Grammar Lessons – Week 2 A review of verbs

Day 1 - Verbs The verb of a sentence usually expresses action (jump, think) or being (is, become). It is composed of a main verb possibly preceded by one or more helping verbs: The best fish swim near the bottom. A marriage is not built in a day. Beowulf is a poem, an epic, and an elegy.

Day 1 – Action and Linking Verbs There are three main types of verbs—action, linking, and helping. Action verbs denote action, whether external or internal: The man ate the cheeseburger. The lady thought about the matter. Linking verbs equate the subject with a state of being (appearance, mood, etc): The lizard is green. The person was tired. The man has a parking ticket.

Day 1 – Helping Verbs The third type of verb is the helping verb. Helping verbs do not act alone in a sentence, but help other verbs to do their job. I will eat the sandwich. I have drank the coffee. We were headed the wrong way. Some of the same words are used for linking or helping verbs, depending on the context. LINKING – I am hungry. HELPING – I will be hungry. LINKING – I had a wrench. HELPING – I had used a wrench.

Day 2 – Recapping Verbs Verbs come in three main types: action, linking, and helping. Action verbs denote action. Linking verbs equate the subject with a state of being. Helping verbs help out the main verb.

Day 2 – Verbs and Numbers Verbs must agree with their subjects in terms of number (singular or plural): WRONG: I eats the apple. CORRECT: I eat the apple. WRONG: They eats the apple. CORRECT: They eat the apple. WRONG: You eats the apple. CORRECT: You eat the apple.

Day 2 – Verbs – Past and Future Verbs also have tenses. Most of us know the present tense: PRESENT: I eat the cheese. She likes the cheese. He has too much cheese. However, there are also past and future tenses: PAST: Joe-Bob ate the cheese. Gilbert went fishing. Bubba walked around the block. FUTURE: Joe-Bob will eat the cheese. Gilbert will go fishing. Bubba will walk around the block.

Day 3 – Recapping So far, we’ve talked about: Action Verbs, Linking Verbs, and Helping Verbs Verbs agreeing with their subjects in number Past and future tenses. Today, we’ll take a couple more steps into the world of verb tenses. I guess it’s going to be…in-tense. Ha.

Day 3 – Perfect Tenses There are also three perfect tenses. Present Perfect Have / has + past participle Use for when something starts in the past and continues into the present. I have watched TV all week. Bobby-Jo has wanted a pony for years. Billy-Bob has eaten two chicken sandwiches and is eyeing-up a third. Past Perfect Had + past participle Use when something starts in the past and ends before something else in the past. I had examined the menu before I ordered the steak. Gilbert had wanted a fish filet before he saw the three-cheese bbq shrimp and grits.

Day 3 – Future Perfect Lastly, there’s the future perfect tense. Will have + past participle Used for something in the future happening during / after something else in the future. When I finally beat the game, I will have finished all the games I own. If Gilbert continues at this pace, he will have tasted every type of hot pepper by the end of the week.