Each Sentence

Will Have
Several Parts to It
Subject
Verb
Sentence Complements

The Verb
a word used to describe an
action, state, or occurrence,
and forming the main part
of the predicate of a
sentence, such as hear,
become, happen.

The Subject
The subject of a sentence is
the person, place, thing, or
idea that is doing or being
something. You can find the
subject of a sentence if you
can find the verb. Ask the
question, "Who or what
'verbs' or 'verbed'?"

The Subject
Read at the handout, page
32.
Underline the verb twice.
Underline the subject
once.

SUBJECT
The subject is Who or What is completing the
action of the sentence
The subject can be either a noun or a pronoun
Often the subject appears at the beginning of
the sentence

VERB
The verb can show action -- either
mental or physical action
The verb can also show state of being

Action Verbs

Types of Mental
Action

Types of Physical
Action

1. To Think

1. To Sing

2. To Feel

2. To Dance

3. To Dream

3. To Play

4. To Believe

4. To Work

5. To Remember

5. To Juggle

6. To Understand

6. To Laugh

Linking Verbs

Certain verbs are

always used as linking
verbs

Certain verbs can be

used as either action or
linking verbs

1. Forms of To Be: is,

am, are, was, were,
be, being, been

1. Sensory verbs: to feel,

to taste, to smell, to
sound, to look

2. To Seem

2. To Grow

3. To Become

3. To Appear

Action or Linking
Verbs?
Since some verbs can be used as
either type of verb, how can you
decide ?
How the verb is being used,
as an action verb or
as a linking verb?

GOOD QUESTION!!!!
If the subject is actually performing
the action described, the verb is
being used as an action verb.
If the verb is being used to describe
the subject in some way, the verb is
being used as a linking verb.

Example: Action Verb

Jennifer tasted
the freshly
baked bread.
(Notice that Jennifer,
the subject, is doing
the tasting of that
wonderful bread!)

Example: Linking Verb

The freshly baked bread tasted
terrific.
(Notice that now the verb is describing how wonderful
that bread tasted; the bread is NOT doing the tasting
this time.)

Look at page 41 of
the handout.
Skip to exercise B.
Underline the verb
twice; then, label it
AV for an action verb
or LV for a linking