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Grammar Types of Verbs Verbs are w ord s that express action or state of being, and they are an essential part of a com plete sentence. There are three types of verbs: action verbs, linking verbs, and helping verbs. A CTION V ERBS Action verbs are w ord s that express action (ex: give, eat, walk, etc.) or possession (have, own, etc.). Action verbs can be either transitive or intransitive. TRAN SITIVE V ERBS A transitive verb alw ays has a noun that receives the action of the verb. This noun is called the direct object. EXAMPLE: Laurissa raises her hand . (The verb is raises. Her hand is an object receiving the verb’s action. Therefore, raises is a transitive verb.) Transitive verbs sometim es have indirect objects, w hich nam e the object to w hom or for w hom the action w as d one. EXAMPLE: Jantzen gave Becky the pencil. (The verb is gave. The d irect object is the pencil. [What did he give? the pencil]. The ind irect object is Becky. [To w hom d id he give it? to Becky.]) IN TRAN SITIVE V ERBS An intransitive verb never has a direct or ind irect object. Although an intransitive verb m ay be follow ed by an adverb or ad verbial phrase, there is no object to receive its action. EXAMPLE: Laurissa rises slow ly from her seat. (The verb is the w ord , rises. The w ord s, slowly from her seat, m odify the verb. But there is no object that receives the action .) TRAN SITIVE OR IN TRAN SITIVE? To d eterm ine w hether a verb is transitive or intransitive, follow these tw o steps: 1. Find the verb in the sentence. EXAMPLE 1: Dustin w ill lay d ow n his book. What is the action? w ill lay EXAMPLE 2: H is book w ill lie there all d ay. What is the action? w ill lie 2. Determ ine w hether the verb has a d irect object. Ask yourself, “What is receiving the action of the verb?” If there is a noun receiving the action of the verb, then the verb is transitive. If there is no d irect object to receive the action, and if the verb d oes not m ake sense w ith a d irect object, then it is intransitive. EXAMPLE 1: Dustin w ill lay d ow n his book. Dustin w ill lay d ow n what? his book. EXAMPLE 2: H is book w ill lie there all d ay. H is book w ill lie what? nothing. Since the verb can take a d irect object, it is transitive. It d oes not make sense to “lie som ething.” Since the verb d oes not m ake sense w ith a d irect object, it is intransitive. N OTE: Som e verbs can be transitive in one case but intransitive in another. IN TRAN SITIVE: Becky w alked to school. (N o d irect object). TRAN SITIVE: Becky w alked the d og to school. (The d irect object is the dog.) Utah Valley University Writing Center Revised 12/15/2008 Grammar Types of Verbs LIN KIN G V ERBS A linking verb connects the subject of a sentence to a noun or adjective that renam es or d escribes it. This noun or adjective is called the subject complement. EXAMPLES: Jason becam e a business major. (The verb, became, links the subject, Jason, to its com plem ent, a business major.) Lisa is in love w ith Jason. (The verb, is, links the subject, Lisa, to the subject com plem ent, in love with Jason, w hich d escribes Lisa.) The m ost com m on linking verb is the verb to be in all of its form s (am, are, is, was, were, etc.). This verb m ay also be used as a helping verb (see next section). Tw o other com m on linking verbs, to become and to seem, are alw ays used as linking verbs. Other verbs m ay be linking verbs in som e cases and action verbs in others: to appear to continue to feel to grow to look to prove to rem ain to sound to stay to sm ell to taste to turn LIN KIN G : Libby appeared happy. (A ppeared links Libby to the subject com plem ent, happy.) A CTION : Deon sud d enly appeared. (H ere, appeared is an intransitive action verb.) H ELPIN G V ERBS Helping verbs are used before action or linking verbs to convey ad d itional inform ation regard ing aspects of possibility (can, could, etc.) or tim e (was, did, has, etc.). They are also called auxiliary verbs. The m ain verb w ith its accom panying helping verb is called a verb phrase. EXAMPLES: Teju is (helping verb) going (m ain verb) to Florida. The trip might (helping verb) be (m ain verb) d angerous. The follow ing w ord s, called modals, alw ays function as helping verbs: can could m ay m ight m ust ought to shall should w ill w ould EXAMPLES: Tanya could learn to fly helicopters. (Could helps the m ain verb, learn.) Janine w ill drive to Id aho tom orrow . (W ill helps the m ain verb, drive.) In ad d ition, the follow ing form s of the verbs to be, to do, and to have som etim es serve as helping verbs. (N ote: In other cases, they m ay serve as action or linking verbs.) am are be been being d id do d oes had has have is w as w ere H ELPIN G : Jana is moving to a new house. LIN KIN G : Jana is read y to go. H ELPIN G : Dustin did eat his vegetables! A CTION : Dustin did his homew ork last night. (transitive verb) H ELPIN G : Erin has jumped off the cliff. A CTION : Erin has a good attitud e. (transitive verb) Utah Valley University Writing Center Revised 12/15/2008