VERBS
VERBS – a verb is a word that expresses an action or a state of being.
Action verb – a verb that expresses a physical or mental action.
Linking (State of being) verb – a verb that expresses a state of being. Many linking verbs are forms of the Verb
be. Others can include appear, become, feel, grow, look, remain, seem, smell, sound, stay, taste, and turn.
Some words may be either action or linking verbs, depending on how they are used.
Verb phrase – more than one word can function as a single verb. When more than one word is functioning as
a single verb, it is called a verb phrase.
Helping verb – helps the main verb to express an action or state of being.
am
is
are
was
were
be
been
has
have
had
do
does
did
may
might
must
can
could
shall
should
will
would
ADJECTIVES
ADJECTIVES – an adjective is a word that modifies a noun or a pronoun.
Modify – to modify a word means to describe the word or to make its meaning more definite.
An adjective tells what kind, which one, how much, or how many.
Adjectives are usually before the word that they modify but may also come after the word.
Articles – the most common adjectives are a, an, and the. They are called articles.
Other parts of speech can be used as adjectives.
ADVERBS
ADVERBS – an adverb is a word that modifies a verb, and adjective, or another adverb.
Modify – to modify a word means to describe the word or to make its meaning more definite.
An adverb answers the following questions:
where?
how often?
when?
or
how?
how long?
to what extent?
or
how much?
“not” and “n’t” – the word not is almost always an adverb used to modify a verb. Even when it is part of a
contraction (can’t), the contracted or shortened n’t is still an adverb and not part of the verb.
Many adverbs end in –ly, but not all words that end in –ly are adverbs. If you aren’t sure whether or not a word
is an adverb, ask yourself what it modifies.
Adverbs may appear before, after, or between the words they modify.
When an adverb modifies a verb phrase, it frequently comes in the middle of the phrase.
Adverbs that introduce questions must come at the beginning of the sentence.