Verbs

A verb expresses action or being.

1. Transitive Verb
Transitive verbs: the word or phrase that follows a transitive verb

answers WHO or WHAT.

Ex/ He held a guitar. (He held WHAT?a guitar.)
(The action of held is directed by directed toward guitar.)The transitive
verb has two voices: active and passive.

Study the following examples:

Subject
Verb
Complement
Active
John
drives
a car.
Passive
A car
is driven
by John.
Active
He teaches English.
Passive
English is taught by him.
Active
The speaker presented a new idea.
Passive
A new idea was presented by the speaker.
The transitive verb in the passive voice does not always show who
performed the action. For example:
Subject
Verb
Complement
English
is taught
in the Language School.
The exam
will be given
tomorrow.
A movie
was shown
last week.
A variety of patterns may be formed with the transitive verb.
Study the following examples:
ACTIVE
Subject
The teacher
The teacher

PASSIVE

Verb
taught
taught

Complement
English to the students.
the students English.

Subject

Verb
Complement
English
was taught
by the teacher to the students.
English
was taught
to the students by the teacher.
The students
were taught
English by the teacher.
Some verbs are almost always used transitively.
Examples:

To set set, set, set He set the book on the table.

To raise raise, raised, raised He raised the window.

To lay lay, laid, laid She laid the coat on the chair.

Exception: The sun sets in the West.

2. Intransitive Verb
Intransitive verbs: the word or phrase that follows an intransitive verb

answers WHERE or HOW.

EX/ Fausto waited hopefully for a reward.
(Fausto waited HOW?.hopefully.)
Some verbs can only be used intransitively.

Examples:

To sit - sit, sat, sat He sits in the front row.

To rise rise, rose, risen The sun rises in the East.

To lie lie, lay, lain He lay in bed all day.

Many verbs in English may be used intransitively or transitively. Notice

the verb is not followed by an object when it is used intransitively.
Subject

Verb
drive.

Complement

I
He
He
They
They

drive
plays.
plays
read.
read

a car.
the piano.
books.

An action verb tells what the subject of the sentence does.

Example: -Everyone runs when the coach blows her whistle.
-I eat dinner at six oclock.

A linking verb does not show action, but instead shows state-ofbeing.
Example: - We were at the store for an hour.
-You are in sixth grade.

A verb that is made up of more than one word is called a verb phrase.
The last word in a verb phrase is the main verb, and the other words
are called auxiliary or helping verbs.
Example: Cesar and Ruth are going to soccer practice after school.
main verb=going

helping verb=are

Common Helping/Auxiliary Verbs

amweredohasmustmight
isbedoeshadwillwould
arebeingdidcanshallshould
wasbeenhavemaycould

Usually when auxiliaries are used in questions, the main verb and its
auxiliaries may be separated by the subject of the sentence.

Examples:

Should we eat dinner now?

Will you go to school next Monday?
Who would like more macaroni and cheese?

Remember: A verb expresses action or being.

An action verb tells what the subject of the sentence
does.
A linking verb does not show action, but instead shows
state-of-being.
Verbs called being verbs or linking verbs do not show action. Instead they
show what the subject is or is like. Because of this we say linking verbs
show state-of-being. These linking verbs link the subject of the sentence
with a word in the predicate that tells more about it.
Common Linking Verbs
am

was

be

become

is

were
taste

being

look

feel