated extravagantly for themselves. O 2. The Chinese remembered their ancestors. O 3. They hoped for harmony between human beings and nature. O 4. Chinese artists of the Bronze Age made beautiful carvings.

Lets Practice! O How many did you get right? O 1. Kings had tombs decorated extravagantly for themselves. (Visible) O 2. The Chinese remembered their ancestors. (Mental) O 3. They hoped for harmony between human beings and nature. (Mental) O 4. Chinese artists of the Bronze Age made beautiful carvings. (Visible)

Action Verbs (cont.) O Action verbs are either transitive or intransitive. O Transitive action verbs direct action toward someone or something in a sentence. O Intransitive action verbs do not direct action toward someone or something in a sentence.

Action Verbs (cont.) O Transitive: O “Pat carried her books to the lecture on Asia.” O The verb here is carried. It is transitive because it directs action toward something. Toward what? Pat’s books. O Intransitive: O “The temperature fell quickly.” O The verb here is fell. It is intransitive because it does not direct action toward something. The temperature simply fell.

Lets Practice! O Identify the action verb in each sentence. Then, determine whether it is transitive or intransitive. O 1. Archaeologists discovered most of the artifacts from the first period in graves. O 2. Kings of the Shang dynasty constructed elaborate tombs. O 3. The Shang people began as a clan of villagers in central China. O 4. The art of metalwork advanced greatly during this period.

Lets Practice! O How many did you get right? O 1. Archaeologists discovered most of the artifacts from the first period in graves. (Transitive; discovered what? Most of the artifacts) O 2. Kings of the Shang dynasty constructed elaborate tombs. (Transitive; constructed what? Elaborate tombs) O 3. The Shang people began as a clan of villagers in central China. (Intransitive) O 4. The art of metalwork advanced greatly during this period. (Intransitive)

Linking Verbs O Linking verbs do not show action. O A linking verb is a verb that connects a word at or near the beginning of a sentence with a word at or near the end. O In English, the most common linking verb is some form of the verb be.

Linking Verbs (cont.) The Forms of BE amam beingcan behave been areare beingcould behas been isis beingmay behad been waswas beingmight becould have been werewere beingmust bemay have been shall bemight have been should bemust have been will beshall have been would beshould have been will have been would have been

Linking Verbs (cont.) O For example: O “Sara is an astronaut.” O “He was glad.” O “The Apollo 13 mission was successful.”

Linking Verbs (cont.) O A verb is functioning as a linking verb if am, are, or is can logically be substituted for the verb, as seen below: Linking VerbsAction Verbs The pears taste sweet.I taste the red pepper. The pears are sweet.I am the red pepper. (taste = linking)(taste = action) The runner grew tired.He grew a beard. The runner is tired.He is a beard. (grew = linking)(grew = action)

Lets Practice! O Identify the verb in each sentence. Then, determine whether it is linking or action. O 1. An electrical surge turned a successful mission into a perilous one. O 2. They grew concerned about sparks igniting insulation.

Lets Practice! O How many did you get right? O 1. An electrical surge turned a successful mission into a perilous one. (Action; am, are, or is cannot be logically substituted) O 2. They grew concerned about sparks igniting insulation. (Linking; are can be logically substituted)

Helping Verbs O Helping verbs are verbs that can be added to another verb to make a single verb phrase O Any of the many forms of be as well as some other verbs can be used as helping verbs O Sometimes are also called “auxiliary verbs”

Helping Verbs (cont.) Helping Verbs Other Than the Forms of BE dohaveshallcan doeshasshouldcould didhadwillmay wouldmight must

Helping Verbs (cont.) O Other words may sometimes separate helping verbs from main verbs in sentences. O Words Together: “They will be flying in the morning.” O “will be flying” is the entire verb phrase O Words Separated: “They will definitely not be going with us.” O “will be going” is the entire verb phrase, separated by a negation