Verbs and Adverbs Grammar Unit 2

Verbs A verb is a word that expresses an action or a state of being. There are 4 main types of verbs: action verbs, transitive/intransitive verbs, linking verbs, and helping verbs.

Action Verbs An action verb expresses physical or mental action. Examples: The owls hooted all night. I believe you. She thought about the problem. Ex. 1

Transitive/Intransitive Verbs A transitive verb is an action verb that expresses an action directed toward a person or a thing. The action passes from the doer of the verb – the subject- to the receiver of the action – the object. Ex. Derrick greeted the visitors. Felicia painted her room.

Transitive/Intransitive Verbs Intransitive Verbs express action or tell something about the subject without passing action to a receiver. Examples: The train stopped. Last night we ate on the patio. Ex. 3

Linking Verbs A linking verb is a verb that expresses a state of being. A linking verb connects the subject of a sentence with a word in the predicate that identifies or describes the subject. Examples: Howard Rollins is an actor. The children remained quiet during the puppet show. Ex.5, 6, & 7

Helping Verbs A verb phrase contains a verb and one or more helping verbs. A helping verb helps the main verb to express action or a state of being. Examples: can speak has been named should have been caught Ex 9 and Review A

Adverbs An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Adverbs answer the following questions: Where? When? How? How often? How long? To what extent? How much? Many adverbs end in –ly.

Adverb Examples The sprinter ran swiftly. (How) Jolene was comforting a very small child. (To what extent) The fire blazed too wildly for anyone to enter. ( to what extent and how) Dad often quoted from his speeches. (when) Put the apples there, and we will eat them later.(where and when) Ex 11, 12, & 13