By Ellyn Ball and Lilly Jenkins Verbs By Ellyn Ball and Lilly Jenkins

Verbs Who can recall what a verb does?

Verbs Verbs are words that name an action or describe a state of being. They describe what is happening in the sentence. Every complete sentence needs to include at least one verb. Some verbs describe specific actions.

Action Verbs An action verb tells what action someone or something is performing. Verbs such as walk, sailed, played, migrate, raced crossed, learn and arrive all show some kind of action. Examples: Father packed our suitcases The ship chugged into the harbor.

Transitive Verbs A transitive verb is an action verb that directs action from the performer of the action toward the receiver of the action. The “receiver” of the action is a person place or thing-that is a noun or pronoun. Examples: The captain rang the bell. The captain sailed the boat.

Intransitive Verbs An intransitive verb expresses action or tells something about the subject of the sentence but does not direct action toward another noun or pronoun. Examples: The bell rang for dinner. The ship sailed out to sea.

Quick Check What does an action verb do? tells what action someone or something is performing. Name two types of action verbs? transitive and intransitive

Visible Action and Mental Action sail swim rip migrates bring smile traveled cried remember decide understand hope expect think consider forgot

Linking Verbs Some verbs do not show action. Instead, they link two parts of a sentence. These linking verbs thus show a relationship between words in a sentence. A linking verb connects a noun or pronoun with a word that identifies or describes it. Linking verbs act almost like as equal signs. Example: New York is a city Lucy seems unhappy. In English, the most common linking verb is be. This verb has many forms.

Common Linking Verbs Forms of Be Am Are Is Was Were Am being Is being Was being Were being Can be Could be May be Might be Must be Shall be Should be Will be Would be Have been Has been Had been Could have been May have been Might have been Must have been Shall have been Should have been Will have been Would have been

Other Linking Verbs Appear look sound Become remain stay Feel seem taste Grow smell turn

Other Linking Verbs Be is the most commonly used linking verb, but there some other important linking verbs you should know (table above). Like be, these verbs are often link two parts of a sentence. She later became a citizen. The cream tastes sour. The food stayed fresh and crisp.

Quick Check The most common linking verb is? Be What does a linking verb do? they link two parts of a sentence List several other linking verbs besides forms of be?

Action Verb or Linking Verb Many of the twelve verbs (other linking verbs table) can be used as either linking verbs or action verbs. To test whether a verb is a linking verb or an action verb, substitute am, are, or is for the verb. If the sentence with the new verb still makes sense, then the original verb is a linking verb.

Examples Linking Action The bread smelled stale (The bread is stale) The Dutch bulbs grow tall (The Dutch bulbs are tall) Tina felt weak. (Tina is weak.) Charles smelled the sea air. (Charles is the sea air) Ann grows tulips. (Ann are tulips) Tina felt the cloth. (Tina is the cloth.)

Helping Verbs Sometimes a verb in a sentence is just one word. Often however, a verb will be made up of several words. This type of verb is called a verb phrase. A verb phrase can have one, two, or three helping verbs before the main part of the verb. Helping verbs are added before another verb to make a verb phrase. The various forms of be (from above) are often used as helping verbs in front of other verbs.

Recognizing Helping Verbs Some Forms of BE used as Helping Verbs Helping verbs Main Verb Am Has been Was being Could have been Will have been growing warned told reminded waiting Other Helping Verbs Do have would will can Does has shall might could Did had should must may

Helping Verbs Words in a verb phrase can sometime be separated by other words. Very often, words such as not, certainly and seldom come between a helping verb and the key part of the verb. Examples: Words together: They must have been taken by taxi to the airport. Words separated: Marie has certainly not contacted us.

Recognizing Helping Verbs Verb Phrases Helping Verbs Main Verbs Do Has Would Can‘ May Must have Should have remember written hope believe attempt thought grown

Quick Check A verb that is made up of several words is often called a? Verb phrase Questions?

You Do On the left side of your interactive notebook, list one of each kind of verb learned today (do not use any examples given today). Make sure to illustrate and color code.