Verb: Definition & Types with Examples
Lesson 3
Verb: Definition and Meaning
Cambridge Dictionary defines verb as "a word or phrase that describes an action, condition, or experience as in run, keep and feel."
YourDictionary defines verbs as "Verbs are words that show action in a sentence. Just like nouns and adjectives, they're one of the eight parts of speech."
According to the definitions above, a verb is something that is performed by the subject of a sentence or that describes the state of the subject.
In the following sentences, Eating, Is and Feels are all verbs.
Examples:-
(a) He is eating an apple.
(b) He is happy.
(c) He feels better now.
Types of Verbs
Verbs are categorized into several kinds depending on different bases. The most common types of verbs are as follows:
• Transitive Verbs
• Intransitive Verbs
• Action Verbs
• Stative Verbs
• Linking Verbs
• Helping or Auxiliary Verbs
• Regular Verbs
• Irregular Verbs
• Modal Verbs (know more about model verbs )
• Phrasal Verbs (Know more about phrasal verbs)
• Infinitives (Know more about infinitives )
• Finite Verbs
• Non-finite Verbs
1.Transitive Verbs are verbs which require objects to make a complete sense.
Look at the following sentences where ‘playing’, ‘reading’ and ‘cancelled’ are transitive verbs and ‘football’, ‘book’ and ‘party’ are their objects.
Examples:
(a) He is playing football.
(b) I'm reading a book.
(c) They cancelled the party.
2. Intransitive Verbs are verbs which require no objects to produce a complete sense in the sentence. The verbs in the given below sentences have no objects.
Examples:
(a) Our school will open in August 15.
(b) Most of the shops in our area close at 9 o'clock.
(c) The sun sets in the west.
3. Action or dynamic verbs describe actions the subject of a sentence performs.
The following verbs, waved, paints and read are action verbs.
Examples:
(a) He waved his right hand.
(b) He paints the wall daily.
(c) She will read the book tomorrow.
4. Stative or state verbs describe the state of being or refer to the way things are. The verbs, believe, think and seem are stative or state verbs
Examples:
(a) I believe in God.
(b) I think he's right.
(c) You seem happy today.
5. Linking or copula verbs do the task of connecting an adjective (Know more about adjective) or a noun (Know more about noun ) with the subject of a sentence. (Know more about sentence )
In the below given expressions, ‘are’ and ‘is’ connected ‘happy’ with ‘you’ and ‘fighter’ with ‘He’. So both the verbs are linking verbs.
Examples:
(a) You are happy today.
(b) He is a fighter.
6. Helping or auxiliary verbs are used before main verbs. These helping verbs help main verbs to extend their meanings.
The verbs, ‘is’, ‘was’ and ‘have’ used below are helping verbs.
Examples:
(a) He is reading a book.
(b) I was thinking about you.
(c) I have told you.
Note:- helping and linking verbs can be the same in form. Look at the definitions carefully so as to differentiate between the two.
7. Regular verbs follow the same pattern of conjugation. They have the same ending.
Examples:
(a) Form→ formed, formed
(b) Move→ moved, moved
(c) Turn→ turned, turned
8. Irregular Verbs are the opposite of regular ones.
Examples:
(a) Eat→ ate, eaten
(b) Begin→ began, begun
(c) Forget→ forgot, forgotten
9. Modal verbs (Know more about modal verbs) show modality. They indicate permission, ability, possibility, etc.
In the first sentence, permission, in the second, ability and in the third, possibility have been shown here.
Examples:
(a) Can I use your phone please?
(b) I can do it.
(c) It can rain today.
10. Phrasal verbs are the verbs with which we use an adverb, (Know more about adverb ) a preposition or both. (Know more about preposition)
In the first sentence, the verb is with an adverb, in the second, the verb with a preposition and in the third, the verb with both.
Examples:
(a) My car broke down.
(b) I'll see to the arrangements for the party.
(c) We shouldn't look down on anyone.
11. Infinitives are the verbs that are used usually with ‘To’ or without it.
‘To leave’, ‘go’ and ‘to see’ are infinitives.
Examples:
(a) I had to leave it quickly.
(b) You must go.
(c) They came to see him yesterday.
12. Finite verbs indicate tense, (know more about tense ) person and number. (know more about number )
Tense, person and number respectively.
Examples:
(a) They went
(b) I have gone.
(c) He goes.
13. Non-finite verbs are the opposite of finite. They don't indicate tense, person and number.
‘To buy’, ‘swimming’ and ‘covered’ are non-finite verbs.
Examples:
(a) He went to the market to buy a watch.
(b) Swimming is my favorite sport.
(c) I want to see a tree covered with ice.
Exercise
Identify the types of the verbs in bold.
(a) She plays football daily.
(b) My pen writes well.
(c) He is fighting.
(d) I can guess who you are.
(e) He is fine.
(f) We have done it.
(g) I turned the page.
(h) She tore my shirt.
(i) You can go now.
(j) Get up early in the morning.
(k) I have to leave now.
(l) She runs
(m) Swimming is the best exercise.
Answer keys:-
(a) Transitive Verb
(b) Intransitive Verb
(c) Action Verb
(d) Stative Verb
(e) Linking Verb
(f) Helping or Auxiliary Verb
(g) Regular Verb
(h) Irregular Verb
(i) Modal Verb
(j) Phrasal Verb
(k) Infinitive
(l) Finite Verb
(m) Nonfinite Verb
No comments:
Post a Comment