Download Verbs

Verbs
A verb is a word that expresses action or
otherwise helps to make a statement.
Linking
Auxiliary
Transitive/Intransitive
Active/Passive
Participle
Linking Verbs
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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.
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Ex: Sarah was serious.
Linking Verbs
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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…
Linking Verbs
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Don’t be deceived. Many linking verbs can
also be used as action verbs.
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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.
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Ex: The audience looked [seemed] happy.
Ex: Jack looked [not seemed] at his notes.
Auxiliary Verbs
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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.
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Ex: I should have studied more.
Ex: He must have been injured during the
game.
Auxiliary Verbs
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The auxiliary verbs may be separated from
the main verb.
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Ex: Did you see dad at the movies?
Ex: We have not yet been to Kairos.
Transitive/Intransitive
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Action verbs may (or may not) take an
object:
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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.
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Ex: I typed my paper until midnight.
Transitive/Intransitive
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Verbs that express action without objects
are called intransitive.
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Ex: The rain fell.
Ex: I typed until midnight.
In English, most active verbs can be either
transitive or intransitive.
Active/Passive
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A verb is in the active voice when it
expresses an action performed by its
subject.
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Ex: The car hit a tree. [subject acting]
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.
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Ex: The tree was hit by a car [subject acted
upon].
Active/Passive
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All transitive verbs can be used in the
passive voice.
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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.
Principal Parts
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Every verb has four basic forms called
principal parts:
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Infinitive
Present participle
Past
Past participle
Principal Parts
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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
talk
present part.
(is) talking
past
talked
past part.
(have) talked
Principal Parts
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An irregular verb is one that forms its past
and past participle in some other way than
adding –d or –ed.
infinitive
drive

present part
(is) driving
past
drove
past part
(have) driven
Note: Because the number of irregular verbs is so
great, students must memorize the list on W551552).
Time sequence
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Each verb has six tenses:
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Present
Past
Future
Present perfect
Past perfect
Future perfect
Time sequence
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Present – used to express action (or make
a statement about something) occurring
now.
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Ex: We wait patiently.
Ex: We are waiting patiently. [progressive
form]
We do wait patiently. [emphatic form]
Time sequence
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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.
Time sequence
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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.
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Ex: We waited for you.
Ex: We were waiting for you. [progressive]
Ex: We did wait for you. [emphatic]
Time sequence
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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.
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Ex: We will wait for you.
Ex: We will be waiting for you. [progressive]
There is no future emphatic.
Time sequence
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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.
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Ex: Ted has waited for us often.
Ex: We have waited for them before.
Time sequence
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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.
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Ex: After we had waited (had been waiting) an
hour, we left. [The waiting preceded the
leaving]
Time sequence
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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.
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Ex: By the time the bus arrives, we will have
waited (will have been waiting) an hour. [The
waiting precedes the arriving]
Mood
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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.
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Ex: Turn off the television.
Ex: Underline the correct answer.
Mood
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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.
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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]
Mood
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The present subjunctive mood is used only
in certain formal situations.
Uses the present subjunctive verb be.
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Ex: We recommend that she be elected
president.
See the conjugated forms on W579.
Participles/Participial Phrases
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A participle is a verb form that can be
used as an adjective.
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Ex: The rapidly developing storm kept the
small coats in the port.
Ex: I found her crying.
Participles/Participial Phrases
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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).
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Ex: We watched the puppies playing. (present)
Ex: The puppies, exhausted, collapsed. (past)
Participles/Participial Phrases
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A participial phrase is a phrase containing
a participle and any complements or
modifiers it may have.
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Ex: Removing his coat, Jack sat in the chair.
Ex: We saw Jeff playing in the game.