VERBSMrs. VickersLanguage Arts/PreAP Language

Verbs show action or state of being.

Examples: go, is An action verb expresses a

physical or mental action.

Example: He paints.

We thought about it.

An action verb is a word that names an action. It may contain more than one word.

Notice the following action verbs.

Sports experts write about the football player Jim Thorpe even today. Thorpe blocked like a tank. He tackled like a tornado. In every game Thorpe attacked his opponents with all his might. He caught the ball skillfully and charged ahead fearlessly. Experts still remember and honor Thorpe’s greatness.

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Action Verbs

Most verbs are action verbs. Some action verbs refer to physical action that can be seen by other people.

Others refer to mental action that cannot be seen. Physical Action: The gardener

feeds the ducks. Mental Action: She likes the

migrating birds best.

An action verb can express physical actions, such as writing and running, or mental activities such as thinking and honoring.

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Physical

write

block

tackle

catch

charge

Mental

remember

honor

prefer

excel

regarded

Being Verbs

Other verbs express a state of being.

These verbs do not refer to action of any sort. They simply tell what the subject is. Burt is the gardener’s assistant. He seems afraid of the swans. One swan looks angry. In fact, swans are hungry.

The most common being verbs are forms of be itself.

Am is Are Was Were Be Being been

Other being verbs:

Appear Become Feel Grow Look Seem Remain Smell Sound Stay taste

Identify each verb in the sentences below. Does it express action or being?

1. We parked and locked our bicycles in the rack at the library.

2. Many, many resources were available there.3. I considered several books about wild animals. 4. All of the books looked interesting. 5. Finally, I decided on one about tropical birds. 6. The book described many birds from countries in

Central and South America. 7. I especially liked the photographs in the book. 8. The pictures of the birds are very colorful.9. Some of the birds’ feathers are pink, orange, red, and

green. 10. I carried the book home in my backpack.

Class Activity

Grammar and Composition Handbook

p. 98

LINKING

VERBS

Linking Verbs and Predicate Words

A linking verb connects the subject of a sentence with a noun or an adjective in the predicate.

John McGraw was the manager.

Linking verbs tell what the subject is or is like.

Linking Verb

Subject Predicate Noun

Common Linking Verbsbe becomegrowseem turnappear tastelook feelsmell sound

Many of these linking verbs can also be used as action verbs.

Chandra turned thirteen. (Linking Verb)

The car turned the corner. (Action Verb)

Predicate Nouns

Sam is a pitcher.

Susan was our best player.

Will you be my friend?

A predicate noun follows a linking verb. It tells what the subject is.

Predicate Adjectives

Samantha is beautiful.

Susan was bored with sports.

Will the game be interesting?

A predicate adjective follows a linking verb. It describes the subject by telling

what it is like.

Which sentence in each of the following pairs contains a linking verb. 11. A monkey appears from behind a tree. It

appears excited. 12. The young deer grew taller. The male deer

grew antlers. 13. The koala baby looks cute. It looks for its

mother. 14. The koala tastes a leaf. Does it taste good? 15. We smell the eucalyptus tree. It smells

pleasant. 16. We feel the tree’s bark. It feels smooth.

List the verbs in the sentences below. Label each verb action or being.

17. Photographs, television, and movies show us a variety of unusual creatures.

18. We can see animals in their natural habitat in national parks, nature sanctuaries, or even city parks.

19. Few animals look strange to us today. 20. Some animals still seem unusual, however. 21. The anteater is one example. 22. The head and snout of this animal form a long tube. 23. A giant anteater becomes six feet long. 24. It grows a coarse coat of hair. 25. The front toes and claws of the anteater fold under. 26. The animal actually walks on its knuckles.

List the verbs in the sentences below. Label each verb action or being.

27. The giant anteater usually appears shy. 28. It enjoys dark, wet tropical forests. 29. Ants and termites appear in this animal’s

diet. 30. The anteater is a peaceful animal.

Activity 2

Grammar and Composition Handbook,

pp. 102-103

HELPING

VERBS

Main Verbs and Helping VerbsVerbs have four principal parts that are used to form all tenses. The chart below show how the principal parts of most verbs are formed..

Principal Parts of VerbsBase Form Present

ParticiplePast Form Past

Participle

jump jumping jumped jumped

The principal parts of verbs are often combined with helping verbs to form verb phrases.

Helping Verbs Defined

A helping verb is a verb that helps the main verb tell about an action or make a statement.

Helping Verbs Listis have should shall

was has could will

were had would do

are did

am may does

be might can

been, being must

A verb phrase consists of one or more helping verbs followed by a main verb.

Helping Verbs and Verb Phrases

In the sentence above, the word are is the helping verb, and the present participle jumping is the main verb. Together they form a verb phrase.

A verb phrase consists of one or more helping verbs followed by a main verb.

The students are jumping rope now.

Activity 3

GUM WORKBOOK

PAGES 49

MEMORIZE HELPING VERBS

TRANSITIVE AND INTRANSITIVE

VERBS

Transitive Verbs Transitive verbs have direct objects.

Direct objects receive the action of a verb. It answers the question whom?

or what? after an action verb.

The quarterback throws the football.

what?

Action Verb Direct Object

Intransitive VerbsSometimes an action verb does

not have a direct object. Then the verb is intransitive.

The singer sang well.

In the above sentence , well does not answer the question whom? or what?.

Action Verb

Verbs with Indirect Objects An indirect object answers the question to whom? or for whom? an action is done

Michael Jordan shows his teammates new shots.

Action Verb

what?

Direct Object

to whom?

Indirect object

Activity 4

GUM WORKBOOK

PAGES 50-51

VERB TENSE

A present tense of a verb names an action that happens regularly. It can also express a general truth.

Present, Past, and Future TensesThe tense of a verb tells when an action takes place.

Present Tense Forms

Singular

I race.

You race.

He, she, or it races.

Plural

We race.

You race.

They race.

A past tense of a verb names an action already happened.

The tense of a verb tells when an action takes place.

Past Tense Forms

Singular

I raced.

You raced.

He, she, or it raced.

Plural

We raced.

You raced.

They raced.

The past tense of many verbs is formed by adding –ed to the base form of the verb.

A future tense of a verb names an action that will take place in the future.

Future Tense Forms

Singular

I will (shall) go.

You will go.

He, she, or it will go.

Plural

We will (shall) go.

You will go.

They will go.

In the future tense the word will is used with the verb. Sometimes shall is used when the

pronoun I or we is the subject.

Helping Verbs TensePresent

am – is - are

Past

was -were

Past Participle

have – has - had

Combine with the present participle form of the verb.

Combine with the past participle form of the verb.

Write the Present Participle, Past, and Past Participle form of the following verbs.

Make 4 columns.

1. dance 2. fly 3. score

4. run 5. adjust 6. break

7. sing 8. bounce

9. profit 10. drive

Activity 8

Helping Verbs – Past Participle Using Have, Has, Had

Singular Plural

I have jumped.

You have jumped.

She has jumped.

We have jumped.

You have jumped.

They have jumped.

Singular Plural

I had jumped.

You had jumped.

She had jumped.

We had jumped.

You had jumped.

They had jumped.