Verb
A verb is a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being. It is an essential part of a
sentence as it tells what the subject does or what happens to the subject.
1. Types of Verbs
A. Action Verbs
Action verbs describe what the subject of the sentence is doing. They can be either physical or
mental actions.
Examples:
Physical Action: run, jump, write, speak
o She runs every morning.
o He wrote a letter yesterday.
Mental Action: think, believe, imagine, remember
o I believe in you.
o She thought about the consequences.
B. Linking Verbs
Linking verbs connect the subject with additional information about the subject. They do not
show action but instead describe a state or condition.
Examples:
Common Linking Verbs: is, am, are, was, were, seem, become, appear, feel, look
o She is a doctor.
o The soup smells delicious.
o He became angry.
C. Auxiliary (Helping) Verbs
Auxiliary verbs are used alongside main verbs to form tenses, moods, or voices.
Types of Auxiliary Verbs:
1. Primary Auxiliary Verbs: be, do, have
o She is walking to the park. (Present continuous)
o I have finished my homework. (Present perfect)
o He does not like coffee. (Negative sentence)
2. Modal Auxiliary Verbs: can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must
o You should apologize to her. (Advice)
o He might come to the party. (Possibility)
o We must finish this project. (Obligation)
D. Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
Transitive Verbs: Require an object to complete their meaning.
o She read a book. (What did she read? A book.)
o He kicked the ball. (What did he kick? The ball.)
Intransitive Verbs: Do not require an object; they make sense on their own.
o The baby cried.
o He slept soundly.
E. Regular and Irregular Verbs
Regular Verbs: Form their past tense and past participle by adding "-ed" or "-d."
o Walk → Walked → Walked
o Call → Called → Called
Irregular Verbs: Do not follow a regular pattern for past tense and past participle forms.
o Go → Went → Gone
o Eat → Ate → Eaten
o Sing → Sang → Sung
F. Finite and Non-Finite Verbs
Finite Verbs: Are limited by the subject, tense, and number.
o He plays cricket. (Present tense)
o They played cricket. (Past tense)
Non-Finite Verbs: Do not change form based on the subject or tense.
1. Infinitives: To + base verb (e.g., to eat, to write)
She loves to dance.
2. Gerunds: Verb + ing used as a noun (e.g., swimming, reading)
Swimming is a good exercise.
3. Participles: Verb + ing/ed used as an adjective (e.g., singing, written)
The singing bird is beautiful.
G. Stative and Dynamic Verbs
Stative Verbs: Describe a state or condition rather than an action.
o Examples: know, love, own, belong
o I know the answer.
o She owns a car.
Dynamic Verbs: Indicate actions or processes.
o Examples: run, eat, jump
o He is running in the park.
o They are eating dinner.
H. Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb with a preposition or adverb, creating a meaning
different from the original verb.
Examples:
Break down: The car broke down on the highway.
Give up: She gave up smoking.
Look after: Please look after the kids.
2. Verb Forms
Verbs have five forms:
1. Base Form: eat, write, dance
2. Past Tense: ate, wrote, danced
3. Past Participle: eaten, written, danced
4. Present Participle: eating, writing, dancing
5. Third-Person Singular: eats, writes, dances
3. Verb Tenses
Verbs change forms to indicate the time of the action or state.
Present Tense: I write.
Past Tense: I wrote.
Future Tense: I will write.
Each tense has four aspects:
1. Simple: I eat.
2. Continuous: I am eating.
3. Perfect: I have eaten.
4. Perfect Continuous: I have been eating.
Exercises
A. Identify the Verb
Underline the verbs in the following sentences and classify them as action, linking, or auxiliary.
1. The baby cried all night.
2. She is a great singer.
3. They are watching a movie.
4. He should complete the project today.
5. I believe in hard work.
B. Transitive or Intransitive Verbs
Determine if the verbs are transitive or intransitive:
1. The cat chased the mouse.
2. The children played in the park.
3. She wrote a letter to her friend.
4. The dog barked loudly.
5. He opened the door for me.
C. Regular or Irregular Verbs
State if the verbs are regular or irregular:
1. Speak → Past: Spoke
2. Paint → Past: Painted
3. Buy → Past: Bought
4. Jump → Past: Jumped
5. Run → Past: Ran
D. Complete the Sentences with the Correct Form of the Verb
1. She ______ (read) a book when I arrived.
2. They ______ (finish) their work before dinner.
3. I ______ (study) for the exam tomorrow.
4. The flowers ______ (smell) amazing.
5. He ______ (go) to the market every weekend.
E. Identify the Phrasal Verb
Find the phrasal verb in the sentences below and explain its meaning:
1. She gave up after several attempts.
2. He ran out of money before the end of the trip.
3. Can you look into this issue for me?
4. They broke up after a long relationship.
5. Please put off the meeting until next week.
Explanations and Answers
A. Identify the Verb
1. cried - action
2. is - linking
3. are watching - auxiliary + action
4. should complete - auxiliary + action
5. believe - action (mental)
B. Transitive or Intransitive
1. chased - transitive (object: the mouse)
2. played - intransitive (no object)
3. wrote - transitive (object: a letter)
4. barked - intransitive (no object)
5. opened - transitive (object: the door)
C. Regular or Irregular
1. Speak → Irregular
2. Paint → Regular
3. Buy → Irregular
4. Jump → Regular
5. Run → Irregular
D. Complete the Sentences
1. was reading
2. had finished
3. will study
4. smell
5. goes
E. Identify the Phrasal Verb
1. gave up: to stop trying.
2. ran out of: to exhaust a supply of something.
3. look into: to investigate.
4. broke up: to end a relationship.
5. put off: to postpone.
Some more exercises
1. Identify the Verb and Its Type
Underline the verbs and identify their type (action, linking, or auxiliary):
1. The flowers bloom beautifully in spring.
2. She seems tired after the long journey.
3. They have been working on this project for weeks.
4. He will call you tomorrow.
5. I feel excited about the trip.
2. Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Form of the Verb
Choose the correct form of the verb in brackets:
1. She ______ (write) a novel every year.
2. We ______ (go) to the zoo yesterday.
3. By next month, he ______ (complete) his training.
4. The kids ______ (play) football when it started raining.
5. I ______ (not see) her for a long time.
3. Transitive or Intransitive Verbs
Classify the verbs as transitive or intransitive:
1. He dropped the glass.
2. The crowd cheered loudly.
3. She explained the problem to her manager.
4. The sun rose in the east.
5. The boy ate his lunch quickly.
4. Identify Regular and Irregular Verbs
Identify whether the verbs in the sentences are regular or irregular:
1. I saw him at the market yesterday.
2. She danced gracefully at the event.
3. They built a house near the river.
4. He talked to the teacher about his concerns.
5. The dog ran after the cat.
5. Choose the Correct Modal Verb
Complete the sentences with an appropriate modal verb (can, could, may, might, must, should,
will, would):
1. You ______ finish your homework before playing.
2. I ______ visit my grandmother this weekend if I have time.
3. She ______ be at the library; her bag is there.
4. ______ you help me carry this bag, please?
5. They ______ not enter the building without an ID card.
6. Match the Phrasal Verb with Its Meaning
Match the phrasal verb to its meaning:
Phrasal Verb Meaning
Phrasal Verb Meaning
a. Look up 1. Postpone
b. Turn down 2. Search for information
c. Give away 3. Refuse
d. Put off 4. Reveal or donate
e. Carry on 5. Continue
7. Verb Tenses
Complete the sentences with the correct tense of the verb:
1. Right now, she ______ (study) for her final exams.
2. They ______ (travel) to Europe last summer.
3. By the time we arrive, they ______ (leave).
4. I ______ (live) in this city for five years.
5. He ______ (finish) his homework before he went to bed.
8. Gerunds and Infinitives
Fill in the blanks with the correct form (gerund or infinitive) of the verb:
1. He enjoys ______ (play) basketball after school.
2. They decided ______ (buy) a new car.
3. She avoided ______ (talk) to him about the issue.
4. I hope ______ (see) you again soon.
5. ______ (swim) in the ocean is her favorite activity.
9. Active and Passive Voice
Rewrite the following sentences in passive voice:
1. The chef cooked a delicious meal.
2. She will complete the project next week.
3. The manager has approved the proposal.
4. They are building a new library in town.
5. The teacher praised the students for their hard work.
10. Correct the Errors
Find and correct the errors in verb usage:
1. She don’t likes coffee.
2. He was run fast when he fell.
3. They goes to the gym every morning.
4. I am looking forward to meet you.
5. The book was wrote by a famous author.
Answers to the exercises:
1. Identify the Verb and Its Type
1. bloom – Action
2. seems – Linking
3. have been working – Auxiliary + Action
4. will call – Auxiliary + Action
5. feel – Linking
2. Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Form of the Verb
1. She writes a novel every year.
2. We went to the zoo yesterday.
3. By next month, he will have completed his training.
4. The kids were playing football when it started raining.
5. I have not seen her for a long time.
3. Transitive or Intransitive Verbs
1. dropped – Transitive (object: the glass)
2. cheered – Intransitive (no object)
3. explained – Transitive (object: the problem)
4. rose – Intransitive (no object)
5. ate – Transitive (object: his lunch)
4. Identify Regular and Irregular Verbs
1. saw – Irregular
2. danced – Regular
3. built – Irregular
4. talked – Regular
5. ran – Irregular
5. Choose the Correct Modal Verb
1. You must finish your homework before playing.
2. I might visit my grandmother this weekend if I have time.
3. She must be at the library; her bag is there.
4. Can you help me carry this bag, please?
5. They must not enter the building without an ID card.
6. Match the Phrasal Verb with Its Meaning
Phrasal Verb Meaning
a. Look up 2. Search for information
b. Turn down 3. Refuse
c. Give away 4. Reveal or donate
d. Put off 1. Postpone
e. Carry on 5. Continue
7. Verb Tenses
1. Right now, she is studying for her final exams.
2. They traveled to Europe last summer.
3. By the time we arrive, they will have left.
4. I have lived in this city for five years.
5. He had finished his homework before he went to bed.
8. Gerunds and Infinitives
1. He enjoys playing basketball after school.
2. They decided to buy a new car.
3. She avoided talking to him about the issue.
4. I hope to see you again soon.
5. Swimming in the ocean is her favorite activity.
9. Active and Passive Voice
1. A delicious meal was cooked by the chef.
2. The project will be completed by her next week.
3. The proposal has been approved by the manager.
4. A new library is being built in town.
5. The students were praised by the teacher for their hard work.
10. Correct the Errors
1. She doesn’t like coffee.
2. He was running fast when he fell.
3. They go to the gym every morning.
4. I am looking forward to meeting you.
5. The book was written by a famous author.
