Mr. Taylor’s Guide toVerbs

A verb expresses an action, a state of being, or an event.

Capt Kirk drinks too much at Christmas. (Action)Mother’s Day fell early this year. (Occurrence)

Thanksgiving is tomorrow. (State of Being.)

Verbs also reveal when events take place: in the past, present, or future. The quality of the verb that expresses time is referred to as the tense of the

verb.Spock drinks a Pepsi. (Present Tense)

Spock drank a Pepsi. (Past Tense)Spock will drink a Pepsi. (Future Tense)

Information verbs convey to the reader

Person: who or what acts or experiences an action: first person (I), second person (you), or third person (he, she,

it, Spock).

Number: how many subjects. singular or plural.

Tense: when the action occurs.

Mood: what attitude is expressed toward the action.

Voice: is the subject acting or being acted upon?

Regular Verbs

Regular verbs change their form from present tense to past tense in a

predictable way.

Base form: I talkPast Tense: I talked

Past Participle: I had talked

Note: the only way to tell a past tense verb from a past participle is how it is used.

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs are the oldest verbs we have in our language; therefore, they do not follow the

same pattern the regular verbs follow:

Base form: I lie (recline)Past tense: I lay

Past participle: I have lain

There is no magic formula for learning the forms of irregular verbs. When in

doubt, look it up.

Types of Verbs

Main: a verb expressing an action, occurrence, or state of being. (Spock talked to Uhura.)

Linking: a verb that doesn't express action, but renames or describes the subject.

(Sulu was happy).

Auxiliary: a verb that when combined with a past participle forms the complete verb.

(I had talked.)

Types of VerbsModal Auxiliary: a verb that adds meaning such as ability

or possibility to a sentence. (I might fail you.)

Transitive: a verb that must be followed by a direct object, a noun or pronoun, that completes the verb’s message.

(Spock drank a Pepsi.)

Intransitive: a verb that does not have a direct object completing its message. ( Spock cried like a little girl.)

“ . . .like a little girl” is not a noun or pronoun so it is not an object. It only describes how Spock cried.

Main VerbsMain verbs are the words in sentences that express actions and tell the reader what is

happening. A verb’s tense describe when the action took place.

Simple Tenses

Present I finish, or she finishes.Past I finished

Future I will finish

Main VerbsPerfect Tenses

The perfect tenses describe actions or occurrences that are still having an effect at the

time or are having an effect until a specified time. The perfect tenses are composed of an auxiliary verb (have, has, or had ) and a past

participle.

Present perfect: I have finishedPast perfect: I had finished

Future perfect: I will have finished

Main VerbsThe Progressive Tenses

The progressive tenses describe an ongoing action or condition. They also express

habitual or recurring actions or conditions.

The present progressive tense utilizes the present tense form of a “be” verb that agrees with the subject in person and number, plus a

present participle of the main verb.

Spock is working with Mr. Data.The Romulans are trying to take over Earth.

I am thinking about Pepsi.

Main VerbsThe Progressive Tenses

The past progressive indicates a past action went on until another event occurred. It uses “was” or “were” to agree with the subject in

person and number plus the present participle of the main verb.

Spock was working with Mr. DataThe Romulans were planning to attack Earth.

I was thinking about drinking a Pepsi.You were thinking about taking a nap.

Main VerbsThe progressive Tenses

The future progressive indicates that an action will continue until a certain time in the future. It uses “will” plus “be” and a present

participle.

Spock will be working with Mr. Data tomorrow.The Romulans will be thinking about attack.

You will be wanting a Pepsi.I will be wanting a Pepsi too.

Main VerbsPerfect Progressive Tenses

The perfect progressive tenses are used to indicate an action that takes place over time. It is comprised by adding “have, has, or had” to

the progressive tenses.

Spock has been warning us about the dangers of Coke addiction.

(Present perfect progressive) This action began in the past and continues to the

present.

Main VerbsThe Perfect Progressive Tenses

Kirk had been ordering Pepsi for years. (Past perfect progressive)

This action began in the past and continues to the present.

In May, Spock will have been drinking Pepsi for ten years.

(Future perfect progressive) This is an ongoing action that took place in the past

and continues into the future.

Using Verbs in a Sentence

When a verb appears in a dependent clause, its tense depends on the tense of the main verb in the independent clause. When the main verb is

in the past tense, the verb in the dependent clause is usually in the past or past perfect

tense.

Spock was a Vulcan who had worked with Kirk.Shifts from past to past perfect.

Using Verbs in a Sentence

When the main verb in the independent clause is in the present or future tenses, the verb in the dependent clause may be any tense needed to convey the meaning.

Spock is a good student who will earn an “A.”

Shifts from present to future.Missy will not graduate because she is a lazy dog.

Shifts from future to past.

Using Verbs in a Sentence

When an infinitive appears in a verbal phrase, the tense it expresses depends upon the tense of the sentence’s main verb. The present infinitive (“to” plus a verb) indicates that the action is happening at the same time as or later than the main verb.

Spock went to see a movie.

The going and seeing occur at the same time.

Using Verbs in a Sentence

When the perfect infinitive (“to” plus “have” plus the past participle) indicates action happening earlier than the main verb.

I would like to have seen Capt. Kirk fight the bug-eyed monster.The “like” occurs in the present and the “to have seen” occurs in the past.

Using Verbs in a Sentence

When a participle appears in a verbal phrase, its tense depends on the tense of the sentence’s main verb. The present participle indicates action happening at the same time as the action of the main verb.

Thinking about Pepsi, Spock drove into a tree.

The “thinking” occurs at the same time as the “driving.”

Using Verbs in a Sentence

The past participle or the present perfect participle indicates action occurring before the action of the main verb.

Having finished his Pepsi, Spock drank another.Since he had consumed too much Pepsi, Spock couldn’t sleep.The action in the subordinate clause occurs before the action in the independent clause.

Using Verbs in a Sentence

Verb tense may shift in a paragraph or sentence as long as the shift in tense is required for the sentence to make sense.

Random shifting of tense must be avoided.

Using Verbs in a Sentence

Spock was born on Vulcan. He lives on Earth, but soon he will join Starfleet.

These sentences are shifting from past to present to future, but it must or it won’t make any sense.

Spock is born on Vulcan. He lives on Earth, but he joins Starfleet.

These sentences make no sense.

Linking Verbslinking verbs are weak verbs that convey a

state of being, relate to the senses, or indicate a condition.

Linking verbs are often forms of the verb “be” and link the subject to an adjective that

describes it.

(Sulu was happy)(Captain Kirk is well)

Linking Verbs

Linking verbs may deal with the senses look, feel, taste, and sound that describe the subject. These verbs will not indicate an action.

(Fish tastes good)

Linking verbs convey a sense of existing or change. Examples include appear, seem, get, turn, and remain.

(Spock grew old.)

Linking Verbs

To test if a verb, other than a be verb, is functioning as a linking verb, substitute “was” or “were” for the original verb. If the sentence makes sense, the original verb was functioning

as a linking verb.

Spock grew a beard. Spock grew old.Spock was a beard. (No) Spock was old. (Yes)Grew is not a linking verb. Grew is a linking verb.

The importance of linking verbs will be clear when we study objective and subjective case.

Understanding MoodMood is the least important aspect of verb usage. Mood indicates the attitude toward the action in a sentence. Shifting in mood is generally not a huge problem in writing.

The Indicative Mood is used to make factual statements, highly likely events, and for questions about fact.

The Imperative Mood expresses commands and direct requests.

The Subjunctive Mood expresses unreal conditions, conjectures, recommendations, and wishes.

Understanding Mood

Indicative: The door is open. [fact]Missy seemed hungry. [highly likely]Do you want a Pepsi. [question about a fact]Imperative:Please close that door. [command]Subjunctive:I wish I were a fish. [states a desire]If I were you, I’d be scared. [conditional]

Understanding Voice

Voice in a verb tells the reader if the subject is acting or being acted upon. In active voice the subject does the action in the sentence.

“Scotty fixed the engine.” is written in active voice because Scotty is the subject of the sentence, and he is performing the action of fixing.

Understanding Voice

In passive voice the subject is receiving the action of the verb, not doing it. The person or thing doing the action is often in a phrase starting with the word “by.”

“The engine was fixed by Scotty.” is written in passive voice because the subject is receiving the action of being fixed, and the object is doing the action.

Understanding Voice

Passive voice is bad because:

It uses more words.

It is harder for the reader to understand.

It utilizes wimpy verbs.

Passive voice is useful because:

It emphasizes what was done not who did it.

VerbsAt first verb tense may seem to be a bit overwhelming, but with a little practice proper verb usage will become second

nature.

Learning to utilize the English language correctly will not only improve your writing,

but it will also help to keep your papers out of the circular file.

The End.

Live Long and Prosper

Remember to use verbs logically.