Verb
A verb is a word used to describe an action, state or occurrence. A verb is “any member of a class of words that function as the main element of predicates, that typically express action, state, or a relation between two things, and that may be inflected for tense, aspect, voice, mood, and to show agreement with their subject or object.”
Classification of Verb
Several other kinds of verb:
Dynamic(Action) Verb
State Verb
Factitive verb
Quasi-passive verb
Copulative verb
Causative verb
Cognate verb
Impersonal verb
Reflexive verb
Prepositional verb
Perception verb
Linking verb
Verbs are also primarily divided into Finite and Infinite (Non-Finite):
Finite Verb: The verb form that agrees with its subject in person, number and time is called finite verb. It is so called because it is limited to its subject. Therefore, it changed its form according to person, number and tense.
For example, in the sentence, "She is singing loudly",
`is singing' is the Present Tense and 'she' is the Pronoun and the statement refers to `she'(the Subject). `Is singing' is determined by the tense and pronoun and is therefore a Finite Verb.
Note: Every sentence must have at least one, Finite Verb.
You promised me the last ticket.
I am excited about going to the amusement park.
I went for a walk around the park.
She was waiting in the room before he came in.
Does your brother know my brother?
· We want John to act as club secretary.
· I like taking photographs of insects.
· Coming home last night, I saw a deer run across the road.
Non-Finite Verb: A nonfinite verb is a verb that is not finite. When a verb is not limited by Number and Person, it is known as the Non-Finite Verb. These verbs cannot be the main verb of a clause or sentence and
they do not indicate any tense, mood or gender. A non-finite verb is not controlled by the number, person and tense of the subject.
· I enjoy shopping for clothes and shoes.
· You enjoy shopping for clothes and shoes.
· They enjoy shopping for clothes and shoes.
It is dangerous to drive on this slippery road.
I felt it difficult to comprehend.
It is good to know that you can cook as well.
We ate a lot of roasted meat.
I have completed the given task.
Robert is the most wanted player on the team.
Shaun gave up smoking a few years ago.
Walking is a habit you should develop from the beginning.
Sleeping in the afternoon is not healthy at all.
A flying bird is more watchful than a sitting bird.
The Verb Non-Finite can be of three types - the Infinitive, the Gerund and the Participle.
For example, in the sentence, "To forgive your enemy is good", `to forgive' is not limited by either Tense or Number or Person. It is an example of the Verb Infinite‑
Gerunds
A gerund is a verbal that ends in '-ing' and functions as a noun. In other words, when a verb becomes a noun, it is called gerund. Since it functions as a noun, it occupies the same position in a sentence that a noun ordinarily would such as subject, direct object, subject complement, and object of preposition. Words like swimming, tying, dreaming, eating, fishing, and drinking can all be used as gerunds.
List of sentences with gerunds:
Traveling might satisfy your desire for new experiences.
Blowing bubbles on a windy day is a fun activity for children. ('Blowing bubbles on a windy day' is the subject of the verb 'is'.)
Piling too much laundry into a washing machine will cause it to malfunction. ('Piling too much laundry into a washing machine' is the subject of the verb 'will cause'.)
Ethan narrowly avoided driving off the cliff. ('Driving off the cliff' is the direct object of the verb 'avoided'.)
Eating ice cream on a hot day can be a good way to cool off. ('Eating ice cream on a hot day' is the subject of the verb 'can be'.)
Jessica really enjoys bothering the neighbors with loud music. ('Bothering the neighbors with loud music' is the direct object of the verb 'enjoys'.)
Participles
A participle is a verbal that is used as an adjective and most often ends in -ing or -ed. It has some features of verbs and some of adjectives, but it is basically a type of adjective. There are two types of participles: Present participles and Past participles.
Present participles can be used to act like an adjective, a verbal noun or accompany an auxiliary verb to make continuous past or present tenses.
The past participle is the third principal part of a verb. With regular verbs, we have an easy case of creating these words. We create it by adding '-ed,' '-d,' or '-t' ‘tn, to the base of a regular verb.
Present participles usually describe what a thing does and Past Participles usually describe what was done to a thing.
Perfect participles are a kind of participle that are used in combination with the verb 'have,' and imply a particular meaning.
Perfect participles are used to express actions or states that have just finished. They indicate that one action or event happened before another.
Perfect participle is not technically a third type of participle. It is a grammatical phrase constructed by:having + past participle.
Examples:
She is buying a talking bird for her daughter. [Present Participle]
He was trapped inside the burning house. [Present Participle]
A broken clock stood on the mantelpiece. [Past Participle]
I finally found the hose stolen from my garden. [Past Participle]
Having talked to him, she felt awful. [Perfect Participle]
Having started to rain, we decided not to leave home. [Perfect Participle]
Having been caught, the thief admitted his crime. [Perfect Participle]
Infinitives
An infinitive is a verbal consisting of the word 'to' plus a verb and functioning as a noun, adjective or adverb.
Example:
To wait seemed foolish when action was required.
The children need a garden to play in.
I decided not to go to London.
Note: Be sure not to confuse an infinitive, a verbal consisting of 'to' +verb with a prepositional phrase beginning with to, which consists of 'to'+ a noun or pronoun and any modifiers.
Finite Verbs --Principal and Auxiliary
Finite Verbs are divided into two main classes: -
Principal Verb: Verbs which have a meaning of their own, agree with the Person and Number of the Subject of a sentence and can be used independently are called principal verb. Main verbs have meanings related to actions, events and states. Most verbs in English are main verbs.
Verb : call, go, work, etc.
Auxiliary Verb: When a verb is used only to help some other verb to form voices, moods and tenses, it is called an Auxiliary Verb (auxiliary =helping).
§ I am writing a book.
§ He has done the work.
§ We will be there in a minute.
§ Would you help me with this homework?
§ Can you open the door?
§ Did you visit New York last holiday?
§ Do you like chocolate?
§ They must get there on time.
Auxiliary verbs are of two types:
Primary auxiliary verb
Modal auxiliary verb
Primary auxiliary verb: And those verb words which merely help to express statements of fact are called Primary Auxuliary. “Be” and its forms; “do” and its forms and “have” and its forms belong to this group.
These Primary Auxiliaries can be used as Main Verbs as well as Helping Verbs.
The primary auxiliary verbs are to be, to have, and to do. They appear in the following forms:
· To Be: am, is, are, was, were, being, been, will be
· To Have: has, have, had, having, will have
· To Do: does, do, did, will do
Primary Auxiliary Verbs may also be used. as Principal Verbs:
Auxiliary Principal
I am helped by him. I am happy.
He has gone. He has a dog.
We eat that we may live. You man go.
He does not know it. He did it.
I shall do it. You shall do it.
lie will do it. I will do it.
Modal Auxiliary Verb: The modal auxiliary verbs are auxiliary verbs that specifically affect the mood of the verb. Remember that verb mood is about the attitude in which the action or state is expressed-as a statement of fact or opinion, as a wish, as a possibility, or as a command. Modality is about a speaker’s or a writer’s attitude towards the world. A speaker or writer can express certainty, possibility, willingness, obligation, necessity and ability by using modal words and expressions. The word ‘Modal’ comes from the word “mood” which is related to the mind!
Core modal verbs: can, could, may, might, will, shall, would, should, must
Semi-modals: dare, need, ought to, used to
Other verbs with modal meanings: have (got) to, be going to and be able to
Examples of modal auxiliary verbs in a sentence:
§ I can run a mile in 8 minutes. (expresses a fact or possibility)
§ You must clean your plate before you have dessert. (expresses a command)
§ I might go to the park after school today. (expresses a possibility)
§ It would be nice if a rainbow appeared. (expresses a wish)
§ Do you think it will rain today? (expresses a possibility or a wish)
§ Grandma could arrive any minute! (expresses a possibility)
§ You should try some of this spaghetti. (expresses a statement of opinion)
§ Will you give me some money? (expresses a wish or possibility)
These Modal Auxiliaries have three common characteristics:
1. They are never used alone – a Main Verb in its ‘bare-infinitive’ form is either present or understood: {except ‘need’, ‘dare’ and ‘used to’}
I will to school. [wrong – no main verb]
I will go to school. [correct – main verb ‘go’ is present]
2. These Auxiliaries have a ‘single form’ through out the Present Tense, whatever be the Person and Number of the subject of the sentence:
e.g.
I can swim. You can swim. She can swim.
3. The Modal Auxiliaries do not take the ‘to-infinitive’ or the ‘participle’ – present or past – forms directly:
e.g.
You shall to go. [wrong]
She can gone. [wrong]
He may coming here. [wrong]
You shall go. [correct]
She can go. [correct]
He may come here. [correct]
Principal Verbs are divided into two classes: —
Transitive verbs are those that require an object to make the sense clear: He did this. I love him. Who made it ?
· I admire your courage.
· We need to maintain product quality.
· I couldn’t face him today.
· She loves animals.
Some transitive verbs (like fell, teach, ask, show, give, send, etc.) take two objects, Direct and Indirect.
2. Intransitive verbs are those that do not require any object to make the sense clear: He sleeps. I run. Birds fly.
§ The baby was crying.
§ I work for a large firm in Paris.
§ They laughed uncontrollably.
§ We talked for hours.
Object: The object of a sentence is the person or thing that receives the action of the verb. It is the who or what that the subject does something to. It can be a noun, a noun phrase, a pronoun or a longer complex object, which is modified (in a similar way to a complex subject).
An object in grammar is a part of a sentence, and often part of the predicate. It refers to someone or something involved in the subject's "performance" of the verb. It is what the verb is being done to.
Direct object
You can find the direct object by finding the verb and asking "what?".
A direct object answers the question "what?" or "who?"
Examples:
David repaired his car → his car is the direct object of the verb repaired. ( What did David repair?)
He invited Mary to the party → Mary is the direct object of the verb invited. (Who did he invite?)
Indirect Object
An indirect object names the person for or to whom something is done.
An indirect object answers the question "to whom?", "for whom?" Remember that once you have found the direct object, you have to ask who (or what) is receiving it to find the indirect object
An indirect object is the recipient of the direct object, or an otherwise affected participant in the event. There must be a direct object for an indirect object to be placed in a sentence. In other words an indirect object cannot exist without a direct object.
Examples:
They sent him a postcard - him is the indirect object of the verb sent. (To whom did they send a postcard?)
He bought his son a bike - his son is the indirect object of the verb bought. (For whom did he buy a bike?)
Indirect Objects Are Usually People.
Indirect objects usually people, but not always. This means that, occasionally, you might have to ask "for or to what?" as opposed to "for or to whom?" to find the indirect object.
· I have given the room a quick inspection.
· Metaphors give your writing some spice.
· Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity. (Educational reformer Horace Mann)
A Transitive verb becomes Intransitive, when
(a) The verb is used in such a general sense that the object can be easily understood from the context : Fire burns. We eat to live.
(b) The reflexive pronoun is omitted: Move (yourself) aside. He keeps (himself) aloof. He drew (himself) near me.
(c) An adverb is added to the verb : Cholera has broken out.
(d) The verb is used quasi-passively : Rice sells cheap.
An Intransitive verb becomes transitive when it is used
(a) Grouped with -preposition: He laughs at me. We act on this rule.
(b) In a causal sense : He flies (causes to I 1\ ) a kite. I grow (cause to grow) corn in my field. (See Art. 160)
(c) With over and with placed before it : We withstood the attack. He overcame the difficulties.
(d )With a Reflexive or Personal object: They set them down. (e) With a Cognate object: He ran a race.
Both Transitive and Intransitive verbs are divided into following two types depending on formation of its 2nd and 3rd forms.
Regular Verbs
Irregular Verbs
Regular Verbs
A verb whose past-simple and past-participle are formed simply by adding ‘-ed’ to it, is called a regular verb.
Verb | Base Form | Past Simple | Past Participle |
To work | Work | Worked | Worked |
To look | Look | Looked | Looked |
To dry | Dry | Dried | Dried |
To help | Help | Helped | Helped |
To move | Move | Moved | Moved |
Irregular Verbs
A verb whose past-simple and past-participle are formed in different ways (not by adding ‘-ed’) is called an irregular verb.
Verb | Base Form | Past Simple | Past Participle |
To Send | Send | Sent | Sent |
To buy | Buy | Bought | Bought |
To teach | Teach | Taught | Taught |
To do | Do | Did | Did |
To fly | Fly | Flew | Flown |
A few verb remains the same in all three forms (base, past-simple and past-participle).
Verb | Base Form | Past Simple | Past Participle |
To shut | shut | Shut | Shut |
To cut | Cut | Cut | Cut |
To spread | spread | spread | spread |
To read | Read | Read | Read |
Other Types of Verb:
Action verbs
Action verbs (also called dynamic verbs) express activities, processes, momentary actions or physical conditions:
Examples of action verbs
Ache, arrive, ask, call , change, cook, dance ,eat, fall, feel, go, grow, help, hit, hurt ,Itch ,kick, knock, leave, melt read, say, shrink, sing, speak, talk, throw, travel, watch
They may be used in continuous forms:
Who was he dancing with?Someone's knocking at the door.I've been reading this book for weeks.
State verbs
Stative verbs (or state verbs) describe a status or quality of something… NOT an action. Verbs of perception, opinion, the senses, emotion, possession, and state of being are often stative verbs.
Examples of state verbs
appear, believe, belong, consider, consist, contain,cost , doubt, exist ,fit, hate ,hear, have know like love, matter, mean, need ,owe ,own, prefer ,remember, resemble, seem, suppose, suspect, understand, want ,wish
COMMON STATE VERBS
Senses
Feel, hear, see, smell, sound, taste
Mental and emotional states
Doubt, believe , feel (have an opinion), hate, like/dislike, love ,imagine, know, realise, prefer, recognize, remember, see (understand),suppose, think (have an opinion) ,understand ,want, wish
Communication
Agree, disagree, deny, appear, look (seem), seem, astonish, impress, surprise , promise, please, mean
Other state verbs
Belong, consist, deserve, involve, owe
In sentence:
· Susan recognizes the need for a discussion.
· I think that's a good idea.
· I love this song!
· That coffee smells good.
· Do you have a pen?
· Do these keys belong to you?
· I see a bird in the bush.
· Jason believes the news about the company, but I don't.
· How much does that book cost?
· I get the situation, but I still don't know the answer.
· Does Tom impress you with all his knowledge?
· He is from Dallas, TX in the Southwest.
· She hates ironing clothes, but doesn't want to wear them wrinkled.
· I like spending time with my friends.
· She loves her children just as any mother loves her children.
· I'm afraid I don't need a new pair of shoes.
· She knows the answer, but she doesn't want to give it away.
· Can I reach and take the hamburger?
· Do you understand the question?
State verbs are not normally used in continuous forms:
I am needing a new phone.
I need a new phone.Who is this bag belonging to?
Who does this bag belong to?They are seeming tired.
They seem tired.
State verbs in the continuous form
Some state verbs may be used in the continuous form if they refer to a temporary action or an action in progress at a certain moment, rather than a permanent attitude:
· I'm having second thoughts about moving abroad.
· Jones is appearing in Hamlet this evening.
· You're looking great in those jeans.
There are also state verbs which may be used in the continuous form, but with a different, active meaning:
Verb | Stative meaning | Active meaning |
be | He is immature. (he is always immature) You are my best friend. (it's a fact) | He is being immature. (he is temporarily acting immature) She's being silly again. (behaving in a silly way) |
smell | That soup smells good. (has a good smell) The bar smells of smoke. the quality of smell or taste possessed by something.. | He is smelling the soup. (sniffing at) He’s smelling the cookies. when a person uses their nose or mouth to test something |
taste | This milk tastes sour. (has a sour taste) This meat tastes like chicken | I was just tasting the food. (testing) She’s tasting the soup to see if it needs more salt. |
look | You look great! (your current appearance) appearanceThat cake looks delicious! | He was looking out the window when I saw him. (directing his eyes towards) directing your eyes to something; phrasal verbsHe’s looking at the computer screen.She’s looking for (= seeking) a job. |
hear | I don't hear well. (pick up with ears) | The judge will be hearing the evidence later this week. (listening to) |
expect | I expect that you are tired. (assume) |