Download Grammar Types of Verbs

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