Action Verbs
Action verbs all express a type of action someone or
something is performing.
Actions can be mental or visible
What other verbs could take the place of the
underlined verb below?
I ran across the field.
Mental
Hope, hear, thought, loved, consider
Visible
Float, run, hop, sing, waited
Examples:
1. I carried her suitcase.
2. We baked cookies last night.
3. Most people consider slavery the main cause of the
Civil War.
4. My dog ran down the street.
5. The team sprinted laps around the field to start
practice.
6. I hope that he will be good today.
Which words are visible and which words are mental?
Linking Verbs
How do you conjugate the verb “to be”?
The forms of “be”
am
can be
have been
are
could be
has been
is
may be
had been
was
might be could have been
were
must be
may have been
am being
shall be
might have been
are being
should be must have been
is being
will be
shall have been
was being
would be should have been
were being
will have been
would have been
A linking verb connects a subject to a word that describes
or identifies it
-She is pretty.
“she” is the subject, “pretty” is the description, “is” is the
linking verb connecting the two words together.
What are the linking verbs in the sentences below?
1. She will be the first woman president.
2. The two men are huge compared to the little girls.
3. Josh is being mean today.
4. She could have been a beautiful model.
5. The tree’s limbs were long and old.
Helping Verbs
Helping Verbs are placed before other verbs to form verb
phrases. They “help” verbs to form a verb phrase.
Example:
1. He has opened the store.
2. He is opening the store.
3. The store is being opened.
4. They will be opening late.
**the helping verbs above all change the meaning of
“opened”
A verb phrase begins with the helping verb and ends with the verb.
“Not” is NOT part of a verb phrase.
What are the verb phrases in 1-4 above?
Sometimes words in a verb phrase are separated by other words. Make
sure all words in a verb phrase are verbs.
Common Helping Verbs
**Forms of “be”
Is, are, was, were, am, was being,
should be, could be, should have been…
Other helping VerbsDo, does, did
Have, has, had
Shall, should, will, would
Can, could, may, might, must
Examples- What is the helping verb and what is the main verb?
1. He is going to the park.
2. She might run later today.
3. Mary did take her project to school.
4. Mary did not take her project to school.
5. She should be going to the mall today.
What is the verb phrase for each example above?
1. He is going to the park.
2. She might run later today.
3. Mary did take her project to school.
4. Mary did not take her project to school.
5. She should be going to the mall today.