TYPES OF
VERBS
Instructor: Ta Le Minh Phuoc
Complements
• Complements are elements that complete
the meaning of a verb. Basically, they
are compulsory in the structure.
Ex: ✓ He eats a cake.
✕ He eats ___.
Ellipsis
• In certain contexts, complements can be
ellipted.
Ex: A: Is he teaching English now?
B: Yes, he is teaching ___.
Intransitive verbs
• Intransitive verbs are verbs that require
no complement after it.
Ex: He slept.
I’ll come.
Transitive verbs
• A transitive verb is a verb that requires
a noun phrase as its complement after it.
• This noun phrase is called ‘object’.
Ex: My mom cooks our meals.
Object
Ditransitive verbs
• A ditransitive verb is a verb that requires
two noun phrases as its complements after
it.
• One is called ‘direct object’. The other is
called ‘indirect object’.
Ex: He sent me a letter.
Indirect Object Direct Object
Ditransitive verbs
• When we switch between ‘Indirect Object’ and
‘Direct Object’, a preposition (‘to/for’)
needs to be added.
Ex: He sent a letter to me.
Direct Object Indirect Object
Prepositional verbs
• A prepositional verb is a verb that requires
a prepositional complement after it.
Ex: He talks about Vietnamese culture.
Prepositional complement
Prepositional verbs
• Some prepositional verbs take a direct
object after the verb followed by the
preposional phrase.
Ex: He reminded me of my father.
Verb Direct object Preposional phrase
Intensive verbs
• An intensive verb is a connecting verb that
requires a noun phrase/adjective phrase/
prepositional phrase as its complement after it.
• This complement is called ‘subject predicative’
(giving information about the subject).
Ex: She is beautiful.
Subject predicative
Complex verbs
• A complex verb is a verb that requires 2
complements: a noun phrase (object) + a noun
phrase/adjective phrase/ prepositional phrase,
which is called ‘object predicative’ à giving
information about the object.
Ex: I consider him my best friend.
Object Object predicative
(1) He sat down.
(2) He walked down the street.
What is the difference between ‘down’ in (1)
and ‘down’ in (2)?
(Adverb) particles vs. Prepositions
• An (adverb) particle: modifies the preceding verb.
• A preposition: requires a noun phrase (object)
after it.
Ex: He sat down.
(Adverb) particle
He walked down the street.
Preposition Object
Phrasal verbs
• A phrasal verb consists a verb + a particle.
• A phrasal verb can be transitive, intransitive or
prepositional.
Ex:
He finally turned up. (Intransitive)
verb Particle
I turned off the light. (Transitive)
verb Particle Object
She came up with an idea. (Prepositional)
verb Particle Preposition Object
(1) He looked up the sky.
(2) He looked up the word.
What is the difference between ‘looked up’ in (1)
and ‘looked up’ in (2)? Which one is a phrasal verb?
Which one is a prepositional verb?
Phrasal verbs
• Only a phrasal verb (transitive) allows the object to
be relocated between the verb and the particle.
Ex:
✓ He looked up the word.
verb Particle Object
✓ He looked the word up.
verb Object Particle
Let’s look back…
Ex:
✓ He looked up the sky.
✗ He looked the sky up.
à ‘looked up’ here is NOT a phrasal
verb, it is a prepositional verb.
Phrasal verbs
• If the object is a pronoun, it must be placed
between the verb and the particle.
Ex:
✗ He looked up it.
verb Particle Object
✓ He looked it up.
verb Object Particle
Phrasal verbs
• If the object is too long or complex, it is more
preferable to put the object after the particle.
Ex:
(1) He takes on the job of bringing up the child who
was abandoned. (MORE PREFERABLE)
(2) He takes the job of bringing up the child who
was abandoned on.
Gerunds
• Gerunds have V-ing form.
• A gerund is both as a noun and a verb.
• Can function as a subject or an object.
Ex: (1) I love playing football.
(2) The teacher hates him/his cheating in class.
(3) Eating fast food is unhealthy.
Verb participles
• Verb participles are particular forms of verbs.
• There are 3 types of participles:
+ Present participle.
Ex: He is drinking coffee. (Progressive aspect)
+ Past participle.
Ex: He has drunk coffee. (Perfective aspect)
He was killed in the accident (Passive voice)
+ Perfect participle.
Ex: Having done the homework, I went to sleep.
Verb participles
• Participles can also function as an adjective to
mododify a noun.
Ex: a sleeping child.
cut flowers.
(1) He is very interesting.
(2) A singing bird.
(3) I love playing football.
Identify the category of each of the
underlined words.
Participle clauses
• Clauses that contain participles.
• Can be located before or after the main clause.
• Share the same subject with the main clause.
Ex:
(1) Requested by him, I made some cookies.
(2) He went to sleep, dreaming about the next day.
Absolute clauses
• Rather similar to participle clauses.
• Only used in formal contexts.
• DO NOT share the subject with the main clause.
Ex: He forgeting the time, we were surprised.
He sat down, his phone placed on the table.
Absolute clauses
• The verb ‘to be’ can be eliminated in absolute
clauses.
Ex: John (being) sick, he does not go to work
today.
Absolute clauses
• Can be used to express time.
• There is no need to use ‘when’ or ‘after’.
Ex:
(1) I being a child, my mom usually took me to
the zoo.
(2) The meal being over, I cleaned the room.
Absolute clauses
• Can be used to express reasons.
• There is no need to use ‘because’.
Ex:
(1) All my money spent, I am looking for a job.
(2) There being more tasks, I have to work
overtime today.
Absolute clauses
• Can be used to express a contrast.
• There is no need to use ‘although’.
Ex: The weather being terrible, we had great time
together.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION(S)?
