Grammar Basics: Verbs, types of verbs and Examples

Meaning of verbs
Verbs describe what a person or thing does or what is happening. Verbs are words that give the idea of action, of doing; something.
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For example, words like run, fight, do and work, all convey action. But some verbs do not give the idea of action; they give the idea of existence, of state, of ‘being’
For example, verbs like be, exist, seem, and belong all convey state.
Example:
Action: Jack plays football.
State: Jack seems angry.
Types of Verbs:
  1. Helping verbs and main verbs: Helping verbs or auxiliary verbs are verbs that have no meaning on their own. They are necessary for the grammatical structure of the sentence, but they do not tell us much alone.
    Example: People must start donating in charity.
    Main verbs are verbs that have a meaning of their own. They tell us something.
    Example: I teach.
  2. Transitive and intransitive verbs: A transitive verb is one which must have an object to complete its meaning, and to receive the action expressed.
    For example: John kicked the ball.
    An intransitive verb is one which is complete in itself, or which is completed by other words without requiring an object.
    Example: John talked.
  1. Active and Passive Verbs: The Active voice is the normal voice that we speak in most of the time. In this voice the object receives the action of the verb performed by the subject.
    Example: Dogs eat bones.
    The Passive voice is less usual. In this voice the subject receives the action of the verb being performed by the object.
    Example: Bones are eaten by the dogs.
  2. Modal Verbs: These verbs tell us whether something is probable or about the skills of a noun etc. There are 10 modal verbs in total and each have an important part in sentence formation.
    Can, Could, May, Might, Will, Would, Must, Shall, Should, Ought to
  3. Dynamic and Static Verbs: These verbs denote an actual action or expression or process done by the subject. They mean an action which can be seen or physically felt or the result of which is seen or physically felt by the object or an indirect object.
    Example: She buys new clothes every week.
    These verbs refer to the state of the subject or the situation of the subject. Stative Verbs tell us about the state of mind of the subject, or the relation between the subject and the object.
    Example: She prefers strawberry jam.
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Verbs: Key Learning
  • A verb is one of the main parts of a sentence or question in English.
  • In fact, no sentence or a question is without a verb. That's how important this "action" part of speech is.
  • So, practice regularly and make proper usage of verbs.
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