THE VERB: POWER TO THE SENTENCE

I. FUNCTIONS OF VERBS

VERB – means “word” in Latin; at the heart of writing for it focuses, directs, and commands
- a word or group of words (verb phrases) that expresses time while showing an action (or effort), a
condition, or the fact that something exists(state of being)

Ben kicked the ball. – The verb ‘kicked’ expresses an action.

The teacher is sick. – The verb ‘is’ expresses a condition.
The students are here. The verb ‘are’ shows existence.

II. KINDS OF VERBS ACCORDING TO FORM

 Regular Verbs – verbs that form their past tense and their past participle by adding d or ed to the present
tense
 Irregular Verbs – otherwise

III. CATEGORIES OF VERBS ACCORDING TO THEIR USES

1. Action Verbs – describe physical (visible actions like smile, run, write, dance) or mental action (think,
believe, learn, hope); tells what action someone or something is performing

a. TRANSITIVE VERB (TV) – carries/directs action from the subject to an object (DO) named in the same
sentence; a verb having a direct object (DO), which could either be a noun or a pronoun; has a passive voice
form

Terrie reads news. (The word ‘news’ is the direct object of the verb reads.)

NOTE: Direct object (DO) answers the question whom? or what? after the transitive verb. As to the
sentence “Terrie reads news,” Terrie reads what? - news (DO).

REMEMBER: TV + DO (Noun or Pronoun), or TV + IO + DO (see lessons on Cases/Uses of

Nouns/Pronouns)

b. INTRANSITIVE VERB (IV) – a verb having no object; does not carry/direct action toward someone or
something named in the same sentence; ends either in itself or with an adverb (one-word adverb or
adverbial prepositional phrase); always in the active, and does not have a passive voice form (see lessons on
Tenses and Voice of Verbs)

Aki and Margie danced. (ends in itself)

Aki and Margie danced on the stage. (ends with an adverbial prepositional phrase)

NOTE: A word or phrase following an intransitive verb generally answers the question when?, how?, or where?
As to the sentence “Aki and Margie danced on the stage,” Where did Aki and Margie dance? – on the stage.

- REMEMBER: IV + ADVERB (one-word adverb or adverbial prepositional phrase)

2. Linking (Copulative) Verbs – connect the subject of a sentence to its complements: a predicate noun, as in
the sentence “Their teacher is Mr. Guerrero,” a predicate pronoun, as in the sentence “Their teacher is he,” or a
predicate adjective, as in the sentence “Their teacher is industrious.”

a. various forms of be verbs (am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been)
Example: He is the lead actor. (The verb is links the subject he with the predicate noun actor.)

b. verbs related to senses (appear, look, feel, smell, sound, taste)

Example: The food tastes delicious. (The verb tastes links the subject food with the adjective delicious.)

c. verbs expressing condition or placement of the subject (become, grow, remain, seem, stay, turn)
 Example: The family remained calm after hearing the news about the accident. (The verb remained links
the subject family with the adjective calm.)

The Forms of BE
am am being can be have been
are are being could be has been
is is being may be had been
was was being might be could have been
were were being must be may have been
shall be might have been
should be must have been
will be shall have been
would be should have been
will have been
would have been

NOTE 1: Linking or Action Verb?

- Some verbs mat be used either as linking verbs or action verbs (Refer to the lists of types of linking verbs
b and c above and see examples below).

The food tastes delicious. (LV)

The cook tastes the food. (TV)

- To know if the verb is linking or action, try using BE verbs (am, is, are, etc.) in place of the verb of the
sentence. If the sentence makes sense such that the meaning of the sentence remains the same, the verb
is a linking verb. Otherwise, it is an action verb (see examples below).

The food tastes delicious. = The food is delicious. (The verb tastes is a linking verb.)
The cook tastes the food. = The cook is the food. (? – The verb tastes is an action verb.)

NOTE 2: Verbs expressing existence

- The forms of BE verbs do not always function as linking verbs. Instead, they may express existence,
usually by showing where something is located (see examples below).

The new pair of shoes is in the black box.

There are several errors on grammar in their essays.

REMEMBER: LV + NOUN/PRONOUN/ADJECTIVE
(X) The corpse smells badly. (The word badly is an adverb. This can modify only a verb, an
adjective, or an adverb.)
(/) The corpse smells bad. (The linking verb “smells” needs an adjective, a noun, or a pronoun.
Hence, the adjective bad is used after it. )

 Since linking verbs do not have objects, they may be considered intransitive.

3. Helping/Auxiliary Verbs – help the main verb in a verb phrase (VERB PHRASE: a combination of one or
more auxiliary verbs and a main verb); normally used in progressive tenses and in passive voice

The cake was baked by Georgina. (Helping Verb = was ; Main Verb = baked)
Mr. Malaya is dancing on the stage right now. (Helping Verb = is ; Main Verb = dancing)

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