Download Verb

Verb:The word verb has come from the Latin word ‘verbum’ is a word. It is so called
because it is the most important word in a sentence. In fact, it is the core or backbone of
every sentence.
Definition of verb: A verb is a word that tells or asserts something about a person or
thing.(wren & martin)
A verb is a word used for saying something about person or thing.( j. c. nesfield)
A verb is a word that denotes being, having or doing something. (P.C.DAS)
A VERB MAY TELL US
1) What a person or thing is:
a) Mr. John is a teacher.
c) The cat is dead.
b) His shirt is white.
d)Glass is brittle.
2) What a person or thing has:
a) Swapna has pet cat.
b) A chair has fore legs.
3) What a person or thing does:
a) Abeer kicks the ball.
b) The clock strikes ten.
c) Smriti laughs.
Kinds of verb
Verbs are classified in four different ways. Four kinds of verb:
↓
1. Auxiliary/Helping.
verb
2. Principal/Main.
1. Transitive.
verb
2. Intransitive.
1. Finite.
Verb
2. Nonfinite
1. State.
verb
.
3. Event
Kinds of verb :Verbs are divided into two main classes:
Study the following table:
A: Auxiliary
B: Principal
1. She is writing a letter
1. She is a teacher
2. I have come to school
2. I have an umbrella
3. He does not go to school
3. He does his work perfectly
4. She will sing a song
4. She sings a song
Auxiliary verb: An auxiliary verb is one which help a principal verb to form a tense or mood
or voice. Hence it is also called a Helping verb.
In forming tenses, moods and voice one or more special verb forms are used in combination
with the main verb.
The special verb forms are called auxiliary or helping verbs. The combination of auxiliary
and main verb is a verb phrase.
Note: Anomalous finites or Special finites or Modal auxiliaries: Auxiliary verbs are
sometime called anomalous finites, special finites or modal auxiliaries. Notice that section A
is writing, have come, does not go
And will sing in above sentence is, have does and will each verb help write, come, go and
sing principal verb. Here is, have, does not, will are used as auxiliary verb.
In the other side, section we see that is, have, does and sing are used as principal verb.
Principal verb: The verbs which are used independently without help from other verbs are
called principal verbs or main verbs.
Or When a verb expresses its meaning without the help of any other verb. Ii is called a
principal verb.
Note: Some of the auxiliary verbs may also be used as
Principal verbs.
Auxiliary verbs are of two types:
1. Primary Auxiliaries or Tense Auxiliaries.
2. Modal Auxiliaries.
A complete list of auxiliaries and modal auxiliaries are girth bolus.
Primary Auxiliaries
Be: be, is, am, are, was, were, being, been.
Have: have, has, having.
Do: do, does, did.
or
Principal auxiliaries
To
To
To
Modal Auxiliaries
Modals: can, could, shall, should, will, would,
may, must, might, ought to.
Semi-Modals: need, dare, used to.
Modal auxiliaries
be
have
do
Can, could
Shall, should
Will, would
May, might
Have, had to
Be, have and do (the principal auxiliaries)
Infinitive
Present tense
Past tense
Semi-Modals
To need
To dare
used
Past participle
To be
Am, is, are
Was/were
been
To have
Have, has
Had
Had
To do
Do, does
Did
done
Use of Primary Auxiliary verbs:
To be: To be is used or indicating continuous or progressive tense and passive voice.
a). I am doing the sum.( Present progressive)
b).He has sleeping at night. (past progressive)
c).The work is being done by me.(passive voice)
d).The sum has been worked out.(passive voice)
e).The work will be done by him. (passive voice)
To be: To be may also be used as a principal verb.
a)I am well.
b)He is at home.
c)You are here.
d)They are brave soldiers.
To have: To have is used for indicating perfect tense forms. Passive voice and Nominative
Absolute.
a) I have done the work.(present perfect)
b) He has left the school before the class was over (past perfect)
c) It has been raining for fine days (present perfect conti)
d)The work has been done(passive voice)(Nominative absolute)
To have: To have may also be used as a principal verb.
a) He has a red shirt.
b) She had a nice umbrella.
c) How many children have they?
d) What shall we have for dinner?
Note: British English used both have and have got but for the second.
a) We have/have got a cottage in the village.
b) They have/have got a small flat.
To do: To do is used to make an Interrogative sentence.
a) Do you like toot ball?
b) Does he take tea?
c) Did he write a letter?
To do: To do is used to make a Negative sentence.
a) I do not like him.
b) He does not go to school.
c) They did not play football.
To do: To do is used to give a stress in a statement.
a) I do hereby authorize you.
b) He did help you and you should not deny that.
To do: To do is used as a principal verb.
a) We do our home work regularly.
b) They did the work sincerely.
More use of be verb:
The verb be in the present from (am, is, are)is used in
The following way:
1.Occupatior/Trade/profession:
a. Mr. Roy is a teacher.
b. I am a student.
c. There men are carpenters.
2. Age/Relationship:
a. He is 12.
b. I am thirteen.
c. Bina is Rings Sister.
3.Nationality:
a. we are Indians.
b. They are chins.
c. You are British.
4.Qualities/description of condition etc:
a. Abut is a dull bay.
b. Tofa is an intelligent.
c. He is ambitious.
d. They are hard working.
e. the weather is fine in February.
5. Size and shape.
a. Mr. Pal is a fat and tall me.
b. This table is rectangular.
6. Place:
a. My uncle is in Delhi now.
b. The Tajmahal is in agro.
7. Colour:
a. Her hair is black.
b. Grass is usually green.
c.
8. Condition:
a. His father is not well.
b. He is hungry; Give him some food.
9. Be verb noun Pronoun
verb
a. Today is Saturday.
b. Rahim is teacher.
10. be verb adjective Preposition
a. The earth is round.
b. He is ten years old.
11. be verb preposition
adverbial participle
a. The lamp is on the table.
b. Kanim is out in the garden.
c. The station is a mile away.
12. Noun Preposition
a. The money is not your.
b. It's Farid’s.
13.He wants to be a fireman when he grows up.
a. Suddenly lies tace was seortet.
14. be verb Introductory there
a. There is a letter for you.
b. There is School down the rood.
15. Introductory there
Be verb
a. There is a God.
16. Past participle
Be verb
a. I have been to see.
b. Have you ever been to Paris?
17.
A, I would be a poet.
18. Continuous tense
a. They are reading.
b. I shall be seeing him soon.
19. Passive voice
be verb
a. He was kilted the war.
20. To infinitive
a. I am to inform you that.
b. You are to be congratulated.
More use of Have:
Study the use of the verb in the following sentences.
1. Have with meals,food and drink:
a. what do you usually have for breakfast?
b. Do you have lunch at home at 12 noon?
c. What shall we have for dinner?
2. Have with bath/shower:
a. I am going to have shore/bath.
3. Have or have got with Physical or mental characteristics:
a. Has she (got) blue eyes? (British usage)
b. Does she have black eyes? (Areriea usage)
c. He hasn't a good memory.
4. Have or have got with possessions:
a. They have/have got their own house.
b. We have/have got a beautiful garden.
5.Have with relations:
a. Nila has three brothers and one sister.
b. She hasn't many friends here.
c. How many children have them?
6.Have with obligations.(Have to any other verb)
a. I have to go to School today.
b. We have to listen to our teacher.
(More and more use of have written old lehata see)
Transitive and Intransitive
Principals verb are of two types:
1. Transitive.
2. Intransitive
Transitive verb: Transitive means passing over. A Transitive verb is a verb that denotes an
action which passes over from the does or subject to an object.( wren and Martin).
Or A verb is Transitive if the action dons not stop with the agent but passes from the agent
go something else. (J. C. wesfield)
Or, A verb that needs an objects to complete the sense is called a Transitive verb.
Or , Verbs that need an object to make the sense clear are called Transitive verb.
Or, They take objects. The action the action passes on to something else.
a. The boy kicks the football.
b. They have a house.
c. He is eating rice.
d. The beggar wanted some money.
e. We have
a thief.
f. In sentence a the action denoted by the verb kicks passes over from the doer or
subject boy to some object football Therefore,
The verb kicks is called a Transitive verb. The rest of the
b,c.d.e are same.
So we can say:
Note 1. Transitive verb need an object to complete their meaning.
Note 2. Transitive means passing over.
Note 3. Same verb e g come, go, fall, die, sleep, lie, denote, actions which can not never
be used Transitively.
Note 4. Most transitive verb take a single object. But such transitive as bring, buy, catch,
Grant, lend, make, hand, pluck, give, ask, show, teach, after, promise, tell etc. take two
objects after them as indirect object-which denotes the person to whom something is
give or for whom something is done and a direct object which is usually the name of
something.(wren and Martin)
Transitive verb
object
give, ask
Offer, promise, tell
Transitive verb
Object
Indirect object
a. His father gave him a watch.
b. He told me a secret.
Intransitive verb: An Intransitive verb is a verb that denotes an action which does not pass
over to an object or which express a state or being; as
Or A verb that dose not need any other word to complete the sense is called an
intransitive verb.(wren and martin)
Or A verb is intransitive when the action stops with the agent and does not pass from
the agent to something else .(J. C. Nesfield)
Or, verb that do not require any object to make the sense clear are called intransitive
verb.
Or, These are verbs which do not take any noun or pronoun. Together with the subject.
They complete the meaning .such as:
a. The boy laughs loudly. e. why are weeping?
b. He is slimming.
c. The baby sleeps.
d. The old man is coughing.
In sentence 1. the action denoted by the verb laughs stops with the doer or subject boy and
does not pass over to an object. The verb laughs is, therefore, called an Intransitive verb.
So we can say:
Note-1. Intransitive means not passing over.
Note -2. Intransitive verb need not object to complete Heir meaning.
Note -3. Often the same verb is used transitive and Intransitively.
Most verb can be used both as Transitive and as Intransitive verb.(wren and martin)
Used Transitively
Used Intransitively
a. Ring the bell
a. the bell rang laudly
b. He spoke the truth
b. He spoke hounghtily
c. The driver stopped the train
c. The train stopped suddenly
d. I feel a severe pain in my head
d. How dog you feel
e. The horse kicked the man
e. This hors never kicks
Intransitive verbs used as Transitive:
1. When an Intransitive verb is used in a causative sense it becomes a Transitive.
Intransitive
Transitive
a. The horse walks
a. He walks the horse
b. The girl ran down the street
b. The girl ran a needle into her finger
c. Birds fly
c. The boy fly their kites
2.A few verbs in common use are distinguished as Transitive or Intransitive by their
spelling.
Intransitive
Transitive
a. Lee still on bed
b. Rise early with the lark
a. Lay the basket there. (Lay=cause to lie)
b. Raise your hands.
(Raise=cause to rise)
c. Sit there idly
c. Set the lamp on the table.
(Sel=cause to sit)
d. Many trees fall by the storm
d. The wood cutters fell trees.(Fell=cause to
fall)
3. Some Intransitive verb may become Transitive by having a preposition added to them.
a. All his
laughted at him.
b. He will soon run through his fortune.
c. He talks about the affair several times.
d. Please look into the matter.
e. The teacher asked for his name.
d. I wish for nothing more.
4. Sometimes the preposition is prefixed to the verb and the verb becomes Transitive.
a. Shihab over a me the every.
b. The river overflows its bank.
c. He bravely with stood the attach.
d. They determined to with draw the strike.
Verb of Incomplete Predication:
1. Some intransitive verb e.g: Come, go, fall, die, sleep, lie, can, never be used transitively.
Hence these verbs do not require any word to make the sense complete.
But some Intransitive verbs e.g: be, become, seem, brow, taste require a word to make the
sense complete. Such a
Verb is called.
1. Verb of Incomplete predication.
a. Tom is a dag.
f. The man seems tired.
b.
become a
g. She has grown old.
c. Sharni looks happy. h. The man has fallen asleep.
d. She appease pleased. i. Rose smell sweed.
e. The earth is round.
Subject Complement:
Note: Such complement describe the subject. Hensce these are called subject complement.
2.Some transitive verb require besides an object, a complement to complete their
predication.
a. We consider him honest.
b. Peaple called him president.
c. They chose him their leader.
d. The players made Akram captain.
e. The jury found him guilty.
f. His parents named him Bhola.
Finite verb and Non-finite verbs
Finite verb : The word finite comes from the Latin word finish. Finish means limit or
boundary. The finite means limited.
A finite verbs is limited by person and number of the subject and change its form according
to tense.(wren and martin)
Tense
Read the fallowing passage:
a. Rana works at a high school.
b. He teacher Bangle in class eight.
c. his student enjoy his class.
d. He speaks very well.
e. All these qualities have made him a very popular teach The verbs in the. Above examples
are finite verbs. They are called finite because the are limited to their subjects. In other
wards, They agree with their subject in number and person. In the finite sentence the subject
Rana is 3rd parsers singular and so the verb has s or es added to it if the subject. Is plural the
verb will be plural. In other worlds there will be no s or es added to it. For example, in the
last sentence the subject is plural. All these qualities and the verb is plural have made. The
finite verb is also express tense. Those, we can call a verb `finite’
a. If it agrees with the subject in number and person.
b. If it expresses tense.
Non-finite verb: Non-finite verb means not limit..
A Non-finite verb is not limited by person and number as a verb that has a subject and is
therefore called the verb infinite or simply the infinite.(wren and martin)
Non-finite verb
Finite verb go
subject number
Infinite
tense
a. Hasan come home running.
b. He was tired so he sat down to rest.
c. His mother gave him a cup of tea.
d. Tea is a drink.
e. It helps to cheer you up.
f. It also helps you to keep awake.
In the first sentence came is a finite verb as if expresses tense (past tense). Running is non
finite verb because if is not limited to the subject. If the subject is changed. You came home
running. There will be no change in the word running. When two thing occurs
rimultaneously. We put the second event in the participle form. That is why it is called a non
finite. It’s actual name is present participle. It is made by adding –ing to a verb. Note the
expressions to rest to cheer you up. To keep evoke. This is another type of non finite verb. It
is made by using to+base form of verb. Like the participle it does not agree with the subject
in number and person and it does not express tense. We use this form called infinitives to
express purpose.
None finite verbs are also called verbals. These verbs are not limited in person and number
to any particular. subject
Finite verb
Infinite verb
a. Rana goes to school
a. Rana does not like to go to school
b. The mangoes tastes
b. The mangoes are sweet to taste
c. He all ended three meeting
c. He had three meeting to attend
d. He is so weak that he cannot walk
d. He is too weak to walk
e. We can save India by patriotism
e. Palritisn is the way to save India.
Note : The word to is often used with the infinitive But after certain verb (bid, let, Make,
need, dare, see, hear) we us the infinitive without to.(wren and Martin)
Bid, let, Make, need, dare, see, hear verb
Infinitive
a. I bade him go.
b. Let him sit here.
c. I will not let you go.
d. Make him stand.
e. I made him run.
f. You need not go today.
g. We saw him do the work.
h. I heard her cry.
i. You dare not do it.
Note: Sometimes an infinitive is used as a noun and hence it becomes a subject: Infinitive
a. To see is to delieve.
b. To give is better than(to) receive.
State verb and Event verbs
In Modern English Grammar Finite verbs are classified in two board categories. They are
state verbs and Event verbs.
Verb
State verb
Event verbs
Single event repeated event
a. State of
bing
b. State of
c. State of
relationship
Emotional
d. State of
Perceiving mind and
a. State of perceiving: Smell, taste, see, hear, feel.
b. State of mind and emotional: appear, believe, forget, like, love
c. State of being: be, remain.
d. State of relationship: deserve, belong, owe, own, have.
Event verb of single event and repeated events: buy state of perceiving.
verb
Sentence
see
I see you are a fool
hear
I hear a buzzing sound.
feel
I feel tired
taste
Honesty tastes sweet.
Stale of mind and emotional verb:
love
Everybody loves his mothre
hate
You should not hate the poor
like
Shameem likes to wear while shert
believe
I believe that you are telling the truth
forget
I often far get his name
appear
The lag appears to be mad
Stale of being:
Be
He is a very brave boy
Remain
I remain silent in such eases
Stale of relationship:
verb
Sentence
have
I have a brother
own
Do you own a motor car?
owe
You owe your own house?
belong
This book belongs to me
deserve
The brave boy deserves praise
Examples of sentences with Event verbs:
Buy I bought an orange from the market.
Buy I buy oranges from the market.
Different between state verbs and event verbs:
State verbs are used only in Non-progressive forms. But Event verbs are used in both
progressive and Non-Progressive forms.
Progressive
Non-Progressive
a. I am believing you. X
I believe you
b. He is going to school
He goes to school
Note: Sometimes state verbs may be used in progressive forms but them the verbs are
changed into fuent verbs and don`t remain the state verbs.
a. He has a dog.(state verb)
b. He is having his lunch.(event verb)
c. I farser your name.(state verb)
d. I am forgetting name now-a-day.9event verb)
e. Honey tastes sweet.(state verb)
f. He is tasting honey.(event verb)
Note: There are some state verbs which change their meanings when used in prajsess form.
a. The boy looks like father
b. The boy is looking mare and more like his father
c. You look bright today
d. She is looking at the moon
Cognate object: Some Intransitive verbs take after them an object similar to the verb. Such
an object is called the cognate object.
a. I slept a sound sleep
b. He has fought a good fight
c. She dreamt a strange dream.
d.
Causative verb:
Copulative verb/copula/Intransitive verb of
Incomplete predication: