VERBS
Everything you need to know…
Action Verbs
An action verb expresses action. It tells what a person or a thing does.
Muskrats swim in marshes.
We built a fantastic sandcastle.
Note, the name “action verb” is sometimes misleading. Many action verbs are
not really actions, but the subject is still doing something. For instance:
My cousin likes applesauce.
His theory evolved over several months.
If you watched carefully, you still could not see someone liking something, or
a theory evolving. Yet these are still action verbs, as the subjects are doing
something.
Give three more examples of action verbs in sentences, and include one that
is not a visible action (circle the action verb that isn’t really action-packed)
Linking Verbs
A linking verb links the subject of the sentence with information about it.
Sometimes linking verbs are called "state-of-being verbs."
Jeremy is tired.
This apple tastes so sweet.
They seem stupid.
Notice how “tastes” could be an action verb (He tastes food for a living) but in this
case, it is linking the subject (apple) to a description OF IT (sweet).
Three other examples (not the ones used above):
Helping Verbs
Helping verbs, also known as “auxiliary verbs,” clarify the tense or mood of the main
verb. (NB – “non-action verbs” is a group of both helping and linking verbs and does
not actually define anything. It’s like saying “non-human” … is it a rock? a cat?”
Ms. Sothros is reading our stories.
We had looked for buried treasure.
She should have been studying instead. (this sentence has 3!)
Three other examples (NOT the ones given above):
Transitive & Intransitive
A transitive verb requires a direct object – in other words, when the verb is
mentioned, the thought isn’t yet complete.
He places the glass down.
The woman broke her favorite vase.
The wind moves the waves
Three other examples (NOT the ones given above):
You couldn’t very well say, “He places” or “The woman broke,” could you? No.
Transitive verbs need a direct object to show what or who receives the action.
An intransitive verb cannot take a direct object.
The water boiled.
The rain fell all afternoon.
The wind moves between the trees
Three other examples (NOT the ones given above):
Most verbs can work as either a transitive or an intransitive verb, like with “moves”
above. In the first sentence, ‘the waves’ is the direct object, whereas ‘between the
trees’ is a prepositional phrase This is not uncommon. Context would determine
which type it is in any given sentence. Some verbs, like resuscitate (trans.) and
discriminate (intrans.) can only be used as one OR the other. Give four more
examples of fully transitive or intransitive verbs (use the internet, if you need help)