VERBS
I. What is a verb?
A verb is a word that shows action or being. Whatever you are doing can be expressed by a verb.
Note:
Without a verb, a group of words cannot be a sentence. A sentence can be as short as one word long, as long as that one word is a verb. Go! Stop!, and Eat! are all perfectly good one-word sentences.
II. Verbs That Show Action
Action doesn’t mean just physical action like to jump, run, throw, scream, swim, and climb. Action also means quiet, slow, peaceful actions, both physical and mental, like to think, listen, sleep, read, look, breath, hear, wonder, love, understand, and dream.
III. Main Verbs and Helping Verbs
- A. What is a main verb?
The main verb expresses the main action or state of being in the sentence.
♣ The principal called Julio into his office. Julio is nervous.
- B. What is a helping verb?
Helping verbs are nice and help the main verb express tenses. There are twenty-three of these helping verbs.
|
am, are, is, was, were, be, being, been do, does, did have, has, had may, must, might can, could, would, should shall, will |
A main verb can have up to three helping verbs.
♣ Mr. Kel was laughing so hard, he spilled his soda.
♣ Jose should have known the answer to the math question.
♣ Sovann will have been waiting an hour by the time we get there.
Note:
Notice that the verb to be can be a helping verb or a main verb, or even both in the same sentence. (What a verb?)
As the main verb : We are so glad that you will be thee.
As a helping verb : I am leaving this house this minute!
As both verb : Miguel was being bad again.
IV. Verb Tenses
Tense means time in grammar. The tense of a verb tells you when the action of the verb takes place. There are six main tenses.
1 Present tense means now:
♣ I ride my bike this very minute.
2 Past tense means before now –a second or million years ago.
♣ I rode my horse the day before yesterday.
3 Future tense means not yet (but any time after now):
♣ I will ride my dream 08 to school this morning.
4 Present perfect tense means started in the past and just recently finished or still going on.
♣ I have ridden my horse around the park three times. (and I’m still riding it.)
5 Past perfect tense means finished before some other past action:
♣ I had ridden my horse for a mile before I fell off.
6 Future perfect tense means the action will be started and finished in the future.
♣ I will have ridden the camel for hours before I get there.
V. The Three Principal Parts of Verbs: Present, Past, and Past Participle
Every verb has three main parts called principal parts.
- The present is used by itself for the present tense (I go) and with the helping verb will for the future tense (I will go).
- The past is used for the past tense (I went)
- The past participle is used with the helping verbs have, has, or had to form the three perfect tenses:
- present perfect : (I have gone)
- past perfect : (I had gone)
- future perfect : (I will have gone)
- A. Regular Verbs
Most verbs are regular. Regular verbs just add d or ed when they change principal parts from the present to the past to the past participle.
|
Present |
Past |
Past Participle (used with have/has/had) |
| Now I jump.
Now We study. |
Yesterday I jumped.
Yesterday we studied. |
I have jumped.
we had studied.
|
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