Verb

Definition:
A word used to describe an action
(hear), state (become), or occurrence
(happen), and forming the main part of
the predicate of a sentence.
 A : - Finite Verbs
• The word finite means limited, so the verbs,
which are limited to a subject, tense, number
and person, are called finite verbs.
• Examples:
• He is a mechanic.
• They went home.
• Ali speaks fast.
Finite verbs are divided into two other parts

1- Ordinary verbs.

2- Auxiliary verbs.
 1 – Ordinary Verbs
• These verbs are used to make statements
alone. They do not have additional meanings
to change the statements to questions and
negatives.
• They are divided into two other classes of
transitive and intransitive.
 I – Transitive Verbs:
• Transitive verb don’t have complete meaning,
so they need an object. There are two kinds of
transitive verbs.
A – Transitive verbs of complete predication.

B – Transitive verbs of incomplete predication.

 A – Transitive verbs of complete predication

• When transitive verbs with their objects make

a complete meaning, they are said to be
transitive verbs of complete predication.

E.g. I shut the door.

He killed a snake.
 B – Transitive verbs of incomplete predication

• When the transitive verbs with their objects do

not make a complete meaning and need
another word for its completion is called
transitive verbs of incomplete predication.
Example:
• I made him king.
• He asked me a question.
 II – Intransitive Verbs:
• Intransitive verbs have complete meanings, so
they don’t need additional words for
completion of their meanings.
• E.g.
• A baby cries.
• The sun shines.
 2 – Auxiliary verbs
• Auxiliary verbs are used to help to form a tense, an expression
or different ideas. These verbs are combined with present or
past participles or with infinitives to form the tenses of
ordinary verbs. In addition, they are used to change some
statements to questions and negatives.
• Examples:
I am cleaning the kitchen.
He has already eaten.
They would like to stay here.
We don’t have a vacant in this apartment.
Did you see him there?
• There are three kinds of Auxiliary verbs in
English
• Principle Auxiliaries
• Modal Auxiliaries
• Semi Modal Auxiliaries
 I – Principle Auxiliaries:
• Principal auxiliaries function both as helping very and a main
verb in a sentence.
They are ( Be, Do, Have )
Examples:

• He is a teacher. (Is as a main verb)

• He is teaching.
• She does her chores.
• Does she do her chores?
• We have a big car.
• We have seen that film before.
(Is as a helping verb)
(Does as a main verb)
(Dose as a helping verb)
(Have as a main verb)
(Have as an auxiliary verb)
 II – The modal auxiliaries are:
• A modal verb (also modal, modal auxiliary
verb or modal auxiliary is a type of auxiliary
verb that is used to indicate modality – that is,
ability, permission, possibility, probability,
request, and obligation. 
The are can, could, shall, should, will, would,
may, might, have to, must, had to, ought to.
 
 Some uses of Modals

• “Can” expresses

• Ability I can speak French.

• Possibility He can pass the test.
• Probability he can be at home.
• Permission you can stay or go.
• Request can I take your pen?
• Command you canWash the dishes and then the
clothes.
 Could expresses

• Could is only used to express past ability

e.g. I could speak Russian when I was ten.
• Past and present possibility
e.g. He could join a level four class.
• Present request.
e.g. Could you please close the door?
 Shall is used

• In polite question to make suggestions.

E.g. Shall I open the window?

• Should shows
• Advisability
• You should study hard.
• 90% certainty
• He should do well on the test.
 May shows

• Polite request May I help you mom?

• Permission May I come in?
• Certainty He may be at his office by now.
 Might shows

• Less than 50% Certainty She might come.

• Polite request Might I borrow your pen?

• Have to/has to expresses

• Necessity I have to buy some gifts for my family.
• Obligation I have to go to school today.
 Must shows

• Strong necessity:
I must go home now.
• Prohibition:
Athletes must not eat too much
• Certainty or inference:
She must be sick.
• Probability:
You must be happy about it.
 III – Semi Modal Auxiliary verbs: -

• They are need, dare, and used. These auxiliaries are used in
the following cases.
• 1-Need: - It Can be both an auxiliary and ordinary verb. As an
auxiliary, its forms are need and needn’t for all persons in the
present and future tenses. It shows obligation.
• E.g.
• I need only reach one of the stations.
• I needn’t study here anymore.
• Need I tell Ahmad?
• But as an ordinary verb, need is followed by full
infinitive. It takes (s or es) in simple present
tense. The question form of the sentences with
need is made by using a form of (to do).
• Ex:
• He needs to buy a car.
• Do I need to take an entrance exam?
• He doesn’t need it anymore.
 2 – Dare:
• It can also be used both as an auxiliary or an
ordinary verb. As an auxiliary verb it is used
as:
• I dare not go.
• How dared you come here?
As an ordinary verb it is used as?
• I dare Ahmad to race me.
• She didn’t dare me to run.
 3 – Used:
• It is the past tense of a defective verb that has
no present tense. It is used for all persons
without any difference. It is followed by the
infinitive and expresses a discontinued habit
or a past action or situation which contrasts
with the present.
• Example:
• I used to drive a taxi but now I drive a bus.
 B: - Non-finite verbs

• A nonfinite verb is a verb that does not

function as the predicate verb in a clause.
While some nonfinite verbs take the form of
past or present participles, they are generally
not inflected—that is, they don't have mood,
tense, number, aspect, gender, or person. In
English there are four kinds of non-finite
verbs.
 I – Infinitive:

• The base form of a verb not limited by a subject and

tense is called infinitive. The infinitive usually begins
with the preposition (to), but sometimes it doesn’t have
a following (to), which is called a bare or plain infinitive.
In a sentence infinitive has three functions. It functions
as a verb-noun, as a verb- adjective or as a verb-adverb.
• Examples:
• To swim is fun. (Verb-noun)
• I bought a book to study.(Verb-adjective)
• She came to see you. (Verb-adverb)
 II – Gerund:

• Gerund is the ( ing ) form of a verb (i.e. going, studying)

that functions as a verb-noun. In a simple sentence, it
performs the function of a noun by acting as a subject
word, object word, predicative word or following a
preposition.
• Examples:
• Studying is important.
• I enjoy studying.
• My hobby is studying.
• I am interested in studying.
 III - The present participle:

• The present participle like the gerund is a verb-

form ending in (ing) (i.e. boring, surprising); but
while the gerund is a verb noun, the present
participle is a verb-adjective. Since its function as
an adjective is dominant, it may be described as
an adjective.
• Examples:
• This book is too boring.
• I heard some surprising news.
 V – The past participle:

• Although the past participle doesn’t end in

(ing) like the present participle, but it
functions as a verb-adjective.
• Examples:
• I am surprised.
• The milk is frozen