English 9 Mr. Rinka - Lesson #4 Verbs Elements of a Short Story

Verbs and Short Story What are Verbs? What are Action Verbs? How do Linking Verbs work?

Verbs and Short Story What is a Helping Verb? What are the major elements of a Short Story?

Verbs A Verb is a word that expresses action or a state of being.

Verbs Verbs all fall into one of three groups: Action Verbs Linking Verbs Helping Verbs

Action Verbs Action Verbs express physical or mental activity. Physical Action run walk talk study throw Mental Action dream think remember believe guess

Action Verbs Action verbs express physical or mental activity. We study every night. I think about the future all the time.

Identify the Action Verbs The students laughed at the joke My parents work all day long. The farmer milked his cows in the morning.

Identify the Action Verbs The students laughed at the joke My parents work all day long. The farmer milked his cows in the morning.

The soccer player kicked the ball. The actors sang and danced on the stage. I dreamed about my birthday. Everyone hopes for a good healthy life.

The soccer player kicked the ball. The actors sang and danced on the stage. I dreamed about my birthday. Everyone hopes for a good healthy life.

Linking Verbs Linking Verbs link a noun or a pronoun to another noun, pronoun or adjective in a sentence.

Linking Verbs The girl is a singer. (girl = singer) I am a teacher. (I = teacher) The cake tastes good. (cake = good) He is the one. (he = one)

Common Linking Verbs am is are was were feel look sound look taste appear seem remain become stay grow

Common Linking Verbs Bill was happy to see me. The sea became calm after the storm. The players seem ready for the game.

Find the Linking Verbs and the Words They Link. The people were excited about the festival. Some students looked worried about the test. The music for the show sounds beautiful.

Find the Linking Verbs and the Words They Link. The people were excited about the festival. Some students looked worried about the test. The music for the show sounds beautiful.

Find the Linking Verbs and the Words They Link. Most citizens remained calm during the storm. His attitude seemed extremely good. The garbage smelled bad. He appeared strong and healthy.

Find the Linking Verbs and the Words They Link. Most citizens remained calm during the storm. His attitude seemed extremely good. The garbage smelled bad. He appeared strong and healthy.

Helping Verbs Helping Verbs help other verbs either create action or link words together. There are many helping verbs: am is are was were be being been has have having had do doing does did may might must can shall will could should would

Verb Phrases Helping Verbs combine with Action Verbs or Linking Verbs to create Verb Phrases. We are going to the store today.

Verb Phrases My friends will be coming to my party I have been feeling sick all day. The men should be working on the roof. The sky will become cloudy later in the day.

Verb Warnings !!! Don’t confuse helping verbs with linking verbs. I am happy. (am is a linking verb) I am feeling happy. (am is a helping verb )

Verb Warnings !!! The dog was quiet. (was is a linking verb) The dog was barking at the cat. (was is a helping verb)

Verb Warnings !!! (continued) Some verbs can be either a linking or action verb. The dinner tasted very good. (tasted = linking) The cook tasted the soup. (tasted = action)

Verb Warnings !!! (continued) He remained silent. (remained = linking) He remained in the chair. (remained = action)

Verb Warnings !!! (continued) Verb phrases can be interrupted by other words. The school will not open today.

Verb Warnings !!! (continued) My mother is always working at something. Did you see my brother, yesterday? Has the pizza arrived, yet

Find the Verb or Verb Phrase The cars raced down the road. raced = action verb The horses are sleeping in the barn. are sleeping = action verb phrase The baby grew quiet in her mother’s arms. grew = linking verb

Find the Verb or Verb Phrase The work is becoming harder every day. is becoming= linking verb phrase Will your friend help us with our project? Will help = action verb phrase This answer does not seem correct. does seem = linking verb phrase

Find and Identify all the Verbs Most children will play with their toys all day long. The water in the lake seemed very cold to me. Did you see my cousin, Jim? Hour by hour, the people grew more excited.

Find and Identify all the Verbs Most children will (H) play (A) with their toys all day long. The water in the lake seemed (L) very cold to me. Did (H) you see (A) my cousin, Jim? Hour by hour, the people grew (L) more excited.

Find and Identify all the Verbs In the house, we could do our homework quietly. Do you not hear that odd sound? My family has not always lived in the city.

Find and Identify all the Verbs In the house, we could (H) do (A) our homework quietly. Do (H) you not hear (A) that odd sound? My family has (H) not always lived (A) in the city.

Find and Identify all the Verbs The circus will not be coming to our town this year. Do you feel better, today? Can anyone help us with this problem?

Find and Identify all the Verbs The circus will (H) not be (H) coming (A) to our town this year. Do (H) you feel (L) better, today? Can (H) anyone help (A) us with this problem?

Short Story Elements In order to read and study a short story correctly, we need to understand some of the basic elements of a short story.

Setting The time and place in which a story, play, or narrative takes place.

Protagonist The main character in a story often called the “hero”

Antagonist The character or force that blocks the protagonist. Can be another character, nature, society or even some quality within the protagonist.

Conflict In literature, the problem that is created between the protagonist and antagonist. The solution of this problem makes up the story.

Internal Conflict A conflict that takes place entirely within a character’s mind Man v Self

External Conflict A conflict in which a character struggles against an outside force

External Conflict Man v Man Man v Nature Man v Society

Moral A lesson about life that a story teaches

Moral Honesty is always the best policy. Treat others as you would like to be treated. No one succeeds without hard work and dedication

Point of View (POV) The perspective the narrator, storyteller, takes when telling the story.

1 st Person POV The narrator is a character in the story and tells the story using the pronoun “I”

1 st Person POV I looked out the window and saw that it was going to be a very bad day. The clouds were dark, and a storm was on the way. I wondered if I would be able to work.

Omniscient POV The person telling the story knows everything that is going on in the story and can tell what everyone is thinking. Uses the pronouns “he and “she”.

Omniscient POV example Joe was worried about his job. Marie was thinking about her sick child. The two could barely speak to each other because of the fight they had had the night before.

Omniscient POV example Joe thought that Marie did not understand how important his work was. Marie, on the other hand, did not want Joe leaving for fear that the baby would need to go to the hospital.

3 rd Person Limited POV The narrator is outside the story and tells the story from the vantage point of only one character. Uses the pronoun “he” or “she”.

3 rd Person Limited POV example Joe was worried about his job. He looked at his wife and couldn’t understand why she did not understand. Sure the baby was sick, but she could handle it, and he had to get to work or they would not have any money at the end of the week.