Verbs! All verbs express time while showing action, condition, or existence. For more grammar fun online, go to: …okay, that’s just silly to have you retype that whole thing. Go to my website!

All verbs fall into one of two MAIN categories: Action verbs (AV) Linking verbs (LV) no matter what, all verbs are one of these two kinds first and foremost

Action vs. Linking If you can’t tell at first: Find the MAIN verb in the sentence. Try replacing that verb (and ONLY the verb!) with any form of “BE” such as AM, IS, or ARE Does the sentence still make sense? It may have a slightly different meaning, but if it still makes sense, then you have an LV. If it does NOT make logical sense anymore, then you have an AV. Can you guess why this is?

AV or LV? 1. Miss Duff appears in good spirits today.  Try replacing the main verb appears with is. Miss Duff is in good spirits today. Still makes sense…so appear is a _______. 2. You served ten hours of detention last week.  Try replacing the main verb served with are. You are ten hours of detention last week. Does this make sense? What kind of verb is serve?

Action Verbs Explode! Scream! Sneeze! Type! Kick! What are these words doing? They are expressing action. AV’s are words that tell what action someone or something is performing; in other words, something that a person, animal, force of nature, or thing can do. Add this to your definition of AV’s: they are doable actions (not necessarily visible) AV’s can express visible action (jumping) or mental action (remembering)

Examples of AV’s In the library and at church, Michele giggles inappropriately. Giggling is something that Michele can do. Because of the spicy pepper, David reached for his glass of water. Reaching is something that David can do. The alarm clock buzzed like an angry bumblebee. Buzzing is something that the alarm clock can do. The coffee maker gurgled on the kitchen counter. Gurgling is something that the coffee maker can do. None of these AV’s can be replaced with a form of “BE” and retain the meaning of their sentences!

Now it gets tricky… There are two types of AV’s Transitive (T): a verb that shows a doable action and directs that action toward someone or something; it TRANSfers action. The part of the sentence that “receives” the action is called the object. All transitive verbs have objects. Intransitive (IT): a verb that shows a doable action but does NOT direct any action toward someone or something; it can stand alone with the subject and make perfect sense.

Transitive vs. Intransitive If you can’t tell at first: Ask “who?” or “what?” after the verb. Can you answer that question with a noun? After all, “who” and “what” represent nouns; therefore, all objects must be nouns. If you can answer the “who” or “what” test with a noun, that noun is an object. And what type of AV transfers action to an object?

Transitive AV’s Sylvia kicked Juan under the table. Kicked = transitive verb; Juan = direct object. Joshua wants a smile from Leodine, his beautiful but serious lab partner. Wants = transitive verb; smile = direct object. Cornelius painted the canvas in Jackson Pollock fashion, dribbling bright colors from a heavily soaked brush. Painted = transitive verb; canvas = direct object. Alicia wrote a love poem on a restaurant napkin. Wrote = transitive verb; poem = direct object. Pinky the poodle cleans the dirty supper dishes with his tongue before Grandma loads the "prewashed" items into dishwasher. Cleans, loads = transitive verbs; dishes, items = direct objects. Important note: When no direct object follows an action verb, the verb is intransitive.

Intransitive AV’s Huffing and puffing, we arrived at the classroom door with only seven seconds to spare. Arrived = intransitive verb. James went to the campus cafe for a steaming bowl of squid eyeball stew. Went = intransitive verb. To escape the midday sun, the cats lie in the shade under our cars. Lie = intransitive verb. Around fresh ground pepper, Sheryl sneezes with violence. Sneezes = intransitive verb. In the evenings, Glenda sits on the front porch to admire her immaculate lawn. Sits = intransitive verb. Flipped on its back, the beetle that Clara soaked with insecticide dies under the refrigerator. Dies = intransitive verb.

Now it gets tricky…AGAIN. Some AV’s can be T or IT  Some AV’s can be transitive or intransitive, depending on what follows in the sentence. Compare these examples: 1. Because of blood sugar problems, Rosa always eats before leaving for school. Who or what does she eat? FAILURE! Eats = IT 2. If there is no leftover pizza, Rosa usually eats whole-grain cereal. Who or what does she eat? cereal = object PASS! Eats = T 3. During cross-country practice, Damien runs over hills, through fields, across the river, and along the highway. Who or what does he run? FAILURE! Runs = IT 4. In the spring, Damien will run his first marathon. Who or what does he run? marathon = object PASS! Will run = T