Definition of Verb
A word that shows a state, action,
or doing of someone or something is called a verb. The word verb is
taken from the Latin word verbum, which means "word"
used to indicate something. Verb constitutes the predicate part in a sentence.
Verbs Examples
A verb expresses an action
The action that a verb expresses may
be physical or mental.
Examples
He hit his hand with the
hammer.
He plays football.
She went to sleep.
He knows me well.
We hadn't imagined it would be so difficult.
A verb expresses a state or condition
The verbs in these sentences show a state
or a condition.
He owned that car.
Men are brave.
She looks very smart.
He is a doctor.
The verbs in the sentences below show
what is done to a person or thing.
He was arrested.
Their team was beaten.
The customers were ignored.
A sentence may constitute several
verbs.
Examples
I saw him working alone
yesterday.
I think you don't meet
him before.
Types of Verbs
There are two main types of verbs.
1- Main verb 2- Auxiliary/Helping verb
The main verb
in a sentence describes the action or state or can be used to link
subject and predicate. It represents the important idea of the sentence. Based
on the function they do in a sentence, the main verb is divided into two types
the action and the linking verb.
He was working
the whole day yesterday.
He is living
alone.
I studied
hard last night.
She drinks
coffee every day.
A verb that describes
actions, events, or happening is called action or dynamic verb.
A linking verb connects an object or person to its
qualities.
The verb to
be, become, appear, feel, make, look, keep,
grow, get, go, remain, turn, taste, prove,
smell, stay, sound, seem.
The verbs
used in the below sentences are linking verbs.
She looks
worried.
The boys are
happy.
The man looks
just like his son.
The rice smells
delicious.
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
Every action
verb is divided into being transitive or intransitive.
Transitive
verbs need an
object (someone or something) that receives the action expressed by the verb.
Direct
object: The noun or
a noun phrase that the verb acts upon is called the sentence's direct object.
Examples
The girl was
wearing red clothes.
They invited
all of us.
She likes
sweet mangoes.
I have visited
New York City twice.
The
transitive verbs are divided into three classes depending on how many objects
follow the verb in a sentence.
Mono-transitive
verb: A verb that takes only one object
is called a mono-transitive verb. In the above four sentences, the verbs are
followed by a single direct object and are therefore mono-transitive verbs.
Ditransitive
verb: A verb that is
followed by two objects (direct and indirect) is called a ditransitive verb. In
the following sentences, the verbs are followed by two objects and are
therefore ditransitive verbs.
Examples
The interviewer
asked me my name.
He offers me
a drink.
His brother
promised him a new bike if he passed his exams.
She gives me
her watch.
Complex
transitive verb: A
transitive verb with a complement is called a complex transitive verb.
Complement is a word or phrase that is added to the object to modify its
meaning. In the following sentences, all the verbs written in italic are
complex transitive. The other words that go with the verbs are complement.
Examples
They made
David captain of their team.
I recognized
his voice at once.
The city
life suited us in all respects.
He has painted
his house white.
Note:
Sentences only with
transitive verbs admit of passive form.
Intransitive
Verbs do not need
a direct object to make sense. The function they do in a sentence can stand
alone.
Examples
I feel
sorry.
The boy ran
away.
I went
to London last month.
He arrived
late last night.
The baby slept
well.
Some verbs
belong to both transitive and intransitive.
Transitive: He played cricket all day
yesterday.
Intransitive:
He played well yesterday.
Transitive:
I have read a lot since
morning.
Intransitive:
She read a book.
Transitive:
I think he can do it.
Intransitive:
Think before
every speak.
Based on how
verbs change their form, they are divided into classes.
1- Regular
verb 2- Irregular verb
Regular
Verb: In regular
verbs, we add "d" or "ed" to the base form of
the verb to form the second (past) and third (past participle) of the verb;
such verbs are called a regular verb.
The
following are examples of regular verbs.
Annoy,
apply, appoint, attack, base, belt.
See the list of regular verbs
Irregular
verbs: Those verbs
which do not follow any defined pattern of forming past and past participle are
called irregular verbs. Many of the irregular verbs are entirely different in
all three forms. So, we have to learn each one individually.
The
following verbs are irregular.
Break,
build, cut, choose, see, go, swim, write, sing, etc.
See the list of irregular verbs.
Auxiliary/Helping Verbs
A verb that helps the main verb in the formation of tenses,
active and passive voice, interrogation, etc., or gives other
grammatical information which is not provided by the main verb of a sentence is
called auxiliary or helping verb.
There are two
classes of auxiliary verbs.
i- Primary
auxiliary verbs ii- Modal auxiliary verbs
The primary
auxiliary verbs are
To be: is, am, are, was, were
To do: do, does, did
To have: have, has, had
The model
auxiliary verbs are can and could, shall and should,
will and would, must, and may and might.
These verbs cannot be conjugated into different forms.
The verbs ought
to, used to, need, and dare are known as semi-modals
verbs.
Note: All sentences must have a verb. No sentence exists without a verb.