Using Verbs

Verb Tense, Form, Mood, Voice, and Agreement

Verbs

A verb is a word that shows a mental or physical action– Believe– Protest

A verb is a word that describes a state of being– Feel– Be

Parts of Verbs

All verbs have four parts:– Present (protest)– Past (protested)– Present participle (is protesting)– Past participle (has protested)– These four parts are used to form the tenses and

forms of verbs

Regular Verbs

To create the past or past participle of a regular verb, add –d or –ed to the present.

Organize – organized Protest – protested

Irregular Verbs

The past and past participle of irregular verbs are created by one of five spelling patterns.

Refer to page 107 in your grammar book for the spelling patterns.

http://www.chompchomp.com/exercises.htm

Verb Tenses

Verb tenses tell the reader when an action or state of being occurred.

The six tenses are as follows: Present, past, future, present perfect, past

perfect, and future perfect

Present Tense

Present tense describes an action that is…– Occurring right now

The biography of Harper Lee entitled Mockingbird paints a vivid picture of her life and career.

– Occurring on a regular basis Millions of people read her award-winning novel To Kill a

Mockingbird every year.

– Going to take place in the future Our study of the novel begins in a few weeks.

Literary Present Tense

Literary Present Tense is used when discussing literature.– To Kill a Mockingbird describes the struggles of

minorities in a depression-era community and the coming-of-age of two children, Jem and Scout.

Past Tense

Past tense is used to describe an event that began and ended in the past.– The Great Depression lasted for approximately

ten years during the 1920s and 1930s.

Future Tense

Future Tense is used to describe an action that will occur in the future.– Generations to come will celebrate Harper Lee’s

classic novel.

Present Perfect Tense

Present perfect tense is used to express an action…– Completed at an indefinite time in the past

Literary scholars have studied the relationship between Harper Lee and her childhood friend, Truman Capote.

– Begun in the past and continues into the present Lee’s novel has left a lasting impression on many

generations.

Past Perfect

Past perfect tense expresses a past action that occurred before another past action.– Harper Lee had begun writing long before she

published her only novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.– Which action occurred first?

The writing? The publishing of the novel?

Future Perfect Tense

Future perfect tense is used to express a future action that will occur before another future action.– By the time we begin the novel, we will have

taken preliminary notes.– What will happen first?

Beginning the novel? Taking preliminary notes?

Progressive and Emphatic Forms

Progressive form describes a continuing action or state of being.

Each of the six tenses has a progressive form.

It’s happening. Emphatic form makes a verb more forceful. Emphatic form has only two tenses – present

and past.

Progressive Form, simple tenses

Present– Rescue teams are hurrying to the disaster site.

Past– Families were searching all day for the missing.

Future– The governor will be touring the scene soon.

Progressive Form, perfect tenses

Present perfect– Volunteers have been searching the rubble for

survivors. Past perfect

– Before this tremor, scientists had been predicting possible activity along the fault.

Future perfect– By noon, some people will have been searching

for survivors for 12 hours straight.

Emphatic Form

Present – These rescue teams do seem more organized

than teams in other disaster areas.

Past– I did say that I heard a dog whining in the rubble.

Active and Passive Voice

In active voice, the subject performs the action.– Sam unintentionally hit John with a basketball.

In passive voice, the subject receives the action.– John was unintentionally hit with the basketball by

Sam.

Notes to Remember

Use active voice most often. Use passive voice when the performer is

unknown or unimportant or to emphasize the receiver of an action.

Practice Sentences

Identify the voice (active or passive) of each sentence.

– Samantha was always fascinated by animals and their habitats.

– In high school, Samantha volunteered as a tour guide at the local zoo.

– She was introduced to a world she never knew existed.– Now that she has obtained her degree, she is responsible

for all programs that the zoo offers.

Moods of Verbs

Indicative mood is used to ask questions and make statements.

Imperative mood is used to give a command or make a request.

Subjunctive mood is used to express a wish or state a condition contrary to fact.

Subjunctive mood is used for a command or request following the word that.

Indicative Mood

Samantha will attend the coronation of this year’s queen.

Was nominating her for class president a good idea?

Imperative Mood

Give your sister a ride to school.

Subjunctive Mood

The subjunctive form of be is always be or were, even with singular subjects.– Samantha wishes she were taller.

Even though Samantha is singular, we still use plural were because the statement is a wish – Samantha is short, not tall.

– The teacher asked that she stop talking.– The coach asked that practice be held every day.

Subject Verb Agreement

Subjects must agree with verbs in number– Number refers to whether the word is singular or

plural.– Singular subjects take singular verbs.– Plural subjects take plural verbs.

Special Rules and Examples

If a compound sentence is joined by and, the verb should be plural.– Sheila and John is/are going to the prom together.

If a compound sentence is joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the part of the subject closest to it.– John or his buddies is/are responsible for

arranging the limousine’s arrival.– Sheila or Angela is/are wearing the red dress.

Special Rules and Examples

Phrases such as together with, as well as, and along with are not the same as and—those phrases do not compound the subject.

– The lawyer along with his clients is/are going to jail.

If a sentence has a compound subject where one part is positive and the other is negative, the verb should agree with the positive.

– The leader, not his followers, is/are causing the problems.

Special Rules and Examples

Here and there are not subjects. The subject will follow the verb.

– Here is/are the proof.– There is/are no reason for this behavior.

Neither and either are singular pronouns.– Neither of the cars is/are working.

Special Rules and Examples

Some subjects look plural but are actually singular.– Politics is/are a messy business.