Generic Competency:
Express ideas using English and Spanish in both spoken
and written communication effectively.
Specific Competency:
Recognize different types of verbs in English and their
characteristics.
Use different types of verbs to communicate in real-life
situations effectively.
Prepared by: Mrs. Itzel López
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Verbs are sometimes described as action words.
This is partly true. Many verbs give the idea of
action, of "doing" something. For example: run,
fight, do and work convey action.
But some verbs do not give the idea of action.
They give the idea of existence, of state, of "be
ing". For example: be, exist, seem and belong
convey state.
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More about English Verbs…
The term verb is from the Latin verbum meaning
word: although it is the word of a sentence. A thought
cannot be expressed without a verb.
For example:
The child plays football very well.
The child X football very well.
Sentences are in the form of declarations, questions
or commands and none of these can be put before the
mind without the use of a verb.
For example:
Did your sister buy fruits?
Did your sister X fruits?
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Task 1
Identifying Verbs
Read the following article about the benefits of smiling and prepare a list
of the verbs you find. Then, write your own examples with each verb
found.
1. Smiling Makes Us Attractive
We are drawn to people who smile. There is an attraction
factor. We want to know a smiling person and figure out
what is so good. Frowns, scowls and grimaces all push
people away, but a smile draws them in (avoid these smile
aging habits to keep your smile looking great).
2. Smiling Changes Our Mood
Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile. There's a good
chance you mood will change for the better. Smiling can trick the body
into helping you change your mood.
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Regular
How they
form the
past
Irregular
Auxiliaries
Function
Main verbs
Verbs
Transitive
If they take
an object
Intransitive
Action
verbs
Express
action or
not
Stative
verbs
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Regular
Verbs
• They form their past
tense by adding –d or –
ed at the end
• Examples: walked,
talked, learned, etc.
Irregular
Verbs
• They change their
structure to form the
past tense.
• Examples: drank, went,
saw, told, met, etc.
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 Find the regular verb in each line and write it into the gap.
For example: say, lose, dance, sing _____. 5 points
Answer: dance
1) read, feel, play, see _______
2) Listen, do go, make _______
3) Know, help, say, think ______
4) Like, write, forget, eat ______
5) Take, bring, cut, clean ______
 Select five of the irregular verbs presented above and insert them into
a paragraph. 10 points
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
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 Sometimes a simple predicate is made up of two or more
verbs. The main verb is the most important verb in the
predicate. It comes last in a group of verbs. For example:
He is working in the garden.
He has planted some tomatoes.
 A helping verb can work with the main verb to tell about
an action. The helping verb always comes before the main
verb. These words are often used as helping verbs: am, is,
are, was, were, has, have, had, and will.
He is working in the garden.
He has planted some tomatoes.
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Choose the correct form of the verb in ( ) to complete each sentence.
Write the word in the sentence. Then, write main verb or helping verb.
1. Inez has ___ Greek legends to children for many years.
(tell, told, telling)
2. The children were ___ forward to the next story.
(look, looked, looking)
3. I shall ____the children the legend of Narcissus.
(tell, told, telling)
4. Narcissus ____hunting one day. (shall, have, was)
5. He had ___ over a mountain pool for a drink.
(lean, leaned, leaning)
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Transitive verbs always take objects. You will always be able to ask a
question beginning with 'What' or 'Whom'.
Examples:
I paid the bill last week. - What did you pay?
She studies Russian. - What does she study?
Intransitive verbs do not take direct objects.
Examples:
Peter's situation improved.
They slept peacefully.
You can recognize that a verb is intransitive because it does not have a
passive form.
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Task 4
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs 12 points
Determine if the verbs in the following sentences are transitive or intransitive.
If transitive, indicate the object of the verb.
1. The birdcage swung from a golden chain.
2. Margaret angrily crumpled her letter in her fist.
3. Someone answered that question.
4. He shuddered with fright during the scary part
of the movie.
5. The rats chewed their way into the old house.
6. Acorns drop from the trees every fall.
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Action
Verbs
Stative
Verbs
• They refer to real and
concrete actions.
• Examples: run, play,
drink, jump, etc.
• They refer to a state or
condition which is quite
static.
• For example: hate,
believe, contain, etc.
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Click on the following link and read the
paragraphs presented. Then, make a list of
10 transitive and 10 intransitive verbs from
the reading. For transitive verbs, indicate the
direct object for each one in the sentence.
http://faculty.deanza.edu/wongletty/stories/storyReade
r$18
Using some of the verbs from your list,
create your own paragraph. 10 points
Now, watch a video and list the verbs you
hear. Classify them according to what you
learned. 10 points
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Harcourt (2008). Main Verbs and Helpping Verbs. Retrieved August 14 2011 from
http://steckvaughn.hmhco.com/HA/correlations/pdf/m/MainVerbsHelpingVerbs.pdf
Learn English Corporation (2008). Regular or Irregular Verbs. Retrieved August 14th, 2011
from http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/irregular_verbs/find_regular.htm
Nordquist, R. (n.d.) Transitive and Intransitive Verbs. Retrieved August 14th, 2011 from
http://grammar.about.com/od/il/g/intranterm.htm
University of Victoria (2010).Static and Dynamic Verbs. Retrieved August 14th, 2011 from
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/stat.htm
Young, S. (2006) Transitive and Intransitive Verbs: Explanation. Retrieved August 14th, 2011
from http://www.unigiessen.de/~ga1047/pdf/Young_T1_SS06_Transitive_Intransitive_Verbs.pdf
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