English Grammar/Basic Parts of Speech/Verbs
A verb is a word or group of words expressing an action or a state.
Categories of Verbs
[edit | edit source]Generally, verbs fall into any of four basic categories, based upon their functions. Many verbs have more than one function and therefore can be considered to fall into more than one category.
- Action verbs describe physical or mental action.
- Transitive verbs take a direct and/or indirect object.
- Intransitive verbs take no object.
(Note: Passive verbs always are intransitive, but they become transitive when changed to the active mood.)
- Linking verbs connect the subject of a sentence to its complements: a predicate noun, a predicate pronoun or a predicate adjective. They do not express action and thus may be considered intransitive. They include:
- The forms of “to be,” (am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been, become and became.)
- Various verbs related to the senses (appear, feel, look, smell, sound, taste, etc.)
- Verbs expressing condition or placement of the subject (become, grow, remain, seem, stay, etc.)
- Auxiliary verbs are used to inflect various verb tenses, moods, etc. The auxiliary verbs are:
- The forms of “to be,” (am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been.)
- The forms of “have,” (has, have, had.)
- The forms of “do,” (do, does, did.)
- Modal verbs are used to express influence over the subject of the sentence, e.g. duty/obligation, ability/permission, volition, or necessity. The modal verbs are as follows.
- May, might, and must
- Can and could
- Will, would, shall, and should
- Ought (to), had better and had best
- Have to and need to
- Used to
- Dare
Some verbs can function as either linking or action verbs depending on how they are used.
- The drainage smelled foul. (Linking verb)
- The dog smelled the blooming flowers. (Action verb)
Other verbs can function as either linking or auxiliary verbs, again depending on usage.
- The man in the bow tie was barking mad. (Linking verb)
- The woman was trying to help him anyway. (Auxiliary verb)
Verb Phrases
[edit | edit source]Verb phrases are formed by the combination of linking or auxiliary/modal verbs with main verbs to complete an idea.
| Linking/Auxiliary/Modal Verb | + | Main Verb | = | Verb Phrase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| is | + | singing | = | is singing |
| would have | + | gone | = | would have gone |
| will have been | + | working | = | will have been working |
Principal Parts of Verbs
[edit | edit source]The principal parts are a verb’s basic forms, from which its other forms can be created by inflection or conjugation. In English, there are three principal parts. These are the simple present indicative, the simple past indicative, and the past perfect indicative.
It is worth noting that lists or recitations of principal parts in English often omit the third principal part’s auxiliary verb, rendering it identically to its grammatically distinct participial form.
There are two kinds of verb in English, regular (or weak) and irregular (or strong). Regular verbs’ second and third principal parts are identical (with the exception that the third principal part takes the auxiliary verb “have”), e.g. play, played, (have) played. Irregular verbs’ second and/or third principal parts contain at least a stem vowel change, e.g. do, did, (have) done.
Regular Verbs
[edit | edit source]Regular, or weak, verbs form the second principal part by appending -(e)d to the first principal part. (Note that for some verbs, the final consonant is doubled before adding the -ing.) The third principal part is formed by appending -(e)d to the first principal part, combined with use of the auxiliary verb “have.”
The Participle I (more commonly called the “present participle”) is formed by appending -ing to the first principal part. The Participle III (more commonly called the “past participle”) is identical in inflection to the third principal part sans auxiliary verb.
Following is a list of some regular verbs in their different parts.
| Simple Present Present Participle |
Simple Past |
Past Perfect Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| carry carrying |
carried |
(have) carried carried |
| cruise cruising |
cruised |
(have) cruised cruised |
| dance dancing |
danced |
(have) danced danced |
| drop dropping |
dropped |
(have) dropped dropped |
| evolve evolving |
evolved |
(have) evolved evolved |
| jump jumping |
jumped |
(have) jumped jumped |
| picnic picnicking |
picnicked |
(have) picnicked picnicked |
| scream screaming |
screamed |
(have) screamed screamed |
| work working |
worked |
(have) worked worked |
Irregular Verbs
[edit | edit source]Irregular, or strong, verbs have different ways of forming their principal parts. They can be described as belonging to one of five classes
Class 1
[edit | edit source]Class 1 verbs have the same form across all three principal parts.
| Simple Present Present Participle |
Simple Past |
Past Perfect Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| burst bursting |
burst |
(have) burst burst |
| cost costing |
cost |
(have) cost cost |
| cut cutting |
cut |
(have) cut cut |
| hit hitting |
hit |
(have) hit hit |
| hurt hurting |
hurt |
(have) hurt hurt |
| put putting |
put |
(have) put put |
| read reading |
read |
(have) read read |
| set setting |
set |
(have) set set |
| shut shutting |
shut |
(have) shut shut |
Class 2
[edit | edit source]Class 2 verbs have a vowel change in the simple past and past perfect tenses. Note that got is both Class 2 and Class 3, taking an optional -en in the third principal part.
| Simple Present Present Participle |
Simple Past |
Past Perfect Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| bring bringing |
brought |
(have) brought brought |
| catch catching |
caught |
(have) caught caught |
| fight fighting |
fought |
(have) fought fought |
| flee fleeing |
fled |
(have) fled fled |
| fling flinging |
flung |
(have) flung flung |
| get getting |
got |
(have) got/gotten got/gotten |
| lead leading |
led |
(have) led led |
| lend lending |
lent |
(have) lent lent |
| lose losing |
lost |
(have) lost lost |
| say saying |
said |
(have) said said |
| seek seeking |
sought |
(have) sought sought |
| shine shining |
shone |
(have) shone shone |
| sit sitting |
sat |
(have) sat sat |
| sting stinging |
stung |
(have) stung stung |
| swing swinging |
swung |
(have) swung swung |
| teach teaching |
taught |
(have) taught taught |
| wind winding |
wound |
(have) wound wound |
Class 3
[edit | edit source]Class 3 verbs take a vowel change in the simple past and form the past perfect by adding an -(e)n to the simple past. Note that bear, bite, and shear do not follow this pattern exactly.
| Simple Present Present Participle |
Simple Past |
Past Perfect Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| bear bearing |
bore |
(have) borne borne |
| beat beating |
beat |
(have) beaten beaten |
| bite biting |
bit |
(have) bitten bitten |
| break breaking |
broke |
(have) broken broken |
| choose choosing |
chose |
(have) chosen chosen |
| freeze freezing |
froze |
(have) frozen frozen |
| shear shearing |
sheared |
(have) shorn shorn |
| speak speaking |
spoke |
(have) spoken spoken |
| steal stealing |
stole |
(have) stolen stolen |
| swear swearing |
swore |
(have) sworn sworn |
| tear tearing |
tore |
(have) torn torn |
| wear wearing |
wore |
(have) worn worn |
Class 4
[edit | edit source]Class 4 vowels change i in the present to a in the simple past and u in the past perfect.
| Simple Present Present Participle |
Simple Past |
Past Perfect Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| begin beginning |
began |
(have) begun begun |
| drink drinking |
drank |
(have) drunk drunk |
| ring ringing |
rang |
(have) rung rung |
| shrink shrinking |
shrank |
(have) shrunk shrunk |
| sing singing |
sang |
(have) sung sung |
| sink sinking |
sank |
(have) sunk sunk |
| spring springing |
sprang/sprung |
(have) sprung sprung |
| swim swimming |
swam |
(have) swum swum |
Class 5
[edit | edit source]Class 5 verbs take a vowel change in the simple past but form the past perfect from the present.
| Simple Present Present Participle |
Simple Past |
Past Perfect Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| blow blowing |
blew |
(have) blown blown |
| come coming |
came |
(have) come come |
| do |
did |
(have) done done |
| draw drawing |
drew |
(have) drawn drawn |
| drive driving |
drove |
(have) driven driven |
| eat eating |
ate |
(have) eaten eaten |
| fall falling |
fell |
(have) fallen fallen |
| give giving |
gave |
(have) given given |
| go going |
went |
(have) gone gone |
| grow growing |
grew |
(have) grown grown |
| know knowing |
knew |
(have) known known |
| ride riding |
rode |
(have) ridden ridden |
| rise rising |
rose |
(have) risen risen |
| run running |
ran |
(have) run run |
| see seeing |
saw |
(have) seen seen |
| shake shaking |
shook |
(have) shaken shaken |
| slay slaying |
slew |
(have) slain slain |
| take taking |
took |
(have) taken taken |
| throw throwing |
threw |
(have) thrown thrown |
| write writing |
wrote |
(have) written written |
Tenses of Verbs
[edit | edit source]A verb takes different forms to show when an action occurs. These forms are called tenses. The table below shows the six basic tenses (the three simple tenses and the three perfect tenses) and the special forms of a verb: the six progressive forms and two emphatic forms. Problems in using the tenses are also included. Note: In the formation of the passive voice, only two progressive forms are included.
Simple Tense
[edit | edit source]Simple Present Tense
[edit | edit source]The simple present tense encompasses the past, present and future time.
Formation:
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| -3rd person singular, present form +-s/-es -other singular/plural forms, use unchanged present form. |
-am,is,are + past participle |
Uses
- Expresses present action or condition
- Expresses regularly occurring action or condition
- Expresses constant action or condition
- Expresses introduction to a quotation
- Expresses past historical action or a piece of literature as if happening now to make description more vivid and realistic
- Expresses future time when sentence contains adverb or phrase indicating the future
- Expresses action or condition as in present perfect tense
Simple Past Tense
[edit | edit source]The simple past tense indicates that an action terminated in the past.
Formation:
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| -regular verbs +-d / -ed -irregular verbs, use past form |
-was, were + past participle |
Uses
- Expresses action or condition that happened at a definite time in the past
- Expresses action or condition that began and ended in the past
- Expresses polite speech
Simple Future Tense
[edit | edit source]Perfect Tense
[edit | edit source]Present Perfect
[edit | edit source]Past Perfect
[edit | edit source]Future Perfect
[edit | edit source]Special Forms of a Verb
[edit | edit source]| Header text | Header text | Header text | Header text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example | Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example | Example |
Problems in Using Tenses
[edit | edit source]| Header text | Header text | Header text | Header text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example | Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example | Example |
Improper Shifts in Tense and Form The same tense must be express two or more actions that occur in the same time.
- A shift in tense within a sentence or between consecutive sentences must be avoided.
Incorrect: I watched television and my brother plays computer last night.
Correct: I watched television and my brother played computer last night.
- A shift in tense may be necessary to show a logical sequence of actions or the relationship of one action to another. This is considered correct.
Example: The Beatles had performed (past perfect) in small German clubs before they conquered (past) the international scene. By the time our team wins (present) the World Cup, the Ice Age will have returned (future perfect).
Voices of Verbs
[edit | edit source]The voice of verbs indicates whether its subject is the performer or the receiver of the action the verb expresses.
- Active voice shows that the subject is the doer or performer of the action. It is preferred in writing because it is more forceful and direct than the passive voice.
- Passive voice shows that the subject is the receiver of the action. it is used in the following:
- to express an action when the doer of the action is unknown.
- to describe an ongoing experience
- to avoid giving a direct order or to state a rule.
- to express action when the doer is not important.
Moods of Verbs
[edit | edit source]Mood identifies the manner in which a verb expresses an idea.
The Three Moods of Verbs
[edit | edit source]- The indicative mood states a fact or asks a question.
- The subjunctive mood is used to express:
- a wish or a condition that is contrary to fact.
- a command or request after the word that.
- The imperative mood gives a command or makes a request. Verbs in this mood are always in the present tense and second person.
Note: The indicative and subjunctive moods have the same forms except for the following:
- In the third=person singular, the -s is omitted from verbs.
- The form of the verb to be is always be in the present subjunctive mood.
- The form of the verb to be is always were in the past subjunctive mood.
Commonly Confused Verbs
[edit | edit source]Bring and Take
[edit | edit source]| Base form | Continuous form | Past form | Past participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bring | Bringing | brought | brought |
Hang
[edit | edit source]| Base form | Continuous form | Past form | Past participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hang | Hanging | Hanged/Hung | Hanged/Hung |
Learn and Teach
[edit | edit source]| Base form | Continuous form | Past form | Past participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learn | Learning | Learned/Learnt | Learned/Learnt |
| Teach | Teaching | Taught | Taught |
Let and Leave
[edit | edit source]| Base form | Continuous form | Past form | Past participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Let | Letting | Let | Let |
| Leave | Leaving | Left | Left |
Lie, Lay and Lie
[edit | edit source]<center>
| Base form | Continuous form | Past form | Past participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| lie | lying | lied | lied |
| Lay | Laying | laid | Laid |
| lie | lying | lay | lain |
Rise and Raise
[edit | edit source]| Base form | Continuous from | Past form | Past participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rise | Rising | Rose | Risen |
| Example | Example | Example | Example |
Sit and Set
[edit | edit source]| Header text | Header text | Header text | Header text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example | Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example | Example |