Verbs
What is a verb?
Verbs are action, linking, and helping words.
It’s easy to find verbs in sentences. Just look for any word that shows action or any word that links the subject to the words that describe it in the predicate or any word that helps to tell when the action of another verb is taking place. Verbs act, link, and help.
Examples of linking verbs: (These linking verbs are special because they are also called being verbs)
Am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been.
Please remember that these are also called “state of being” verbs because they show the condition, situation, or state of the verb.
Some verbs are called helping verbs because they help other verbs to make sense.
These verbs are:
have, has, had, do, does, did, can, will, could, would, should, shall, may, must, might.
By the way, the state of being verbs can be used as helping verbs too. Now I am sure that you have used these helping verbs many times without even knowing what they were called.
For example:
You wouldn’t say: I eaten the food.
But, you would say: I have eaten the food.
You wouldn’t say: I eating the food.
But, you would say: I am eating the food
Notice that in each case, you added a helping verb to make the main verb make sense.
Verbs are action, linking, and helping words.
It’s easy to find verbs in sentences. Just look for any word that shows action or any word that links the subject to the words that describe it in the predicate or any word that helps to tell when the action of another verb is taking place. Verbs act, link, and help.
Examples of linking verbs: (These linking verbs are special because they are also called being verbs)
Am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been.
Please remember that these are also called “state of being” verbs because they show the condition, situation, or state of the verb.
Some verbs are called helping verbs because they help other verbs to make sense.
These verbs are:
have, has, had, do, does, did, can, will, could, would, should, shall, may, must, might.
By the way, the state of being verbs can be used as helping verbs too. Now I am sure that you have used these helping verbs many times without even knowing what they were called.
For example:
You wouldn’t say: I eaten the food.
But, you would say: I have eaten the food.
You wouldn’t say: I eating the food.
But, you would say: I am eating the food
Notice that in each case, you added a helping verb to make the main verb make sense.
