ENGLISH 7
VERB NOTES
Name: _______________________ Period: _____ Date: ___________________
Learning Goal:
Verb Notes
I.
Recognize a verb when you see one.
Verbs are a necessary component of all sentences.
Some verbs put static objects into motion.
Other verbs help to clarify static objects in meaningful ways.
II.
Know action verbs when you see them.
They are expressing action, something that a person, animal, force
of nature, or thing can do.
As a result, words like these are called action verbs.
List five action verbs.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
State of Being verbs express a state of being or
existing.
III.
List state of being verbs
1.
5.
2.
6.
3.
7.
4.
8.
Practice: Circle/highlight state of being verbs below.
Once upon a time there was a nice boy named Stately. He was very
prim and proper. Stately was an A+ student. One day at school, there
was going to be a big test on verbs. Stately knew all the action verbs but
he didn't want to forget the eight state-of-being verbs. He needed a way
to remember them so he could get an A+ on the big test. As he sat there
thinking of ideas, he found himself humming a rhythm, "Da, da, da-da,
VERB NOTES
ENGLISH 7
Name: _______________________ Period: _____ Date: ___________________
da, da, da, da. All of a sudden he jumped up and shouted, "That is it! That
is the rhythm I need to remember the state-of-being verbs: am, is, are,
was, were, be, being, been."
The next day, he went to school humming and clapping the rhythm
the whole way. When he got his graded test back he had earned an A+,
and Stately was very happy. After he got the A+ he changed his name to
Stately State-of-Being Verb because he just IS so stately.
IV. Linking verbs do not express action.
They connect the subject of a verb to additional information about
the subject.
True linking verbs are any form of the verb be
These true linking verbs are always linking verbs.
1.
10.
17.
2.
11.
18.
3.
12.
19.
4.
20.
5.
13.
6.
14.
7.
15.
8.
16.
9.
Then you have a list of verbs with multiple personalities
appear, feel, grow, look, stay, remain, smell, sound, taste,
and turn
Sometimes these verbs are linking verbs; sometimes they are
action verbs. Their function in a sentence decides what you
should call them
ENGLISH 7
VERB NOTES
Name: _______________________ Period: _____ Date: ___________________
Practice: Complete the following sentences.
1. The man is a monster.
2. His skin looks _____________
3. His mouth resembles _____________
4. His teeth appear _____________________
5. His ears are ________________
6. His eyes seem __________
7. His nose is_________________
8. He smells _________________
9. His skin feels _______________
If you can substitute am, is, or are for the verb and the sentence
still sounds logical, you have a linking verb on your hands. Try it
out with the sentences above.
If, after the substitution, the sentence makes no sense, you are
dealing with an action verb.
V.
Helping verbs help the main verb express action or a state of
being.
The moral: Maybe Mr. Do should have a will.
Just remember this sentence and you will know how to set up a
chart of the 23 helping verbs! The largest "family" is the "BE"
family with eight members. The other five families have three
members each.
ENGLISH 7
VERB NOTES
Name: _______________________ Period: _____ Date: ___________________
may
might
must
be
being
been
am
are
is
was
were
do
does
did
(main)
(main)
should
could
would
have
had
has
(main)
Old Mr. Do
Once upon a time there was a wealthy merchant named Mr.
Do. Mr. Do was very old and very rich. His many relatives
were dreaming of the day the old man would die. They
wondered which one of them would inherit his money.
Finally, one day Mr. Do did die. All the relatives searched his
house for a will. They didn't find one. They searched his
house three times. They still did not find a will. The relatives
did not get one dime of Mr. Do's fortune.
will
can
shall