Define Verb
A verb is a word or group of words that shows an action, a condition, or a state of being. It tells what the subject of a sentence is doing or experiencing. Verbs are the main part of any sentence in English.
Examples:
- Jacob walks in the morning. (Shows a regular action)
- Mike is going to school. (Shows an ongoing action)
- Albert does not like to walk. (Shows a negative action)
- Anna is a good girl. (Shows a state of being) Verbs are connected to things like the subject, person, number, tense, mood, and voice.
Basic Forms of Verbs
Here are the six basic forms of verbs with simple definitions and examples:
Base form: The simplest form of a verb, without any endings.
- Example: Children play in the field.
Infinitive: The base form of the verb with "to" before it.
- Example: Tell them not to play.
Past tense: A verb form used to describe actions that happened in the past.
- Example: They played football yesterday.
Past participle: A verb form used with auxiliary verbs (like "have") to show completed actions.
- Example: I have eaten a burger.
Present participle: A verb form that ends in -ing, used for continuous actions.
- Example: I saw them playing with him today.
Gerund: A verb form ending in -ing that functions as a noun.
- Example: Swimming is the best exercise.
Different Types of Verbs There are six main forms of verbs.
Base Verb
The base verb is the simplest form of a verb. It doesn’t have any endings like -ing, -ed, or -en. It is also called the root verb because it is the main form of the verb.
Examples:
- I go to school every day.
- You run a mile every morning.
- Do your homework.
Regular Verb
Regular verbs are verbs that follow normal grammar rules when changing forms. They are called regular because they follow the usual patterns.
Examples:
- Rehan plays cricket.
- Tam called out my name.
- You really walked all the way back?
Irregular Verb
Irregular verbs are verbs that do not follow the normal grammar rules when changing forms.
Examples:
- Do the dishes.
- I hardly ever drink enough water in a day.
- She drove all the way back.
Transitive Verb
A transitive verb is an action verb that needs a direct object to complete its meaning. It makes the sentence clear and complete.
Examples:
- She went to the fair.
- We do not like being called out loud in crowds.
- I love visiting my village home.
Intransitive Verb
An intransitive verb is an action verb that does not need a direct object to complete its meaning.
Examples:
- I laughed.
- John ran.
- A gust of cold wind blew.
Weak Verb
Weak verbs are verbs that form their past tense and past participle by adding “-d” or “-t” to the base form. Some weak verbs are regular, but not all of them follow the same rules.
Examples:
- Talk → Talked → Talked
- Burn → Burnt → Burnt
- Learn → Learned → Learned
Strong Verb
Strong verbs are verbs that change their vowels to form the past tense and past participle, instead of adding "-d" or "-ed."
Examples:
- Sing → Sang → Sung
- Drive → Drove → Driven
- Begin → Began → Begun
Finite Verbs
Finite verbs are the main verbs in a sentence that show action or a state and change based on the subject's number or person. They also show tense.
Examples:
- She writes a letter. (Present tense, singular subject)
- They wrote a letter. (Past tense, plural subject)
- I walk to school every day. (Present tense, first person)
Non-finite Verbs
Non-finite verbs are not main verbs in a sentence. They do not change based on the subject or tense. Instead, they can act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs, and sometimes they even become the subject of the sentence.
Examples:
- Swimming is my favorite activity. (Used as a noun)
- The broken vase was expensive. (Used as an adjective)
- She loves to dance. (Used as part of the sentence, not showing tense)
Action Verbs
Action verbs show what the subject is doing. They can help the reader or listener imagine the action clearly.
Action verbs can be transitive or intransitive:
Transitive Verbs: These verbs need a direct object (something or someone) to complete their meaning.
Examples:
- I painted the car. (The verb "painted" needs an object, "the car.")
- She is reading the newspaper. (The verb "reading" asks, "What is she reading?" The answer is "the newspaper.")
Intransitive Verbs: These verbs do not need a direct object.
Examples:
- She smiled. (The verb "smiled" does not act on anything or anyone.)
- I wake up at 6 AM. (The verb "wake up" does not need an object.)
Linking Verb
A linking verb connects the subject of a sentence to more information about it. It does not show action but links the subject to the complement (the words that describe or rename the subject).
The most common linking verbs are forms of "be" like am, is, are, was, and were. Other verbs can also act as linking verbs, such as: act, feel, remain, appear, become, seem, smell, sound, grow, look, prove, stay, taste, turn.
Examples:
- She is a teacher. (Links "she" to "a teacher.")
- The soup smells delicious. (Links "soup" to "delicious.")
- He became tired after running. (Links "he" to "tired.")
Auxiliary Verbs
Auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs, work with main verbs to show time, tense, and possibility. They help add meaning to the main verb. The auxiliary verbs include be, have, and do.
These verbs are used in continuous (progressive) and perfect tenses.
Examples:
- She is running. (The verb "is" helps the main verb "running" show the continuous action.)
- They have finished their homework. (The verb "have" helps show the perfect tense.)
- I do not like coffee. (The verb "do" helps form the negative sentence.)
Modal Verbs
Modal verbs are a type of auxiliary verb that help the main verb show things like possibility, ability, permission, expectation, or obligation.
The modal verbs are: can, could, must, may, might, ought to, shall, should, will, would.
Examples:
- She can swim very well. (Shows ability)
- You must finish your homework. (Shows obligation)
- May I borrow your pen? (Shows permission)
- He might come to the party. (Shows possibility)
Reflexive Verb
A reflexive verb is when the subject and the object are the same, meaning the action reflects back on the subject. These verbs are often used with reflexive pronouns like myself, himself, herself, itself, etc.
Examples:
- I washed myself.
- She taught herself to play the guitar.
- He hurt himself while running.
Ergative Verb
Ergative verbs can be used both as transitive (with an object) and intransitive (without an object) verbs. They are sometimes called labile verbs because they can change how they are used in a sentence.
Examples:
Transitive: She opened the door.
Intransitive: The door opened slowly.
Phrasal Verb
A phrasal verb is a phrase made up of a verb and another word, usually an adverb or a preposition. It has a meaning that is different from the individual words.
Examples:
- Turn off the lights.
- She ran into an old friend.
Lexical Verb
A lexical verb is the main verb in a sentence that shows the action or state of the subject (noun or pronoun). It is the primary verb that carries the meaning of the sentence.
Example:
She reads a book. (The verb "reads" shows the action.)
Delexical Verb
A delexical verb has little meaning on its own. Its meaning comes from the noun that follows it, rather than the verb itself. Common delexical verbs include take, have, make, and give.
Examples:
- She has a shower every morning. (The verb "has" gets its meaning from "shower.")
- They make a decision together. (The verb "make" gets its meaning from "decision.")
Stative Verb
Stative verbs describe a state or condition, rather than an action. They show what something is, has, needs, or feels.
Examples:
- I need some boxes.
- You belong to the pomp and power.
- He smells danger.
- They remember what happened that day.
Dynamic Verb
Dynamic verbs describe actions that are ongoing or changing. They show movement or activity.
Examples:
- He’s running fast.
- Keep hitting the ball hard.
- The dog goes for a walk every afternoon.
Lexical Verb
A lexical verb is the main verb in a sentence that shows the action or state of the subject (noun or pronoun). It carries the main meaning of the sentence.
Examples:
- He ran to his father.
- I laughed out loud.
- Rina tried her best.
Delexical Verb
Delexical verbs don't have much meaning on their own. Their meaning comes from the noun that follows them, rather than the verb itself. Common delexical verbs include take, have, make, and give.
Examples:
- He took a shower.
- I had a cold drink.
- She made some arrangements.
Stative Verb
Stative verbs describe a state or condition, not an action. They show what something is, has, needs, or feels.
Examples:
- I need some boxes.
- You belong to the pomp and power.
- He smells danger.
- They remember what happened that day.
Dynamic Verb
Dynamic verbs describe actions or activities that are ongoing or changing. They show movement or progress.
Examples:
- He’s running fast.
- Keep hitting the ball hard.
- The dog goes for a walk every afternoon.
Non-continuous Verb
Non-continuous verbs are verbs that are usually not used in their continuous (progressive) forms. These verbs show states, feelings, or actions that don't happen over time.
Examples:
- I know the answer.
- She believes in magic.
- They own a car
Intensive Verb
Intensive verbs focus strongly on the subject, often linking the subject to a description. These verbs are also called linking or copular verbs.
Examples:
- You seem happy.
- It appears to be just perfect.
- She looks stunning.
- He’s become rather irritable.
Extensive Verb
Extensive verbs do not focus only on the subject but describe an action or state involving the subject.
Examples:
- He loves her.
- She runs too fast.
- Ron sells fish.
Participle
A participle is a verb form that has some qualities of both verbs and adjectives.
Examples:
- Present Participle (Verb + -ing):
- Have I become a laughing stock?
- Cycling is a well-rounded exercise.
Past Participle:
- I have taken a hint.
- Have you given it enough thought?
Perfect Participle (Having + Past Participle):
- Having said that, I was quite worried.
- Having stepped out of my comfort zone, I saw a whole new world.
Gerund
A gerund is a verb with an -ing ending that acts like a noun in a sentence.
Examples:
- Smoking is injurious to health.
- Walking is good for health.
- I love swimming.
Infinitive
An infinitive is the base form of a verb with to before it. It can act like a noun, adjective, or adverb.
Examples:
- I wanted to help you out.
- Are you trying to go there?
- I just love to flaunt my new Ferrari.
