Table of Contents
What Are Verbs in English Grammar?
A verb in Engish is a word that describes an action (e.g., bring, read, walk, run, learn) or state (e.g., be, seem, appear, look, feel ). Verbs are essential to constructing meaningful sentences in the English language and they help to express the relationships between the subject and the rest of the sentence.
Types of Verbs In English:

There are three types of verbs in English: action verbs, linking verbs, and helping verbs.
1. Action Verbs:
Action verbs are verbs that describe an action done by the subject (e.g., run, jump, swim, and walk.)
Examples:
- She ran as fast as she could.
- The kids are jumping over the table.
- Swim or sink; the choice is yours.
- Nadia walks to school every day.
2. Linking Verbs:
These are verbs that link the subject of a sentence to a subject complement (e.g., be, seem, and become.)
Examples:
- It is incredible.
- It seems big.
- Dali was a famous artist.
- Alan will become a great footballer.
- James feels a bit sad.
3. Helping Verbs:
Helping verbs are verbs that help to form verb tenses, such as do, have, and will
Examples:
- I have finished.
- Do you like Chocolate?
- I will call you.
Basic Forms Of Verbs
What are the fundamental types of verbs?
Verbs can exist in two primary forms: an Infinitive and conjugated form.
1. Infinitive Form:
The basic form of verbs in English is the infinitive form. The infinitive may be written with “to” or without it. In the latter case, it is called the bare infinitive.
Here are examples of the two variations:
- The full form (the infinitive with “to”): Examples: “to go“, “to do“, “to write“, etc.
- The bare form (the infinitive without “to”): Examples: “go“, “do“, “write“, etc.
2. Conjugated Form:
This represents verbs in a modified, specific tense.
In essence, verbs either appear in their base, unconjugated state (infinitive) or undergo conjugation to convey specific nuances. The infinitive, further categorized into full and bare forms, serves as the foundational structure for understanding verb morphology.
3. Conjugated Forms
Verbs undergo modification through inflection, adopting variations such as ‘-ing,’ ‘-ed,’ or ‘-s.’ These changes serve a crucial purpose, enabling verbs to precisely convey actions in relation to specific tenses while also agreeing with the number of the subject.
Verb Tenses
Sentences in English have a main verb which is stated in a tense (e.g., present, past, future.) These tenses are reflected in the way verbs are inflected.
Here is a list of some common verb tenses:
- Simple Present:
- Form: Base form of the verb (e.g., I eat).
- Present Continuous (Progressive):
- Form: To be + present participle (e.g., I am eating).
- Present Perfect:
- Form: Have/has + past participle (e.g., I have eaten).
- Present Perfect Continuous (Progressive):
- Form: Have/has been + present participle (e.g., I have been eating).
- Simple Past:
- Form: Past tense of the verb (e.g., I ate).
- Past Continuous (Progressive):
- Form: Was/were + present participle (e.g., I was eating).
- Past Perfect:
- Form: Had + past participle (e.g., I had eaten).
- Past Perfect Continuous (Progressive):
- Form: Had been + present participle (e.g., I had been eating).
- Simple Future:
- Form: Will/shall + base form of the verb (e.g., I will eat).
- Future Continuous (Progressive):
- Form: Will be/shall be + present participle (e.g., I will be eating).
- Future Perfect:
- Form: Will/shall have + past participle (e.g., I will have eaten).
- Future Perfect Continuous (Progressive):
- Form: Will/shall have been + present participle (e.g., I will have been eating).
Inflections
Verbs are inflected -modified in their forms – when conjugated. For example, verbs take “s”, “ed” or “ing” in some of their forms, depending on the tense and the subject-verb agreement.
Examples:
- The simple present takes -s in the third person singular.
- Example: She runs daily.
- The present continuous takes the -ing form.
- Example: They are playing in the garden.
- The simple past of regular verbs takes -ed.
- Example: He walked to the store yesterday.
- The past participle of regular verbs takes the -ed suffix. This form is used to form perfect tenses such as:
- The present perfect: She has visited Marrakech recently.
- The past perfect: She had visited Marrakech before she got married.
- The future perfect: She will have finished the report by next June.
Agreement
In English, a verb may agree with the person and number of its subject. For example, verbs take “s“ in the third person singular of the simple present:
Bare Infinitive | Third Person Singular |
---|---|
play | he; she, it plays |
work | he, she, it works |
Transitive or intransitive verbs In English
Verbs can be classified according to whether they are transitive or intransitive verbs:
Intransitive Verbs:
An intransitive verb does not require an object. For example:
- He runs.
- It falls.
Transitive Verbs:
A transitive verb requires an object.
For example:
- She speaks English
- We visited him.
Some verbs require more than one object. Here are some examples:
- He offered her flowers. (“Her” is an indirect object while “flowers” is a direct object)
- He wrote her a poem. (“Her” is an indirect object while “a poem” is a direct object)
How to identify verbs in a sentence
Verbs can be easily identified by their location in the sentence and the role or function they have in that sentence.
Location:
Generally, verbs come after a noun or a pronoun which functions as the subject of the verb.
Example:
- They watch TV in the evening. =>”Watch” is the main verb. It comes after the subject pronoun “they.”
- John creates beautiful designs. => “Creates” is the main verb. It comes after the proper noun “John.”
The function of the verb
The function of the verb in the sentence can also help to identify verbs. Verbs help to communicate an action or a state.
So, in a sentence like “Nancy drives to work“, one may ask what the subject of the sentence (Nancy) does. Which word describes something that Nancy does? The obvious answer is the word “drives.”
Common mistakes in using verbs In English
Here are some examples of the common mistakes related to verbs in English grammar:
1. Improper verb tense:
- Incorrect:
Yesterday, I eat breakfast at 8 am. - Correct: Yesterday, I ate breakfast at 8 am.
- Incorrect:
She will go to the gym tomorrow morning but yesterday she goes for a jog. - Correct: She will go to the gym tomorrow morning but yesterday she went for a jog.
2. Inconsistent verb conjugation:
Making a mistake in proper conjugation as when dropping the -s of the third person singular or using have instead of have.
- Incorrect:
He run to the store and buy some milk. - Correct: He runs to the store and buys some milk.
- Incorrect:
The cat was meowing all night and have not stopped. - Correct: The cat was meowing all night and still has not stopped.
3. Improper use of helping verbs:
Sometimes, the mistake is related to the misuse of the form of the verb that comes after a modal or helping verb:
- Incorrect:
She can sang beautifully at the concert last night. - Correct: She sang beautifully at the concert last night.
- Incorrect:
I will had finished the project by tomorrow. - Correct: I will have finished the project by tomorrow.
4. Using passive voice instead of active voice:
Misuse of the passive voice is another common mistake:
- Incorrect (passive):
The cake was eaten by me. - Correct (active): I ate the cake.
- Incorrect (passive):
The ball was hit by John. - Correct (active): John hit the ball.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding verbs and their usage is critical in constructing meaningful and grammatically correct sentences in the English language. By mastering the different types of verbs, their forms and tenses, and avoiding common mistakes, you can improve your overall writing and speaking skills.
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