A verb is a word that shows action, helps, links, or states existence. Verbs are the exciting part of the sentence.
Action Verbs
Action verbs are the verbs that keep you interested. They peak your interest. They grasp your attention. They shock you. Action verbs merely show action,( either mentally or physically) and express something a noun (person, place, think or idea) or pronoun(a word that takes the place of a noun) can do. If you are unsure whether a word in an action verb, ask yourself, “Can this be done?” If the answer is yes, more than likely, it is an action verb.
I threw the ball through the window.
· The verb threw expresses action I can do
Hannah stirred the boiling soup.
· Stirred expresses something Hannah can do
Peter slept through the ruckus.
· Slept is an action that Peter is doing.
Two different types of action verbs are transitive and intransitive. Transitive action verbs have a receiver of the action. And, typically, the receiver acts as a direct object of the sentence.
I threw the ball through the window.
· In this sentence, ball is receiving the action of throwing. Thus, threw is acting as a transitive verb.
Intransitive verbs do not need a receiver because the verb itself completes the action.
Peter slept through the ruckus.
· The subject(Peter) and the verb (slept) would be sufficient information to have a complete thought, making slept an intransitive verb.
Linking Verbs
Linking verbs, also called copular verbs, show a relationship between the subject and the sentence compliment. They identify a relationship or existing condition. Many times verbs can function as both action and linking, creating a problem of differentiating between the two. But linking verbs can be replaced with the word equal (=) and still make sense.
The soup tastes good.
· Can the soup taste? No.
· Does the soup = good? Yes, making it a linking verb.
Hannah tastes the soup
· Does Hannah = soup? No.
· Can Hannah taste the soup? Yes, making it an action verb.
Helping Verbs
Sometimes, like people, verbs need help. Helping verbs have no meaning on their own in the sentence but help clarify and explain the main verb. There are two categories of helping verbs: primary and modal. Primary, also called auxillary verbs, help the reader to understand what tense the main verb is, while modal helping verbs modify the meaning of the main verb and show necessity or possibility.
The primary helping verbs are made up of the forms from the verbs to be (am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been)to have (have, has, had) and to do (do, does, did) Shall, will, should, would, may, might, can could)
I had studied for three long hours before I remembered that there wasn’t a test over that chapter.
· Had studied is the entire verb phrase
· Had, a primary helping verb, delineates for the reader the past perfect tense of the verb study.
I could not study at all today.
· Could study is the entire verb phrase
· Could shows possibility of studying, making it a modal helping verb.
State of Being Verbs
Not all verbs are like action verbs, full of excitement and glamor. Some verbs just are. They just exist. These are called state of being verbs, which can show time relationship or existence. There are eight verbs that act as state of being verbs: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been.
Hannah is my sister.
· Is, in this situation, is stating that Hannah exists as my sister.
What time is it?
Here, the verb is indicates time.
Definitions
Verb: a word that shows action, helps, links, or shows existence
Action verb: a verb that shows action, either mentally or physically.
Intransitive verb: a verb that completes the action
Transitive verb: a verb that needs a receiver of the action
Linking verb: a verb that shows a relationship between the subject and the sentence compliment
Copular verbs: another term for a linking verb
Helping verb: a verb that helps clarify and explain the main verb
Primary helping verb: help the reader understand the tense of the main verb
Modal helping verb: a verb that helps modify the meaning of the main verb and show necessity or possibility
State of being verb: states existence and shows time relationship
0 comments:
Post a Comment