1. Verbs
A verb is a word that expresses action or otherwise helps to make a statement.
Linking
Auxiliary
Transitive/Intransitive
Active/Passive
Participle

2. Linking Verbs Some verbs express a state or condition.
They link to the subject a noun, pronoun, or an adjective that describes or identifies the subject.
The word linked to the subject is called its subject complement.
Ex: Sarah was serious.

3. Linking Verbs The most common linking verb is the verb be.
Takes a number of forms: is, am, are, was were, being, been (and all verb phrases ending in be, being, or been).
Other common linking verbs (W421): become, look, feel, seem…

4. Linking Verbs
Don’t be deceived. Many linking verbs can also be used as action verbs.
Ex: The singer appeared nervous.
Ex: The singer appeared on TV.
A verb is a linking verb if one can substitute some form of the verb seem.
Ex: The audience looked [seemed] happy.
Ex: Jack looked [not seemed] at his notes.

5. Auxiliary Verbs
A verb phrase is made up of a main verb and one or more auxiliary verbs (also called helping verbs).
Auxiliary verbs help the main verb to express action or make a statement.
Ex: I should have studied more.
Ex: He must have been injured during the game.

6. Auxiliary Verbs
The auxiliary verbs may be separated from the main verb.
Ex: Did you see dad at the movies?
Ex: We have not yet been to Kairos.

7. Transitive/Intransitive
Action verbs may (or may not) take an object:
a noun or pronoun that completes the action by showing who or what is affected by the action.
Verbs that take objects are called transitive.
Ex: I typed my paper until midnight.

8. Transitive/Intransitive
Verbs that express action without objects are called intransitive.
Ex: The rain fell.
Ex: I typed until midnight.
In English, most active verbs can be either transitive or intransitive.

9. Active/Passive
A verb is in the active voice when it expresses an action performed by its subject.
Ex: The car hit a tree. [subject acting]

10. Active/Passive
A verb is in the passive voice when it expresses an action performed upon its subject or when the subject is the result of the action.
Ex: The tree was hit by a car [subject acted upon].

11. Active/Passive All transitive verbs can be used in the passive voice.
Ex: The thief stole the money. [transitive]
Ex: The money was stolen by the thief. [passive]
The object has been moved ahead of the subject (making it the subject) and the verb combined with a form of to be.

12. Principal Parts
Every verb has four basic forms called principal parts:
Infinitive
Present participle
Past
Past participle

13. Principal Parts
When conjugating verbs forms, one should know that verbs can be considered regular or irregular (See W550).
A regular verb is one that creates its past and past participle by adding –d or –ed.
infinitive present part. past past part.
talk (is) talking talked (have) talked

14. Principal Parts
An irregular verb is one that forms its past and past participle in some other way than adding –d or –ed.
infinitive present part past past part
drive (is) driving drove (have) driven
Note: Because the number of irregular verbs is so great, students must memorize the list on W ).

15. Time sequence Each verb has six tenses: Present Past Future
Present perfect
Past perfect
Future perfect

16. Time sequence
Present – used to express action (or make a statement about something) occurring now.
Ex: We wait patiently.
Ex: We are waiting patiently. [progressive form]
We do wait patiently. [emphatic form]

17. Time sequence
Continuing action (the action occurred, is happening, and will continue) may be shown by the use of the progressive form, which ends in –ing.
One makes a sentence emphatic by pronouncing the verb with stress. When there is no stress, add do or did.

18. Time sequence
Past – used to express action (or to help make a statement about something) that occurred in the past but did not continue into the present.
Ex: We waited for you.
Ex: We were waiting for you. [progressive]
Ex: We did wait for you. [emphatic]

19. Time sequence
Future – used to express action (or to help make a statement about something) occurring at some time in the future.
Formed by adding shall or will.
Ex: We will wait for you.
Ex: We will be waiting for you. [progressive]
There is no future emphatic.

20. Time sequence
Present perfect – used to express action (or to help make a statement about something) occurring in no definite time in the past.
Formed by adding have or has.
Ex: Ted has waited for us often.
Ex: We have waited for them before.

21. Time sequence
Past perfect – used to express action (or to help make a statement about something) completed in the past before some other past action or event.
Formed using the word had.
Ex: After we had waited (had been waiting) an hour, we left. [The waiting preceded the leaving]

22. Time sequence
Future perfect – used to express action (or to help make a statement about something) which will be complete in the future before some other future action or event.
Formed by adding will have or shall have.
Ex: By the time the bus arrives, we will have waited (will have been waiting) an hour. [The waiting precedes the arriving]

23. Mood
Verbs may be in one of three mood: indicative, imperative, or subjunctive.
Almost all verbs are in the indicative mood.
The imperative mood is used to indicate a command.
Ex: Turn off the television.
Ex: Underline the correct answer.

24. Mood
The only common uses of the subjunctive mood are to express a condition contrary to fact and to express a wish.
Uses the past subjunctive verb were.
Ex: If I were (not was) you, I’d study my recitations more. [contrary to fact – “I’m not you”]
Ex: If I were (not was) a millionaire, I’d teach grammar for free. [wish]

25. Mood
The present subjunctive mood is used only in certain formal situations.
Uses the present subjunctive verb be.
Ex: We recommend that she be elected president.
See the conjugated forms on W579.

26. Participles/Participial Phrases
A participle is a verb form that can be used as an adjective.
Ex: The rapidly developing storm kept the small coats in the port.
Ex: I found her crying.

27. Participles/Participial Phrases
There are two basic kinds of participles: present participle and past participle.
Present participles end in –ing.
Past participles may end in a variety of endings (see W449).
Ex: We watched the puppies playing. (present)
Ex: The puppies, exhausted, collapsed. (past)

28. Participles/Participial Phrases
A participial phrase is a phrase containing a participle and any complements or modifiers it may have.
Ex: Removing his coat, Jack sat in the chair.
Ex: We saw Jeff playing in the game.