Verb Identification and Use Active? Passive? Linking? Oh my!

A Verb’s Purpose Every sentence has a subject and a verb. Verbs give the action or state of being in a sentence. There are six primary verb tenses. Some types of verbs are stronger than others.

Linking Verbs Linking verbs express a subject’s state of being. I am your teacher. It is a beautiful day outside. He looks so happy on stage. You have been my friend for years. Nouns and adjectives that follow linking verbs identify and describe that subject.

“BE” The world’s most famous linking verb Forms of be include: am, are, is, was, were, will be, shall be, has been, have been, had been, will have been It is important to note that, when a PRONOUN follows a linking verb and identifies the subject, the pronoun should be in the nominative case It is I. The winners of the contest were they. The teacher will be he.

“BE” Past Tense: was, were Present Tense: am, are, is Future Tense: will be Past Perfect Tense: had been Present Perfect Tense: have been, has been Future Perfect Tense: will have been

Fill in the blanks with a linking verb. I have _________ your teacher for three weeks. (present perfect) It _________ a long movie. (past) _____ you ____ at the game later? (future perfect)

Other Linking Verbs There are twelve other linking verbs that express a subject’s STATE OF BEING Appear Become Feel Grow Remain Seem Smell Sound Taste Stay Turn Look

Write a sentence using each linking verb. Examples: I feel great about my test. The girl appeared upset after the quiz. This popsicle tastes delicious. Your rose bush has always smelled wonderful! The travelers had grown weary after the journey. The weather has turned hot in Mobile!

Linking Verbs in your Writing Linking verbs, when used properly, are fine. However, they are not the strongest verbs. Consider these sentences: It was hot, and I was exhausted. I was still a good goalie. Sweat dripped down my nose as the sun scorched my skin. Although my muscles winced at the thought of leaping, my heart still raced wildly as I made the game-winning save.

Which was stronger? The second selection, rich with action verbs, was stronger. Action verbs give the reader a clearer picture of your account in his or her head. Action verbs can be mental or physical.

Mental Action Verbs Think: I think, I thought, I have thought Believe: I believe, We believed, She had believed Hope: I hope, You hoped, He has hoped Know: He knows, We knew, They have known Write a sentence for each of the following mental action verbs. Think, Hope, Believe, Trust, Know, Love, Wish, Adore

Physical Action Verbs Physical action verbs drive writing because they are substantial. The stronger the action verb, the stronger the writing! All verbs have a base form (see), a past form (saw), and a past participle form (seen) The past participle is used with perfect tenses – had seen, have seen, has seen, will have seen

Which word do I use? To conjugate the verb is to change its form depending on the tense. Passive verbs can be avoided with the most immediate verb tense. Conjugation may seem like rote memorization. However, the correct use of a verb is a clear indication of a writer’s abilities.

Commonly Misused Irregular Verbs BASE PAST PAST PERFECT Do Did (Has) Done Go Went (Has) Gone Bring Brought (Had) Brought Break Broke (Had) Broken Drink Drank (Have) Drunk Ring Rang (Have) Rung Sing Sang (Will have) Sung Ride Rode (Will have) Ridden

Conjugation depends on the story. Writing about history = past tense and past perfect tense Writing a story = author’s choice between past and present Writing ABOUT a story = present tense and present perfect tense Writing an autobiography = author’s choice between past, present, and future

Identify subjects and verbs in these sentences. I catch the game-winning ball. He looked through the telescope at the stars. Will you go to the movie with me? My brothers and I play baseball in the street. I had given her the test before the end of school. Grace swam across the lake and set a record!

Choose strong action verbs to replace bold words. Catherine ran quickly to the finish line. The winner jumped high over the final hurdle. I like summer a lot. The children looked for the best piece of chocolate.

Passive Verbs Passive verbs take the control of the action away from the subject of the sentence. She was seen at the movies. I was handed the envelope by my assistant. Students were told about the test on Monday. Strong writing includes the smallest number of passive verbs possible.

Rewrite these sentences with active verbs Rewrite these sentences with active verbs. Underline the subject once & the verb twice! She was offered a job with the leading bank in town. We were instructed to listen to the teacher. The families at the pool were given free towels by the lifeguards. He was told to mow the lawn by his mother.

Continued Practice He was hit with the flying bat. John and Cathy are given the award. She will be offered a scholarship to Auburn. The batter was missed by the team. More points were made by the Bobcats than any other team.