10.3
Verbs
■ A verb is a word that expresses action or a state of being and is necessary to
make a statement.
The acrobats soared.
The motor stopped.
We dream in color.
This writer is also an athlete.
Parts of Speech
Unlike other parts of speech, a verb changes form to express time. Various
tense forms indicate the present, the past, and the future.
Exercise 26
PRESENT TENSE
PAST TENSE
FUTURE TENSE
I own a personal computer.
I owned a personal computer.
I will own a personal computer.
PRESENT TENSE
PAST TENSE
FUTURE TENSE
I drink orange juice.
I drank orange juice.
I will drink orange juice.
PRESENT TENSE
PAST TENSE
FUTURE TENSE
I am a student.
I was a student.
I will be a student.
Locating Past Tense Verbs
As you read the following sentences, write all the past tense verbs you find. Some sentences contain more than one past tense verb.
Constantinople’s Church
1. Emperor Justinian commanded his architects to design the most spectacular religious
building of all time.
2. The architects were Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus.
3. Many parts of the Roman Empire sent rare and costly building materials.
4. Construction of the Church of Hagia Sophia, or Holy Wisdom, began in A.D. 532.
5. Workers completed the church in about five years.
6. Later, an earthquake damaged the dome of the church, and workers built a new and even
higher dome.
7. When the Turks conquered Constantinople, they covered over the beautiful and
colorful mosaics that decorated the walls.
8. In 1935 Hagia Sophia became a museum.
9. Workers uncovering the mosaics found many beautiful pictures.
10. Constantinople (now Istanbul) was a city on the Bosporus, a strait that connects the
Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara.
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Unit 10 Parts of Speech
Exercise 27
Adding Verbs to Make Sentences
On your paper, write ten complete sentences by supplying a verb for each of the blanks
in the items below.
Summertime in the Park
1. Let’s ________ the famous park around the corner.
2. Visitors ________ around the well-kept grounds.
3. The landscaping is beautiful: willowy trees ________ over walkways, filtering the harsh
summer sunlight.
4. Peacocks ________ across the lush lawns.
5. Tropical birds ________ in the trees.
6. Brillantly colored butterflies ________ among the shrubs and flowers.
7. Children ________ in imaginatively designed playgrounds.
8. Groups of friends ________ in high-spirited voices.
9. A strolling band ________ diners in the outdoor restaurant.
10. Diners ________ their meal by the fragrant rose garden.
Exercise 28
Identifying Verb Tenses
Copy each verb you supplied to complete Exercise 27. Next to each verb, write the verb’s
tense: present tense, past tense, or future tense.
Exercise 29
Parts of Speech
SAMPLE ANSWER visit—present tense
Using Verb Tenses
On your paper, write the appropriate tense of the verb given in parentheses.
1The
Emperor penguin has been an interesting subject of study for many years. 2Recently,
a researcher (to be) in the Arctic, studying the behavior of those penguins. 3As she watched,
something (frighten) the flock and they all (scurry) from an area of the ice. 4Although she
(can) not see the cause of their alarm, she was certain there (to be) a reason. 5Then she
(notice) that one penguin (remain), apparently in distress and unable to move. 6As she
(approach) to give assistance, she (observe) that the ice all around the penguin (to be) quite
mushy. 7With a hearty tug she (pull) the bird free, but (attach) to its underside (to be) several
animals she (have) never seen before. 8All (fall) away back toward the the mushy water, but
she (manage) to capture one before it (escape).
9Called an ice borer, this animal (measure) approximately six inches and (have) an
extremely high rate of metabolism, which allows it to maintain a body temperature of over
ninety degrees. 10On its head is a grooved, raised plate that is even hotter—almost 120°F.
11Using its head plate, the ice borer (tunnel) through the ice searching for the prey it eats to
maintain its body heat. 12Finding a large animal such as a seal or penguin, the borers quickly
melt the ice around their victim. 13While it remains helpless and trapped in the mush, a
group of borers seize the prey from below and make a quick meal of it.
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Action Verbs
■ An action verb tells what someone or something does.
Action verbs can express either physical or mental activities.
PHYSICAL ACTION
MENTAL ACTION
The workers cheered the announcement.
The manager arrived at the plant early.
Both sides considered the new agreement.
Each side believed in the necessity of new productivity
incentives for the employees.
■ A transitive verb is an action verb that is followed by a word or words that
answer the question what? or whom?
Lapidaries cut gems. [The action verb cut is followed by the noun
gems, which answers the question cut what?]
■ An intransitive verb is an action verb that is not followed by a word that
answers the question what? or whom?
The knife cut quickly and with precision. [The action verb is followed
by words that tell how.]
Exercise 30
Recognizing Action Verbs
Parts of Speech
Write on your paper the action verb in each of the following sentences. Indicate whether
each action verb is used as a transitive or an intransitive verb.
Foreign Flora and Fauna in Florida
1. Many foreign plants and animals thrive in Florida.
2. Most of these foreign plants and animals arrive in freighters or in someone’s
luggage.
3. Naturalists recognize fifty varieties of foreign animals in Florida.
4. Siamese catfish crawl out of Florida canals.
5. The Brazilian water hyacinth chokes Florida waterways.
6. In southern Florida, Colombian iguanas scamper through Australian pines.
7. Rhesus monkeys from India find a home in Silver Springs.
8. Florida’s lakes and canals teem with some thirty different species of foreign tropical
fish.
9. The fierce South American piranhas sometimes escape from tropical-fish dealers.
10. Cuban tree frogs consume insects harmful to citrus trees.
Exercise 31
Creating Sentences with Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
For each verb below, write two sentences. First, use the verb as a transitive verb. Then use
it as an intransitive verb.
1. hide
2. climb
3. gather
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Unit 10 Parts of Speech
4. scream
5. run
Exercise 32
Using Irregular Verb Forms
Complete the sentences by choosing an appropriate irregular verb from the chart provided. Notice that irregular verbs do not add -ed to form the past or past participle
forms. Some change spellings; others do not change at all.
PRESENT
PAST
PAST PARTICIPLE
begin
burst
come
drink
give
ring
see
throw
do
began
burst
came
drank
gave
rang
saw
threw
did
has/have
has/have
has/have
has/have
has/have
has/have
has/have
has/have
has/have
begun
burst
come
drunk
given
rung
seen
thrown
done
The Championship Game
Exercise 33
Parts of Speech
1. The referee will _________ the basketball into the air to start the game.
2. Have you ever _________ a more eager bunch of players?
3. Each team, apprehensive but primed, _________ to the center of the freshly varnished
court.
4. Spectators _________ from mammoth cups and ate popcorn, pizza, and nachos in the
stands.
5. The bell to start the game has already _________ .
6. The coach _________ the waiting substitute some last-minute guidance before sending
him into the game.
7. The enthusiasm in the superdome _________ to swell.
8. The coaches have _________ all they can to prepare the players for this championship
match.
9. Have the cheerleaders _________ their stunts yet?
10. The woman sitting next to me has already _________ two soft drinks.
11. A bell _________ as the last three-point shot was attempted.
12. Half-time has _________ , and my team is behind by three points.
13. The referees have _________ that player out of the game for fighting.
14. We _________ a number of celebrities sitting a few rows behind the team.
15. As my team savored its first championship, I _________ with pride.
Identifying Correct Irregular Verb Forms
Read the following sentences. If the underlined irregular verb form is correct, write correct on your paper. If the irregular verb form is incorrect, write the correct form on your
paper.
Take Me Out to the Ballpark
1. The President of the United States threw the ball that begun the game.
2. The most powerful pitcher come to the mound and dug his heels into the earth.
3. The umpire give the batter a moment to adjust his hat.
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447
4. Has the pitcher already showed the fans his most impressive throws, or has
he got a new trick up his sleeve today?
5. Anxious players sat in the dugout and drank from squeeze bottles.
Linking Verbs
■ A linking verb links, or joins, the subject of a sentence (often a noun or
pronoun) with a word or expression that identifies or describes the subject.
The most common linking verb is be in all its forms, including am, is, are,
was, were, will be, has been, and was being.
A symphony is a work for musical instruments.
The plots of operas are often tragic.
Samuel Barber was an American composer.
Barber’s music has been popular for years.
Several verbs other than the forms of be can function as linking verbs.
Notice how the linking verbs in the following sentences link the subject with a
word in the predicate.
Parts of Speech
The pitcher appeared tired during the last inning of the baseball
game.
(The verb appeared links pitcher to tired.)
She stayed calm during the storm.
(The verb stayed links she to calm.)
Other Linking Verbs
appear
become
feel
Exercise 34
grow
look
remain
seem
smell
sound
stay
taste
Recognizing Linking Verbs and the Words They Connect
Read the following sentences. Write the linking verb in each sentence. Then write the
words that the linking verb is connecting.
Anwar al-Sadat
1. Anwar Sadat, Egyptian military leader and president from 1970 until 1981, grew popular
with many people in the United States when he worked toward peace in the Middle East.
2. During his campaign for peace, he became the first Arab leader to recognize Israel.
3. Sadat’s life looked bleak in the 1940s, when he was jailed twice during World War II for
making contacts with the Germans.
4. Sadat rose to power for the first time in 1964, when he became vice president of Egypt.
5. Islamic fundamentalists felt bitterly angry about Sadat’s recognition of Israel in 1979,
and they assassinated Sadat in 1981.
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Unit 10 Parts of Speech
Exercise 35
Identifying Action Verbs and Linking Verbs
On your paper, write the verb that appears in each of the following sentences. Then
identify each verb as either an action verb or a linking verb.
Rio de Janeiro, City of Pleasures
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Rio de Janeiro, once Brazil’s capital, now plays a new role as a center of tourism.
Its beautiful forests, mountains, and beaches attract tourists from all over the world.
Because of the city’s tropical climate, its spectacular beaches stay open year-round.
Sugar Loaf, a conical mountain in Guanabara Bay, is Rio’s landmark.
Atop Mount Corcovado a 124-foot statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooks the city.
Rio de Janeiro remains an important center of culture, industry, and commerce in Brazil.
With a capacity of two hundred thousand fans, Rio’s Maracaña Stadium illustrates the
dedication of Brazilians to their national sport, soccer.
8. Brazilians are also passionate about the samba, the dance music of Rio’s world-famous
carnival.
9. During the four days and four nights of carnival, local samba clubs offer prizes for the
most unusual and beautiful costumes.
10. With colorful parades and all-night street dances, Rio seems especially joyous during this
carnival season.
Parts of Speech
Exercise 36
Replacing Linking Verbs with Lively Action Verbs
Rewrite the following sentences. Omit the linking verb in each sentence and replace it
with a lively action verb. You may add, rearrange, or delete words, as you create vivid
sentences.
SAMPLE I was tired.
ANSWER I experienced extreme fatigue after jogging ten miles in the afternoon sun.
Ozone
1. Ozone is pale blue and highly toxic.
2. The boiling point of ozone is -111.9 degrees Celsius, and its melting point is -192.5
degrees Celsius.
3. Ozone is a strongly magnetic form of oxygen and more active chemically than ordinary
oxygen.
4. Ozone is beneficial in disinfecting air, purifying water, and bleaching specific foods.
5. Crops and humans are in jeopardy from the shrinking ozone layer.
Exercise 37
Identifying Verb Tenses
Make a list of the action verbs you used in Exercise 36. Next to each verb, write its tense:
present, past, or future.
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Verb Phrases
■ The verb in a sentence may consist of more than one word. The words that
accompany the main verb are called auxiliary, or helping, verbs.
■ A verb phrase consists of a main verb and all its auxiliary, or helping, verbs.
Auxiliary Verbs
FORMS OF BE
FORMS OF HAVE
OTHER AUXILIARIES
am, is, are, was, were, being, been
has, have, had, having
can, could
do, does, did
may, might
must
shall, should
will, would
Auxiliary verbs affect the meaning of the main verb in many ways. The most
common auxiliary verbs, the forms of be and have, help the main verb to
express various tenses.
Parts of Speech
I am walking.
I have walked.
I had been walking.
Other auxiliary verbs are used to create questions or to indicate possibility,
obligation, or permission.
Did Yussuf drive?
Denise could have driven there.
I should be driving home now.
No one may drive without a license.
Exercise 38
Using Verb Phrases in Interrogative Sentences
Write five interrogative sentences about flying an airplane. (Interrogative sentences ask
questions and very often begin with an auxiliary verb.) Each sentence must include one
of the verb phrases listed below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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is leaving
had seemed
should move
does sing
have thought
Unit 10 Parts of Speech
Exercise 39
Identifying Verb Phrases
On your paper, write each verb phrase that appears in the following sentences. (Two of
the sentences have more than one verb phrase.) Put parentheses around the auxiliary
verbs in each phrase. (A word or words that interrupt a verb phrase are not considered
part of the verb phrase.)
Computer Games
1. Computer games can entertain children and adults.
2. In some electronic baseball games the player is always batting against the computer’s
pitches.
3. In one baseball game the player might stretch a double into a triple.
4. In another game the player could turn a single into a tag at second base.
5. If the salesperson will let you, you probably should try several different games at the
store.
6. The player can also participate in some electronic football games.
7. In some of these football games, you can change plays even at the line of scrimmage.
8. People with spelling problems have benefited from electronic spelling games with
human voices.
9. People who have used these games have actually improved their spelling.
10. An electronic word game can even challenge two players at once.
Creating Sentences with Vivid Verbs
Parts of Speech
Exercise 40
Write five sentences that describe a parade, a circus act, or some other spectacle. Choose
very specific action verbs and verb phrases to convey a vivid sense of the event.
Exercise 41
Verbs
On your paper, write the verb or verb phrase in each sentence in the following passage.
Then identify each verb or verb phrase as an action verb or a linking verb. Also identify
each action verb as transitive or intransitive.
Bringing the Wilderness to City Dwellers
1Some
great parks are becoming natural havens for American city dwellers. 2For example,
visitors to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Recreation Area can surf within view of the Golden
Gate Bridge. 3San Franciscans are discovering forest and mountain trails only an hour’s ride
from the inner city. 4Urban parks bring the wilderness to city dwellers all over our country.
5Nearly three thousand miles to the east, residents of New York City are visiting the Gateway
National Recreation Area. 6Swimmers, fishermen, and picnickers alike can benefit from the
facilities at this recreational area. 7For many New Yorkers a visit to the Gateway National
Recreation Area can be the first opportunity for a peek at a striped bass. 8Already millions of
New York City residents have visited Gateway. 9Recently the National Park Service has established urban recreational areas in other large cities. 10In the years ahead, then, more and more
urban Americans will be participating in wilderness experiences relatively close to home.
10.3 Verbs
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