1. Principal Parts of Verbs &
Verb Phrases

2. Verb phrase
A verb phrase consists of a main verb and at least one helping verb:
Examples:
I have never heard Kanye West sing.
The student should have arrived by now.

3. Principle Parts of a Verb
Present
Present Participle
Past
Past Participle
wash
(is)washing
washed
(have) washed
dance
(is)dancing
danced
(have) danced
laugh
(is)laughing
laughed
(have)laughed
A regular verb forms its past and past participle by adding –d or –ed.

4. Irregular verbs Present (base) Present Participle Past Past Participle
sing
singing
sang
(have) sung
hear
hearing
heard
(have)heard
hurt
hurting
(have)hurt
An irregular verb forms its past and past participle in some other way
than by adding –d or –ed to the present or base form.

5. Lie vs. Lay
The verb lie (not as in to say something false)generally means “to recline” or “to be in place” :
Lie does not take a direct object.
Example: You lie on the reading rug.
*You are doing the action and there is no direct object.
The verb lay generally means “to put (something) down” or “place(something)”
Example: Lay down your pencils.
Lay usually takes a direct object- lay refers to the pencils.

6. Sit vs. Set The verb sit means “to be seated” or “to rest” :
Sit usually does not take a direct object.
Example: You sit on the reading rug.
*You are doing the action and there is no direct object.
The verb set generally means “to put (something) in place”
Example: Set down your books quietly.
Set usually takes a direct object- set refers to the books.

7. Rise vs. Raise The verb rise means “to go up” or “to get up” :
Rise does not take a direct object.
Example: Sofia rises to deliver her monologue.
*Sofia is doing the action and there is no direct object.
The verb raise generally means “to lift (something)up” or “to cause something to rise”
Example: Poldi is raising his hand to speak.
Raise usually takes a direct object- raise refers to his hand.

8. Transitive Verbs
A transitive verb is an action verb that takes an object:
Example: Niyah studied the vocabulary words.
Doer
Transitive verb
Receiver(direct object)
Niyah
studied
vocabulary words

9. Intransitive Verbs
A intransitive verb is a verb that does not take an object (no receiver):
Example: The class laughed, but Mrs. Edwards only glared.
Doer
intransitive verb
Receiver(direct object)
class
laughed
no receiver
Mrs. Edwards
glared