The Verb

The Verb

Monday, April 19, 2021

Class objectives:

• Define the verb.

• Identify helping verbs and main verbs in a verb phrase.

• Classify verbs as action verbs or linking verbs.

Multiple Choice

What is a verb?

• A word that expresses action or state of being.

• A word that describes another word.

• A word that names people, places, and things.

Verbs are classified in three ways.

• helping verbs or main verbs

• action verbs or linking verbs

• transitive verbs or intransitive verbs

Helping verbs and Main Verbs

A helping verb helps the main verb express action or a state of being. Together, a main verb and at least one helping verb (also called an auxiliary verb) make up a verb phrase.

A verb phrase is a word group that has one or more helping verbs, and one main verb at the end.

Examples of verb phrases

• They are working really hard.

• They have been working a lot.

• Did they finish their project?

• They did not complete the project.

Multiple Choice

What is the helping verb of the following sentence: "Darius and Jake don´t know how to speak English."

• do know

• do

• know

• English

Multiple Choice

What is the main verb of the following sentence: "María can play the guitar very well."

• can

• very

• can play

• play

Action Verbs & Linking Verbs

Action verbs

An action verb describes what someone or something is doing.

It expresses a physical or mental action.

write

This verb describes a physical action.

walk

This verb describes what the baby is doing.

speak and listen

These verbs describe a physical action.

think, wonder, imagine

These verbs express a mental action. No physical movement is involve.

understand, comprehend

These verbs express a mental action.

Multiple Choice

"Amelia remembered the answer to that question."

• physical action

• mental action

Multiple Choice

Gary told me a secret yesterday.

• physical action

• mental action

Multiple Choice

My dog, Snoopy, can jump really high.

• physical action

• mental action

Multiple Choice

I have always imagined myself as a doctor in the future.

• physical action

• mental action

Linking Verbs

Linking verbs link the subject to a word called the subject complement.

A subject complement can be a noun, pronoun or adjective that is in the predicate but refers to the subject.

When you find nouns or pronouns after linking verbs, it means they are identifying or renaming the subject of the sentence. On the other hand, when you find adjectives after linking verbs, these words are describing the subject.

taste

My grandmother's soup tastes delicious.

look

The house over the hill looks scary and gloomy.

are

Tammy and Kate are police officers.

Examples of linking verbs

The room smells nice.

My two best friends are they.

They are my two best friends.

That comment was quite offensive.

Multiple Choice

A verb is a word that expresses action or state of being.

• true

• false

Multiple Choice

Main verbs always go at the end of verb phrases.

• true

• false

Multiple Choice

You can have only one helping verb in a verb phrase.

• true

• false

Multiple Select

Select all the verbs that express a physical action and submit them.

• scream

• watch

• become

• dream

• dance

Multiple Select

Select all the verbs that express mental action

• hope

• run

• love

• swim

• believe

Multiple Choice

Classify the underlined verb in the sentence: "My dog smells everyone who gets to my house."

• action verb

• linking verb

Multiple Choice

Classify the underlined verb in the sentence: "The room smells a bit damp."

• action verb

• linking verb

Multiple Choice

Classify the underlined verb in the sentence: "My friend Jeremy feels a pain in his chest.

• action verb

• linking verb

Multiple Choice

Classify the underlined verb in the sentence: "My friend Jeremy feels happy for my success at work.

• action verb

• linking verb

Multiple Choice

Classify the underlined verb in the sentence: "Kelvin became a remarkable archaeologist last year.

• action verb

• linking verb