Unit 2: Verbs
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VERBS
A verb shows what the subject of a sentence does. You can group verbs into three general
categories:
1. Action Verbs
2. Linking or State of Being Verbs
3. Helping or Auxiliary Verbs
Action verbs, which make up the majority of verbs, show/demonstrate an action.
The phone rang loudly.
They dance well together.
The little girl laughed joyfully.
The team plays aggressively.
Linking or state of being verbs do not show an action. These verbs explain
the condition someone or something is in.
The teacher is ill.
I am tall and beautiful.
The sister became class president.
The cat seems agitated by the attention.
Helping or auxiliary verbs help describe the main verb. There are nine helping
verbs that are always helping verbs; they are never the main verb. These helping verbs
are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
May
Might
Must
Could
Would
Should
Can
Will
Shall
Study the following sentences. The helping verb is in bold and the main verb is highlighted. Helping
verbs add degrees of difference to the main verb, allowing you to make subtle distinctions.
The bowl should hold all the ingredients.
The
The
The
The
bowl
bowl
bowl
bowl
might hold all the ingredients.
must hold all the ingredients.
will hold all the ingredients.
can hold all the ingredients.
Together, the helping verb and the main verb are called the complete verb.
There are three verbs, be, do, and have, that can be either main verbs or helping verbs
depending upon their usage. The forms of these three verbs that can be either main or
helping verbs are:
Be
Do
Have
Is
Are
Was
Were
Being
Been
Does
Did
Has
Had
Again, study the sentences below. In the first three, a form of be, do, and have is used as
a main verb. In the second three sentences, the same form of be, do, and have is used as
a helping verb.
Main verb
She was a fearsome giant.
He does the dishes immediately after dinner.
They have a llama for a pet.
Helping verb
The child was fed by his sister.
She does call whenever necessary.
They have danced for fourteen hours straight.
To the Verbs and Adverbs overview.
Read about Adverbs.
Created Fri 10 May 20133:10 AM BST
Last Modified Wed 8 Jan 2014 5:30 PM GMT