Overview: Verbs | Basic English Grammar for Competitive Exams - Bank Exams PDF Download

Introduction of Verbs

A verb is a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being in a sentence. It is one of the essential parts of speech in any language. Verbs are often considered the "doing" or "being" words in a sentence, as they convey the main action or state.

Types of Verbs

• Action Verbs: These verbs describe physical or mental actions that someone or something performs. For example: run, eat, read, think.
• Linking Verbs: Linking verbs connect the subject of a sentence to a subject complement, which provides further information about the subject. Linking verbs do not show action but rather describe a state or condition. Examples include: be, seem, appear, become.
• Helping Verbs (Auxiliary Verbs): Helping verbs assist the main verb in a sentence to form different verb tenses, voices, moods, or to express emphasis. Examples include: can, could, will, would, may, might, must, shall, should, have, has, had, do, does, did, be, being, been.
• Modal Verbs: Modal verbs express ability, possibility, permission, necessity, or intention. They are a specific type of helping verb. Examples include: can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would.
• Transitive Verbs: Transitive verbs are action verbs that require a direct object to complete their meaning. The action is performed on the object. For example: She read a book. The verb "read" requires the direct object "book."
• Intransitive Verbs: Intransitive verbs do not require a direct object to complete their meaning. They express actions or states that do not transfer to an object. For example: He laughed. The verb "laughed" doesn't require a direct object.
• Reflexive Verbs: Reflexive verbs indicate that the subject performs an action on itself. The subject and object are the same entity. For example: I cut myself. The verb "cut" is reflexive because the subject "I" and the object "myself" are the same.
• Irregular Verbs: Irregular verbs do not follow the regular conjugation patterns of regular verbs. They have unique forms in different tenses. Examples include: go, have, be, do, say, see.
• Phrasal Verbs: Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb and one or more particles (prepositions or adverbs). The meaning of the phrasal verb often differs from the individual words. For example: look up, break down, take off.

Rules Related to Verbs

1. Subject-Verb Agreement: In English, verbs must agree with their subjects in terms of number and person. This means that a singular subject requires a singular verb, while a plural subject requires a plural verb. For example:

• She sings beautifully. (singular subject)
• They sing beautifully. (plural subject)

2. Tense: Verbs in English can be conjugated to indicate different tenses, such as past, present, and future. The tense of a verb determines when an action occurred or will occur. For example:

• She danced at the party last night. (past tense)
• He is studying for his exam. (present tense)
• We will go to the beach tomorrow. (future tense)

3. Verb Forms: English verbs can have different forms to indicate various aspects, such as infinitive, gerund, participle, and conjugated forms. Common verb forms include:

• Infinitive: The base form of a verb, usually preceded by "to." (e.g., to eat, to sleep)
• Gerund: A verb form ending in "-ing" that functions as a noun. (e.g., swimming is fun)
• Participle: A verb form that can function as an adjective. There are two types: present participles ending in "-ing" (e.g., a running dog) and past participles ending in "-ed," "-en," or irregular forms (e.g., a broken window, a spoken word).

4. Modal Verbs: Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs used to express ability, possibility, permission, obligation, etc. Common modal verbs include can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would. For example:

• I can swim.
• You should study for the exam.

5. Verb Phrases: Verb phrases consist of a main verb and auxiliary (helping) verbs. Auxiliary verbs are used to express different aspects, moods, or tenses. For example:

• She is running. (main verb: running, auxiliary verb: is)
• They have been studying all day. (main verb: studying, auxiliary verbs: have, been)

Function of Verbs with Examples

1. Action Verbs: These verbs express physical or mental actions. They describe what the subject of the sentence is doing. Examples:

• She runs every morning.
• They built a sandcastle on the beach.
• He thinks deeply about the problem.

2. Linking Verbs: These verbs connect the subject of a sentence to a noun, pronoun, or adjective that renames or describes the subject. They do not show action but rather a state of being or condition. Examples:

• She is a doctor.
• The flowers smell delightful.
• He seemed tired after the long journey.

3. Auxiliary Verbs (Helping Verbs): These verbs are used with main verbs to form verb phrases. They express aspects, moods, tenses, or other nuances of meaning. Examples:

• She has finished her homework.
• They are going to the party.
• I should have studied harder.

4. Modal Verbs: Modal verbs are a type of auxiliary verb that express ability, possibility, permission, obligation, and other modalities. Examples:

• He can play the guitar.
• You should visit your grandparents.
• They might arrive late.

5. Transitive Verbs: Transitive verbs require a direct object to complete their meaning. They show an action being done to someone or something. Examples:

• She baked a cake.
• They watched a movie.
• He wrote a letter.

6. Intransitive Verbs: Intransitive verbs do not require a direct object. They express an action or state that does not transfer to something or someone else. Examples:

• She danced gracefully.
• The bird flew away.
• He laughed loudly.

7. Verbs of Being: These verbs express a state of existence or identity. They include "be," "am," "is," "are," "was," "were," "been," and "being." Examples:

• I am a student.
• She was happy.
• They are brothers.

Solved Exercises

Ex.1. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in parentheses:

She __________ (run) every morning to stay fit.

The correct form of the verb "run" in the third-person singular present tense is "runs."

We __________ (study) French for two years now.

The correct form of the verb "study" in the present perfect tense is "have studied."

Ex.2. Identify the verb in each of the following sentences.

The cat climbed the tree.

climbed (The verb "climbed" shows the action performed by the cat.)

She laughed at the joke.

laughed (The verb "laughed" shows the action performed by the subject "she.")

The students study for their exams.

study (The verb "study" represents the action performed by the students.)

Spotting Errors

1. Incorrect: The company employs over 100 people and is growing rapidly.
Correct: The company employs over 100 people and is growing rapidly.

The sentence is correct as it is. Both verbs, "employs" and "is growing," are in the present tense, indicating ongoing actions.

2. Incorrect: He studied all night for the exam, but still failed.
Correct: He studied all night for the exam but still failed.

The sentence is correct as it is. The verb "studied" is in the past tense, indicating a completed action, while "failed" is in the present tense, indicating the current state or result.

3. Incorrect: The children were playing in the park when it started to rain.
Correct: The children were playing in the park when it started raining.

The verb "started" should be followed by the -ing form of the verb ("raining") to indicate an ongoing action in the past.