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How Verbs Work


A verb conveys action by a noun (person, animal, place, thing, or idea). These actions can be tangible (write, eat, sleep), intangible (become, occur, happen), or in a state of being (be, seem, been). There are three main types of verbs: action verb, linking verb, and helping verb.      
 
Action verbs show tangible, intangible, or state-of-being action.

  • The bear foraged through the trash in search of food.

                               bear (noun); foraged (verb; tangible action)

  • Kittens become cats in about a year.

                               kittens (noun); become (verb;intangible action)

  •  The hikers seem unsure of which path to take.

                               hikers (noun); seem (verb; state-of-being action)

 
Linking verbs link a subject to additional information. Many linking verbs are forms of the be verb: am, is, are, was, and were.

  • I am craving chocolate ice cream!
 
  • The road is icy and slick, so be careful.  
 
  • My pets are loving animals.
 
  • The dog was happy to see her owner.
 
  • We were planning to visit Brooklyn this weekend, but our flight got cancelled.  
 
 
Helping verbs consist of two or more words. They change the form of a main verb to add context. Common helping verbs: am, is, are, was, were, being, been, will, has, have, had, have, shall, should, and would.   
 
  • Sentence without helping verb: Jessie speaks Spanish.

                              (A stated fact; no other detail.)

  • Sentence with helping verb: Jessie is speaking Spanish.

                              (The helping verb adds the present tense to the main verb).

  
Some verbs can be used either as a helping verb or a linking verb.
 
Helping verb 

  • The doctor was treating patients all morning.

                               (The verb was is helping the main verb treating by adding the past tense.)
 
Linking verb 

  • The doctor was exhausted from treating patients all morning.
      
                               (The verb was is linking the descriptor exhausted to the subject).

  

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