English Grammar

What is a Verb?

A verb is a word that shows action or being. Whatever you are doing can be expressed by a
verb.
A sentence can have only one word as long as that word is a verb. Play! Stop! Run!
English Verb Tenses here.

Verbs Lists and Quizzes

Lists of 2209 English Verbs
Verbs starting with: a b c d e f g h i j k l
Verbs starting with: m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
English Irregular Verbs

168 Irregular English Verbs List
Irregular Verbs Spelling
Verbs can be classified according to whether they are action verbs or linking verbs.
Action verbs
There are two types of action verbs: transitive and intransitive.
Transitive verbs
A transitive verb expresses an action and is followed by an object that receives the action of
the verb.
In the following examples, transitive verbs are shown in color and direct objects of these
verbs are underlined.
I washed (what?) the car yesterday.
I took (whom?) my sister to the movie.
John studies (what?) English.
Intransitive verbs An intransitive verb expresses an action but is not followed by an object.
Applying (what?) or (whom?) test to an intransitive verb shows immediately that an object
cannot follow.
Toms grades improved (what? whom?) with the help of a tutor.
The child cried (what? whom?) loudly.
The mother sang (what? whom?) to her children.
Many verbs can be both transitive and intransitive.
In the following examples, transitive verbs are shown in color and direct objects of transitive
verbs are underlined. Intransitive verbs are shown in color and underlined.
John studies (what?) English.

John studies hard.
The mother sang (what?) the song to her children.
The mother sang to her children.
Linking Verbs
Linking verbs do not show action.

A linking verb (also called copulative verb) links or establishes a relationship between the
subject and its complement. It describes or renames the subject.
She is angry.
The word is (a form of the verb to be) links the subject she to the subject complement angry.
Linking Verb followed by predicate nouns:
My friend is a teacher.
Mike became the president of the company.
Linking Verb followed by predicate adjectives:
I feel nervous.
That pie tastes delicious.
List of common linking verbs
appear, become, feel, get, go, grow, look, prove, remain, seem, smell, sound, taste, turn and
any form of the verb be. See The verb "To Be" below.
Only become and seem are always linking verbs. Other verbs from the list above sometimes
can function as action verbs.
In the following examples, verbs feel and taste are functioning as action verbs.
I feel pain from the injury.
Taste the pie and tell me if you like it.
To determine whether a verb is a linking verb substitute am, is, or are for the verb. If it fits
the substituted verb is a linking verb.
In the following examples, verb feel is substituted with am.
I feel nervous.
I am nervous.
Makes sense so feel is linking verb.
I feel pain from the injury.
I am pain from the injury.
Does not make sense so feel is action verb.
The three principal parts of verbs:

Present, Past, and Past Participle.
The Present is used by itself for the present tense.
I jump.
I eat.
And with helping verb will for the future tense
I will jump.
I will eat.
The Past is used for the past tense
I jumped.
I ate.
The Past participle is used with the verb have (has, had) to form perfect tenses.
Present perfect
I have jumped.
I have eaten.
Past perfect
I had jumped.
I had eaten.
Future perfect
I will have jumped.
I will have eaten.
English regular and irregular verbs
Regular Verbs
Most English verbs are regular. Regular verbs just add d or ed when they change principal
parts from the present to the past to the past participle.
I learn English now. (present)
I learned English last year. (past)
In a short time she has learned English well. (past participle)
Irregular Verbs
Irregular Verbs form their past tenses and past participles in unpredictable ways. There are
some patterns among them (blow-blew, know-knew,...), (spring-sprang, drink-drank,...) but it
is not always easy to apply these paterns. The only way to learn irregular verbs is to
memorize them.
Lists and Quizzes of English Irregular Verbs
Complete, main and helping verbs.

Complete verb consists of a main verb (also called full or non-auxiliary verb) and can
have up to three helping verbs (also called auxiliary verbs) .
What is a Main Verb?
The main verb expresses the main action or state of being in the sentence.
I drive my car every day.
English verbs are simple.
What is a helping (auxiliary) verb?
Helping verbs help main verbs express tenses.

More Info here: Auxiliary verbs (Answrs.com) and Auxiliary verbs (wikipedia.com)
Here is the list of helping verbs
am, are, is, was, were, be, being, been
do, does, did
shall, will
may, must, might
have, has, had
can, could, would, should
A main verb can have up to three helping verbs. In the following examples, helping verbs
are underlined and main verbs are shown in color
I am learning Spanish Grammar.
I should have known the answer to that question.
Marsha will have been studying English for more than a year by the time she leaves for
US.
Note that the verb to be can be main and helping verb in the same sentence.
I am late. (am here as the main verb)
I am driving a car. ( am here as a helping verb)
I am being late again. ( am - helping verb, being main verb)
The verb "To Be" ( also "The verb of being")
The verb To Be is the most common/used verb in the English language.
Here are eight words to the verb to be
am, are, is, was, were, be, being, been
Here are tenses of the verb to be.
Present
tense
I am
you are
he/she/it is
we are
they are
Past
Tense
I was
you were
he/she/it
was
we were
they were
Future
Tense
I will be
you will be
he/she/it will
be
we will be
they will be
Present Perfect
Tense
I have been
you have been
he/she/it has been
we have been
they have been
Past Perfect
Tense
I had been
you had been
he/she/it had
been
we had been
they had been
Future Perfect
Tense
I will have been
you will have been
he/she/it will have
been
we will have been
they will have
been
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What is a Verb?

Verbs Lists and Quizzes

English Irregular Verbs

John studies (what?) English.

Linking verbs do not show action.

The three principal parts of verbs:

Complete, main and helping verbs.

Helping verbs help main verbs express tenses.

Copyright 1997-2009 WWW.ESLDesk.com

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