Download Verb: a word used to express an action, a condition, or a state of being.

Verb: a word used to express an
action or a state of being.
• The two main kinds of verbs are
action verbs and linking verbs.
• Both of these kinds of verbs can
appear with helping verbs.
Action Verb: tells what the subject does.
The action may be physical or mental.
• She rides motorcycles
– She = subject
– rides = action verb (describes a physical
action)
• I prefer a bike.
• I = subject
• prefer = action verb (describes a mental action)
Linking Verb: links the subject of a
sentence to a word in the predicate
• The most common linking verbs are forms of
the verb “be”
– Ex: be, is, am, are, was, were, been, being
– Ex: We are late. I am hungry. He is being silly.
• There are other linking verbs, and they
express a condition. Note: You can replace
them with “is/are.”
– Ex: look, smell, feel, sound, taste, seem, grow,
appear, become
– She sounds great! It feels cold. They seem bored.
Be careful! Some verbs may act either
as action verbs or linking verbs
• You must think about what the verb is doing
to figure it out.
– She smells the perfume
• action verb -- smells is something she is physically doing
– It smells flowery
• linking -- smell links the subject, I, to the predicate
adjective, flowery
– I taste cinnamon (action)
– This tastes gross (linking)
Helping Verb: adds functional or
grammatical meaning; for example, to
express tense or need/ability
• Common helping verbs
– Forms of “have”
• Has, have, had
– Forms of “do”
• Do, does, did
– Forms of “be”
• Be, am, is, are, was, were, been, being
– Others…
• Could, should, would,
• may, might, must,
• can, shall, will
A few verbs can serve as either helping
verbs or main verbs
• He has a tractor.
– main verb = has
– Owning it is an active idea
– It’s not a linking verb because it does not link “he”
to a noun or adjective that describes “he”
• He has eaten today.
– main verb = eaten
– has = helping verb (it adds meaning to the main
verb)
Underline the verb/verb phrase, then
mark “A, “ “H,” or “L”
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mail travels overseas on airplanes.
Mail can also go overseas by boats.
Boats are slower but less expensive.
Boats might take weeks for the trip.
Boats were once the only form of
transportation across the ocean.
6. The post office can use trucks, trains, and
planes to move mail.
7. In the past, horses have carried mail.
Action Verbs and Objects
• Action verbs are often paired with
“compliments”.
• Compliments are words that complete
the meaning of the active verb.
• Complements fall into two categories,
direct objects, and indirect objects.
Direct Objects: a word or words that
name the receiver of the action
• They answer the question “what?” or
“whom?” receives the action of the verb.
– Larry tells lots of funny stories.
• tells = verb
• lots= direct object
– Tina passed Erin on the way to school.
• passed = verb
• Erin = direct object
Indirect Objects: tells who/what an
action is done to or for
• It answers the questions to what? to
whom? for what? for whom?
– Larry tells his friends stories.
• Larry tells stories to whom? Friends.
• friends = indirect object
– Emma gives the flowers water.
• Emma gives water to what? Flowers.
• flowers = indirect object
Important: The indirect object does not
follow a preposition
• If a preposition is used, then the word becomes the
object of that preposition.
• For example, “to,” and “for” are prepositions, so in
these sentences there is no indirect object:
– We will make an offer to the man.
• to = preposition
• man = object of preposition, NOT indirect object
– Get a job for yourself.
• for = preposition
• yourself = object of preposition
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
• Transitive verbs take a direct object
– Lyle patted the dog’s fur.
– patted = transitive
• Intransitive verbs don’t take an object
– Lyle patted softly.
– patted = intransitive
Do not confuse adverbs with direct
objects!
• A word is only a direct object if that word answers the
question “what is being verbed” or “who is being
verbed.”
– Laura danced the Tango.
– Gina claps her hands.
• An adverb tells how, when, where, or to what extent
(it gives more detail about a verb).
– Laura danced wildly.
– Gina claps loudly.
Which verbs are transitive, and which
ones are intransitive?
1. Joe read to the class.
2. Gordon was writing Katrina a long
letter.
3. Anna spoke indistinctly.
4. Peter and John presented a little skit.
5. John played the part of a policeman.
Find the direct objects and
indirect objects
1. Joe read to the class.
2. Gordon was writing Katrina a long
letter.
3. Anna spoke indistinctly.
4. Peter and John presented a little skit.
5. John played the part of a policeman.
Action Verbs: Two Types
• There are two large classes of action verbs -transitive and intransitive.
• A verb is transitive when the action it
expresses is directed toward a person or a
thing named in the sentence.
– Neil rang the bell. [The action of the verb rang is
directed toward bell. The verb is transitive.]
– Tina mailed the package. [The action of mailed is
directed toward package. The verb is transitive.]
Transitive Verbs
• With transitive verbs, the action passes
from the doer -- the subject-- to the
receiver of the action.
• Words that receive the action of a
transitive verb are called “objects.”
– Kallie ate the sandwich.
– The dog chewed the shoe.
– Our boat broke the rope.
Intransitive Verbs
• A verb is intransitive when it expresses action
(or helps make a statement) without
reference to an object.
• Note: Like intransitive verbs, linking verbs
(be, seem, appear, etc.) never take direct
objects.
– Last Saturday we stayed inside.
– The children laughed.
– The band marched past the crowd.
Note: The same verb may be transitive in
one sentence and intransitive in another!
– Marcie studied her notes.
– Marcie studied very late.
– The poet wrote a sonnet.
– The poet wrote carefully.
Write the verb and whether it is
transitive and intransitive:
1. Carl Lewis won four Olympic gold
medals.
2. Mr. Ling works for an import company
in California.
3. Robert Hayden taught at our school.
4. The scouts rescued the girl from an
island.
5. Even good friends sometimes
disagree.