1. VERBS
Learn All About Verbs!

2. Action and Being Verbs
A verb is a word used to express action or being.
The moon travels around the earth. (action)
The moon is a satellite. (being)
Being Verbs
is are was
am were has been
have been had been will be
shall be

3. Auxiliary (Helping) Verbs
Verb Phrases
A verb phrase is a group of words that does the work of a single verb.
I helped the lifeguard. (single verb)
I shall help the lifeguard. (verb phrase)
A verb phrase contains a principal (action) verb and an auxiliary (helping) verb.
Auxiliary (Helping) Verbs
do shall am does
will is did can
are has could was
have should were had
would been might

4. Verb Phrases in Questions and Negative Statements
Sometimes verb phrases may be separated.
Questions
Have they moved to Alaska?
What will you do for your project.
Negative Statements (with not)
I will not attend the graduation ceremony.
They did not see the note on the door.

5. Regular and Irregular Verbs
A verb has three principal parts:
the present
the past
the past participle
A verb is regular or irregular according to the way it forms its past and past participle.
A regular verb forms its past and its past participle by adding d or ed to the present.
Present Past Past Participle
call called (has, have, had) called

6. Irregular Verbs
An irregular verb does not form its past and past participle by adding d or ed to the present.
Present Past Past Participle
see saw seen
am (is, are) was (were) been
break broke broken
go went gone
choose chose chosen
take took taken

7. Simple Tenses The tense of a verb shows the time of its action.
The present tense tells about an action that is happening how or that happens again and again.
Erin waters the plants every day.
The past tense tells about an action that has happened.
Erin watered the plants last Tuesday.
The future tense tells about an action that will happen.
Erin will water the plants tomorrow.

8. Linking Verbs
A linking verb links a noun, pronoun, or an adjective with the subject.
Alaska is our largest state. (The verb is links the noun state to the subject Alaska.)
Common Linking Verbs
am was has been shall be
is were have been will be
are had been

9. Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
A verb may be either transitive or intransitive according to its use in the sentence.
A transitive verb is a verb that expresses an action that passes from a doer to a receiver.
DOER ACTION RECEIVER
Ozzie climbed the tree.
An intransitive verb has no receiver for the action.
Kangaroos jumped. (none)

10. Agreement of Subject with Verb
A subject and a verb must always agree.
A singular noun or pronoun must always have a singular verb. A singular verb ends in s or es.
Pete plants flowers every spring.
A plural noun or pronoun must always have a plural verb. A plural verb does not end in s or es.
We sell peppers.
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Helpful hints:
Use when the subject is singular: is, am, was, doesn’t
Use when the subject is plural: are, were, don’t

11. Troublesome Verbs Let and Leave
The verb let means “to permit” or “to allow.”
The verb leave means “to depart” or “to go away from.”
Our neighbors let us pick their flowers.
He left for Cape Cod.
Lie and Lay
The verb lie means “to rest.”
The verb lay means “to put” or “to place in position.”
We never lie on the hot sand.
Jim lay on that towel.
Sit and Set
The verb sit means “to have a place” or “to keep a seat.”
The verb set means “to place” or “to fix in position.”
Those monkeys sit like people.
I usually set my shoes by my bed.
Teach and Learn
The verb teach means “to give instruction.”
The verb learn means “to receive instruction.”
Mrs. Hutchinson teaches us about verbs.
In English we learn about verbs.