Download Verbs

Notes on Verbs
1. Action Verbs - tell you what the subject
does.
Examples:
run, jump, write, sleep, think, talk, drive
An action verb can be:
 Transitive – has a direct object right in the
sentence. The direct object is the thing the action
happens to. Transitive verbs transfer the action right
to the object.
Example: Nina dribbled the basketball. “Dribbled” is the
verb and “basketball” is the object of the sentence.
 Intransitive – does not need an object.
Example: Nina ran.
intransitive verb)
(no object, therefore this is an
2. Linking Verbs (also called Passive
verbs) – join the subject and the predicate
and do not show action themselves. They
tell you more about the subject rather than
what the subject is doing.
 The most common linking verbs are forms of to be.
Examples: am, is, are, was, were, fear, look, smell,
taste, appear, become
Example sentences:
I am happy.
This smells great.
I feel great.
3. Helping verbs – added to other verbs to
make the meaning of the sentence clearer.
Examples: Forms of to be (am, is, are, was, were) are
common helping verbs.
Other examples of helping verbs are: should, could, will,
may, might, do, does, did, have, had, shall
 If one or more verbs uses a helping verb, it is called
a verb phrase.
Example sentences:
The man was standing in my way.
You should be ashamed of yourself.