Verb
Verb is a word which shows action or state of something.
Examples. Write, run, eat, drink, catch, clean, speak, laugh, weep, are some verbs
He is writing a letter.
In the above example, the verb write tells us about the action (writing) of the
subject (he). A verb has its subject in sentence and verb tells us what its subject
does, did or will do.
Verbs describe action or state. Most verbs describe action, such verbs are called
dynamic verb, for example write, eat, run, speak. Some verbs describe state of
something, such verbs are called stative verb and are not usually used in
continuous tense for example be, impress, please, surprise, belong to, consist of,
resemble, seem
Examples.
He works in a factory(action)
I boughta computer. (action)
John seems happy. (state)
He resembles his brother (state)
Some verbs can be used as dynamic verb as well as stative verb.
Example.
She looks very beautiful. (look as stative verb)
She looked at black board. (look as dynamic verb
Forms of verb according to tense or time of action.
Verb has three forms according to tense.
Base form
2. Past Simple
4. Past participle
For example, gowentgone. Go is base form, went is past simple form, and
gone is past participle form. These three form may also be named as 1st form,
2nd form and 3rd form of verb, which are denoted by V1, V2 and V3 respectively.
ing is added to base form verb to make present participle which can be used with
auxiliary verb to be in continuous tense, for example, gogoing, eateating,
laughlaughing.
Formation of past simple and past participle
On the basis formation of past simple and past participle, verb is divided into
Regular verbs
Irregular verbs
Regular Verbs.
Some verbs form their past simple and past participle form by adding -ed to their
base form, such verbs are called regular verbs, for example laughlaughed
laughed, looklookedlooked.
Some examples
Verb
Base form or V1
Past simple or V2
Past participle or V3
Present participle
To advise
advise
advised
advised
Advising
To allow
allow allowed
allowed
Allowing
To enjoy
enjoy enjoyed
enjoyed
Enjoying
To rain
rain
rained
rained
Raining
To smile
smile smiled
smiled
Smiling
Irregular Verbs.
Some verbs form their past simple and participle in different ways for example, buy
boughtbought, eatateeaten, such verbs are called irregular verbs.
Some examples
Verb
Base form or V1
Past simple or V2
Past participle or V3
Present participle
To know
know knew known
To go go
went gone Going
To drink
drink drank drunk Drinking
To hold
hold
To write
wriite wrote written
held
held
Knowing
Holding
Writing
Some verbs remain same in past simple and past participle.
Some example
Verb
Base form or V1
Past simple or V2
Past participle or V3
Present participle
To cut cut
cut
cut
Cutting
To shut
shut
shut
shut
To spread
spread
spread
To put
put
put
put
Putting
To read
read
read
read
reading
Shutting
spread
Spreading
Main Verbs and Auxiliary or Helping verbs
A sentence can have both main verb and helping verb (auxiliary verb).
Main verb: A verb which has major meaning in terms of action are called main verb,
i.e. write, buy, eat etc.
Helping verb: A verb which supports the main verb to form the structure of
sentence, according a specific tense, is called helping verb or auxiliary verb, i.e. is,
am, have, was, had, is, will etc.
Main Verbs and Helping verbs (Axilliary)
A sentence can have both main verb and helping verb (auxiliary verb).
Main verb: A verb which has major meaning in terms of action are called main verb,
i.e. write, buy, eat etc.
Helping verb: A verb which supports the main verb to form the structure of sentence
(according to a specific tense) and give us information about the time of action
expressed by main verb, is called helping verb or auxiliary verb, i.e. is, am, have,
was, had, is, will etc.
Main verb has real meaning and tells more about action while helping verb has no
(or little) meaning if it is alone but it adds time information about action if used with
main verb to specify the tense or time of the main verb. The examples below will
help in better understanding.
She is eating an apple. (eat is main verb while is is helping verb)
She was eating an apple. (eat is main verb while was is helping verb)
The main verbs in these sentences eat convey the information about the action
which is done on an apple, while the helping verbs in these sentences "is, and was"
tells us the about the time of action by referring to specific tense. In first sentence
with helping verb "is" action (eating an apple) is being done right now in the present
time while in the second sentence with hepling verb "was" action (eating an apple)
was being done in past.
It means the MAIN VERB CONVEYS the meaning of action with a little information
about its time, but the HELPING VERB (also called auxilliary Verb) tell us more about
the time of action. Helping verbs and main verbs together make a structure of
sentence of a specific tense (action and its time)
Use of helping verbs.
There are three primary helping verbs, be, do, and have, which are majorly used in
tenses.
Be (am, is, are). Forms of be are used for continuous tenses.
Example. She is laughing. (Present Continuous tense)
Have (have, has, had). Forms of have are used in perfect tense.
Example.
He has completed his work. (Present prefect tense)
He had bought a car. (Past perfect tense)
Do(do, does, did). Forms of do are used in indefinite(simple) tenses i.e. present
simple tense or past simple tense.
Example.
They do not play chess. (Present simple tense)
I did not see him. (Past simple)
Modal Verbs (Modal auxiliaries)
Modal verbs are used to express ideas such as ability, possibility, intention or
necessity.
Examples.
Can, could (ability)
May might (possibility)
Will, shall, would (intention)
Should (necessity)
Must (necessity)
Ought to
Modal verbs can be used before main verb as helping verbs.
Examples
I can play violin.
It may rain today.
You must learn the test-taking strategies.
I will call you.
Transitive and intransitive verbs
Transitive Verbs.
A verb which needs to have object in sentence is called transitive verb.
Transitive verbs should have an object in sentence because without subject it does
not covey complete meaning.
Example.
He bought ______.
There should be some object in this sentence for verb buy. Without an object the
verb bought does not give complete meaning. To make it more meaningful we use
some object for verb bought i.e book or computer or car.
He bought a book.
or
He bought a computer.
or
He bought a computer.
More examples.
John is eating a mango.
He has completedhis work.
I caught a bird in bushes.
She wrote a story.
Intransitive sentence.
A verb which does not need to have object in sentence is called intransitive.
Intransitive verb can give complete meaning with an object in sentence for it.
Example.
He slept.
She is laughing.
It has rained.
He is running.
They arrived.
