Verbs

What is a verb?
Verb is a word which describes an action, often known as `Doing` word
refers to to the words or group of words that describes an action, experience, or
express a state of being.

Verb example
• Walk, go, grab, stand, have, get, promise, listen, etc.

Verb in sentence:
• I speak English.
• She studies hard.
• My dad needs to go to work.

Verb rules
There are many rules surrounding the use of verbs in the English language.
1. When talking in the third person, the verb requires an -es or -s form.
• He uses the bathroom.
2. If the verb and the subject have a long phrase between them, the verb has to agree
with the original subject.
• The sweets which he gave to his wife were very tasty.
3. If the subject preceded by phrase `one of`, the following verb should be singular.
• One of the children is crying.
4. If two nouns are within a sentence and refer to the same thing or person, the following
verb should be singular.
• The doctor and the nurse are working in the hospital.
5. If there are two nouns which are synonymous within a sentence, they should be
followed with a singular verb
• His power and might is huge.
6. Plural nouns on their own will use a plural verb.
• His shoes are too big.
7. If the plural noun is preceded by the word `a pair of` then a singular verb is required.
• A pairs of shoes is quite expensive.
8. If the noun is uncountable then a singular verb should always follow it.
• The poetry that he writes is very romantic.
9. When a collective noun is referring to a single entity, it should use a singular verb.
• The military is very strict.
10. However if it used to refer to an individual then a plural should be used.
• The military are requesting new members.
 Main verbs
Main verbs are finite, which means they have subject and a tense form. Main verbs also
known as principle verbs, primary verbs, or lexical verbs.
It can be recognised as it comes after the subject.
• They arrived.
• She is coming next week.
• Lately, he has been feeling unwell.
• The government lost the vote yesterday.
• He is going to town later.
• Susan thought about it carefully.

This type of verb can be an action or stative verb. It also can be a copular (linking) verb.
It will also be transitive or intransitive.

Action and state verbs

These type of verbs are the primary way that the main verb can be distinguished. Action verbs
also known as dynamic verbs, express something the subject does.

Action verbs
Main action verbs express that the subject can do, and so are dynamic.
• They jumped over the gate.
• She started the car.
• She is digging a hole.

State verbs
State verbs express a state in mind, such as an opinion, emotion, sense, or preference.
• I see the problem.
• Her perfume smells nice.
• I doubt he’ll pass.

Copular verbs (linking verbs)

Main verbs can also be copular verbs, copular verbs also known as linking or complementary
verbs. This type of verbs is a subset of a state verb they are always in which to express a
state of being. The main purpose of it is to identify the subject, in which case they are
followed by a noun or noun phrase.
• She is my friend.
• John and Sarah are solicitors.
It also used to describe the subject, in which case they are followed by an adjective or
adjective phrase.
• He seems concerned.
• Peter was happy about it.

Transitive and intransitive verbs

Transitive and intransitive verbs are types of main verbs, though linking verbs are also
intransitive verbs.

1. Transitive verbs
A transitive verb is a verb that requires an object to receive the action.
• The speaker discussed different marketing strategies in the video.

The verb “discuss” requires an object “different marketing strategies” it is necessary

to state what the speaker discussed.

Example sentences:
• Can you bring your copy of textbook to our study group meeting?.
• The instructor addressed the student’s question.

A transitive verb can take more then one object.

• Donovan gave a laptop to his sister.

In this sentence, there is indirect object which is “his sister”, and a direct object
which is “a laptop”.

Finding the objects.

You can figure out the direct object by using the question format, “the subject did
what?” or “the subject [verb] what?”.

• The instructor addressed what?

The student’s question
• Can you bring what?
Your copy of the text book

• The speaker discussed what?

Different marketing strategies
You can find the indirect object by asking the question “To whom?” or “For whom?”.
• Donovan gave a laptop to whom? His sister.
2. Intransitive verbs
An intransitive verb does not take an object.
Example sentence:
• The student arrived at the residency. In Houston.
• Susan laughed.
• Ahmad voted in the local election.
• The baby was crying.
• I work for a large firm in Paris.
• We talked for hours.

Note:
Using an object immediately after an intransitive verb will create an incorrect sentence.
• The students arrived Houston.

This sentence is incorrect because the verb cannot take an object.

 Auxiliary verbs
These are used to add functional or grammatical meaning to other verbs. So rather than
being the main verbs, they may be used with a main verb in order to change function or
meaning. They are also known as helping verbs.
The two main types of auxiliary verb are:
1. be, do, have, and will.
2. Modals (could, should, must, will etc).

“Be” “do” “have” “will” Auxiliary verbs

Phrasal verbs.
A phrasal verb is a verb that is made up of a main verb together with an adverb or a
preposition, or both.
• She has always looked down on me.
• Fighting broke out among a group of 40 men.
• I’ll see to the animals.
• Don’t put me off, I’m trying to concentrate.
• The report spelled out the need for more staff.

Transitivity
Phrasal verbs can be transitive and intransitive.
1. Transitive
They have no object.
• We broke up two years age.
• They set off early to miss the traffic.
• He pulled up outside the cottage.
2. Intransitive
They can have an object.
• The police were called to break up the fight.
• When the door is opened, it sets off an alarm.
• They pulled the house down and redeveloped the site.

Word order
The verb and adverb which make up intransitive phrasal verb—they have no object, are
never separated.
• [correct] We broke up two years age.
• [incorrect] We broke two years age up.

But with transitive verb it’s different, if the direct object is a noun you can separate the
phrasal verb elements.
• They pulled the house down.
• They pulled down the house.

Both of these sentences are correct.

If the object is a pronoun, then the object always comes between the verb and adverb.
• [correct] They pulled it down.