Verbs

Verbs are the second-most important words in English, next to nouns. (A sentence must have both a
noun and a verb in order to be a proper sentence.) Verbs can describe physical actions like
movement, less concrete actions like thinking and feeling, and that utterly awesome state of being,
as explained by the verb to be:

Where are you going ?

What are you doing ?
Who are you?

On top of all these, verbs can tell us when something is happening. English speakers depend on the
verb tenses to give a temporal context (time) to the sentence.

What Are Verbs

Verbs are action words: thats a rather simplified explanation but its the clearest one. Verbs
tell you what the subject of the sentence is up to.

Tom is funny.

The verb is tells us what Tom is doing: hes being funny.

Verbs dont have to be just one word; they can have up to four parts.

The cat is purring .

When we were going to work, it began to rain .
The boy must have been doing something terrible to make his mother that upset.

The parts of the verb can also be separated by other words (usually adverbs).

I have always liked that painting.

Why do you not like to eat chocolate?

Verbs can also be contracted, either with a noun or an adverb.

I ve always liked that painting.

Do nt you like it?
Where s Andrew?

Uses of Verbs

Source: Grammarly
 Verbs tell you whats actually happening in the sentence, what the subject is doing or having
done to it. Of course, when you think about all the things that can happen, and all the things
that subjects are capable of doing, you can see the astonishing potential range of actions.

There are two specific uses for verbs. The first is to put a motionless noun into motion, or to
change its motion.

Annie went to the market.

Went gets Annie moving out the door and doing the shopping.

Annie went to the market, and then she stopped in at the bookstore.

First Annie does the shopping, and then she goes to do more interesting errands.

Mark lifted the rock.

We washed the car.
The girls played games all day.

These kinds of verbs are called action verbs. If you can do it, its an action verb.

The second use for a noun is to link the subject of the sentence to something which describes
the subject. If you cant do it, its probably a linking verb.

I am tired.

Its difficult to am, so this is likely a linking verb. Its connecting the subject I to the state of
being tired.

Main Verbs
The main verb is also called the lexical verb. This term refers to the important verb in the
sentence, the one which shows the action of the subject. Main verbs can stand alone, or they
can be helped along by some other little verbs (a.k.a. auxiliary verbs).

I was happy.

In this sentence, was is the main verb.

I was feeling happy.

In this sentence, feeling is the main verb and was is the auxiliary verb.

I must have been feeling happy.

Feeling is still the main verb.

If I were to be fired , I would be unhappy.

Source: Grammarly
Where did they go?
What are we going to do ?

Be, have and do can be used as main verbs, even though they dont involve physical activity.

Helping Verbs (Auxiliary Verbs)

Helping verbs or auxiliary verbs are the little verbs which go along with the main verb.
Helping verbs dont show the action of the subject, they just show the tense of the verb.

Matt used to like playing golf.

The main verb is like, and used to is the helping verb which tells us it was in the past.

What did you do on your holidays?

The cat was playing with string.
Tonight, it will be snowing.
When we were growing up, we liked to play in the park.

Helping verbs are also used in conditional sentences; these verbs help to create the state of
condition.

If you work hard, you should get to wherever you want to be.
Alex might come over tomorrow, if he gets his essay finished.

Active Verbs
Active verbs are used when writing in the active voice. In the active voice, the emphasis is on
the subject which is doing the action. Any tense can be used with active verbs.

The teacher taught the students.

The woman walked the dog.
You should write the essay.
We must have walked for three hours.
There will be snow tomorrow.

Passive Verbs
Passive verbs are used in the passive voice, where the emphasis is on what is being done to
the object of the sentence. The key word by can often be used to identify the passive voice.
Any tense can be used with passive verbs.

Source: Grammarly
The students were being taught by the teacher.

Notice the word by, which clues us in to the passive voice.

The dog was being walked by the woman.

The essay should have been written by you, not by your friend.
The fire department has been notified.

Verb Tenses
Verbs come in three tenses: past, present, future. The past is used to describe things that
have already happened (e.g. earlier in the day, yesterday, last week, three years ago). The
present tense is used to describe things that are happening right now, or things that are
continuous. The future tense describes things that have yet to happen (e.g. later, tomorrow,
next week, next year, three years from now).

The Present Tenses

Simple present
Present perfect
Present continuous
Present perfect continuous

The Past Tenses

Simple past
Past perfect
Past continuous
Past perfect continuous

The Future Tenses

Simple Future
Future perfect
Future continuous
Future perfect continuous

Simple Present Tense (Present Indefinite)

The simple present tense is the one which we use when an action is happening right now, or
when it happens regularly (or unceasingly, which is why its sometimes called present
indefinite). The simple present tense is formed by using the root form or by adding -s or -es to
the end, depending on the person.

Regular Verbs

Source: Grammarly
 In present tense, regular verbs use the root form, except for third person singular (which ends
in -s).

First person singular: I write

Second person singular: You write
Third person singular: He/she/it writes (note the -s)
First person plural: We write
Second person plural: You write
Third person plural: They write
I write grammar books.

This sentence implies that I write grammar books on a regular basis, perhaps as a career.

Anna writes the letter.

This sentence could be from a narrative, telling a story about what Anna is doing right now.

Here are some other examples:

I go , you go , he/she/it goes , we go , you go , they go

I see , you see , he/she/it sees , we see , you see , they see
I learn , you learn , he/she/it learns , we learn , you learn , they learn

Irregular Verbs

Irregular present tense verbs are things like to be, which change for each person.

First person singular: I am

Second person singular: You are
Third person singular: He/she/it is
First person plural: We are
Second person plural: You are
Third person plural: They are
I am 20 years old.
You are 20 years old.
He is 20 years old.

Simple Past Tense

The simple past refers to things that have already happened, and are finished doing their
thing.

Source: Grammarly
World War II was from 1939-1945.
Mom cooked supper.
I did the dishes.
Margaret aced her math exam.

Regular Verbs

Regular verbs are changed to the simple past by adding -ed to the end of the root form. If the
verb already ends in -e, we just add -d.

Play played
Type typed
Listen listened
Push pushed
Love loved

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs follow no pattern when they change to the simple past tense. Youll have to
check a dictionary if youre unsure as to what the past tense might be.

See saw
Build built
Go went
Do did
Leap leapt
Rise rose
Dig dug

Some verbs dont change from their present form.

Put put
Cut cut
Set set
Cost cost
Hit hit

Simple Future Tense

The simple future is the tense we use when something will begin and end later. Its created by
putting will in front of the root word.

I will learn a new language.

Annie will make a cake.
The cat will sleep all day.

Source: Grammarly
Will you come to the beach with us?
Who will become the next president?

Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect is used when an action began in the past yet is still relevant. Its created
by using the present tense of have + the past participle.

I have seen
You have seen
He/she/it has seen
We have seen
You have seen
They have seen
Martha has asked for the day off.
Who Has Seen the Wind is an excellent book.
They have slept in because its Saturday morning.

Remember to look out for irregular past participles.

He has drunk all the milk again.

The dogs have lain down in front of the fire.
You ve left your umbrella behind.

Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense is used to show that one action in a sentence finishes before a second
action begins. Words like before and after are indicators that the past perfect tense may be
used; however, there are no strict rules for this situation. You must choose the best verb tense
for your sentence.

The past perfect is created by using I had, you had, he/she had, we had, you had or they
had + past participle.

Both of these sentences are correct.

After he tied his shoes, he left the house.

After he had tied his shoes, he left the house.
The maitre d poured the dessert wine, but not until the cake had been cut.
The baby ripped the book before the mother had noticed him playing with it.

Source: Grammarly
Future Perfect Tense
The future perfect is used to talk about an action that will be finished before something else
happens in the future. Its made by using will + have + the past participle. Look for key words
which suggest the action is in the future, such as later, tomorrow, next weekand next year.

I promise I will have this finished by the end of today.

Hopefully, the prospectors will have found gold before winter comes.
Will you have shaken that cold by next week, do you think?
We will have eaten all the food by the time he arrives.

Remember to check for irregular past participles.

Present Continuous Tense (Present Progressive

Tense)
When something is happening at the same time were talking about it, thats when we use the
present continuous tense. We form it by using the present tense of be + present participle (the
root word + -ing).

She is washing the car as we speak.

Are you coming with us to the party?
Where are we going ?
I am not arguing with you; I am discussing the matter with you.

Remember not to use the present continuous tense with non-action verbs like seem andknow.
These verbs should use the simple present.

She is seeming tense.

She seems tense.

Past Continuous Tense (Past Progressive Tense)

The past continuous tense is used to refer to several temporal situations. Its made with the
past tense of be + the present participle (the root word = -ing).

Narrative in past tense.

It was raining . The water was pouring down in sheets and the passersby were getting wetter
with every step, despite their umbrellas.

Source: Grammarly
When one action is happening at the time of another particular time.
It was raining at noon.
It was raining during lunch.
When one action is happening at the same time as another.
It was raining while I was out walking .

Remember not to use the past continuous tense with non-action verbs like seem andknow.
These verbs should use the simple past.

I was knowing my neighbour quite well.

I knew my neighbour quite well.

Future Continuous Tense (Future Progressive

Tense)
The future continuous relates one action in the future to another specific action or time.

Its formed this way: will + be + present participle (root word + -ing).

We will be going to the gym after work.

Will you be joining us?
At 5 a.m. tomorrow, they will be departing Alaska.
I ll be returning home next Thursday.

Remember not to use the future continuous tense with non-action verbs like seem andknow;
include be in this list for future continuous tense. These verbs should use the simple future.

She will be being here at 3:00.

She will be here at 3:00.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense (Present Perfect

Progressive Tense)
The present perfect continuous is used with actions that began in the past and are still
continuing. The formula for present perfect continuous is present tense of have + been +
present participle (root + -ing). Youll most often see this verb tense used with the
wordsfor and since.
What have you been doing since I last saw you?
We ve been moving house. There are still boxes to unpack.
They ve been watching TV for three hours now.

Source: Grammarly
The car has been sitting in the garage, unused, since last month.
Has Mary been going to all her classes?

Remember not to use the present perfect continuous tense with non-action verbs
like be,seem, and know. These verbs should use the present perfect.

Mary has been seeming tired.

Mary has seemed tired.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense (Past Perfect

Progressive Tense)
The past perfect continuous is written by using the past tense of have + been + present
participle. Its used when one activity in the past was happening before or after another activity
had taken place. Look for the words for, since, and before.

The car had been sitting in the garage, unused, for a month.
It was 5 oclock; his parents had been waiting for him since 2 oclock.
Before they immigrated, my father had been working as a surgeon and my mother had been
training to be a psychiatrist.
We d been walking for only 5 minutes when the rain started.

Remember not to use the past perfect continuous tense with non-action verbs like be, seem,
and know. These verbs should use the past perfect.

The baby had been being cranky all night.

The baby had been cranky all night.

Future Perfect Continuous Tense (Future Perfect

Progressive Tense)
The future perfect continuous tense is used much like the future perfect, but one of the actions
is likely to continue beyond the other. It can also be used when one action will be continuing at
a certain time in the future. Create the future perfect continuous this way:will + have + been +
present participle (root + -ing). Look for key words like in and by.
In September, I will have been going to school for 4/5 of my life.
By 2015, you will have been living in Mexico longer than youve lived anywhere else.
By the end of this month, she will have been working long enough to get benefits.
In three months, they will have been seeing each other for a year.

Source: Grammarly
 Remember not to use the future perfect continuous tense with non-action verbs like be,
seem and know. These verbs should use the future perfect.

Tomorrow, I will have been being here for a week.

Tomorrow, I will have been here for a week.

Verb Tense Consistency

Verb tense consistency refers to keeping the same tense throughout a clause. We dont want
to have one time period being described in two different tenses. If you have two or more time
periods, start a new clause or a new sentence.

Mark finished his essay, tidies his room, and went out for supper.

Finished and went are in past tense, but tidies is in present tense. Logistically, this cant
happen. We could fix this in a couple of different ways:

Mark finished his essay, tidied his room, and went out for supper.
Mark finished his essay and went out for supper, and now he is tidying his room.
The winds along the coast blow the trees over when the weather got bad.
The winds along the coast blow the trees over when the weather gets bad.
The winds along the coast blew the trees over when the weather got bad.
Im eating the cake which I made this morning.

The verb tense consistency in this sentence is logical, as the cake must be made before it can
be eaten. Still, we use two clauses to show the different tenses.

Sequence of Tenses
The rules governing verb tenses are dictated by logic; an action in the future obviously cannot
happen before an action in the past. In writing, its a matter of looking at your clauses and
sentences, and determining when each action is happening. The past must come before the
present, and the present before the future, etc. Pay particular attention to the verb sequence
when you have a dependent clause before the independent clause, or a result clause before
the if clause.

When the independent clause is in the past tense, the dependent clause may be written in the
past or possibly the present (see Exceptions), but not the future.

The cat was bathing because his feet are dirty.

Because the tense of the independent clause is in the past (was bathing), the verb in the
second clause (are) is in the wrong tense.

Source: Grammarly
The cat was bathing because his feet were dirty.
The cat is bathing because his feet are dirty.

Exceptions: There are two exceptions to this rule:

for cases involving universal knowledge

Even the early doctors knew that the washing of hands prevents infection.
when using a modal which has no past tense form
Could you please help me move this bookshelf?

Of course, this doesnt mean that the actual verbs have to be in chronological order, just the
actions. We can put the dependent clause at the beginning of the sentence.

Athena will continue to learn English when she gets to the States.
Its alright to have the future tense (will continue) before the present tense (gets) because the
temporal conjunction when shows that the second action actually happens first.

Watch out for conditional clauses, too.

We ll go for a walk if the weather held.

The future tense of the result clause is too distant from the past tense of the if clause.

We ll go for a walk if the weather holds .

Verb Forms
There are up to 5 forms for each verb : root, third-person singular, present participle, past,
and past participle.

Root

The root form of the verb is the absolute base form; from here, the verb cant get any smaller.
There are no endings, and nothing in front of it.

The root form is usually the easiest form to figure out: its the infinitive form with toremoved:

To see see
To be be
To wear wear
To go go

The root form is used to create most other forms of verbs.

I am go ing to school.
What did you do yesterday?
The girl show ed her mother the picture she did in school.

Source: Grammarly
He had eat en three hamburgers.

Third person singular

The third person singular (he/she/it/one) is the one which tends to be different from other
conjugations. The regular verbs end in -s (or possibly -es).
He sees
She watches
It thinks
One does

The main irregular verb to be concerned with for this form is the verb to be.

He is
She is
It is
One is

Present participle

The present participle is the root word + -ing. Its used in the past, present, and future
progressive tenses.

Come coming
Draw drawing
Wash washing
Swear swearing
What are we doing today?
Andrew is meeting with the professor after class.
Theyve been living in Columbia for three years.
Next month, the company will be merging with their former competitor.

Past and Past participle

The past and past participle for regular verbs is the root word + -ed. Its only used with the
past tenses.

Look looked
Touch touched
Clean cleaned
Cook cooked
We shopped for hours on Saturday afternoon.
The books were stacked on the shelf.
He had played computer games for the whole weekend.

Source: Grammarly
 The past participle can be difficult to determine for some irregular verbs. Its best to look these
ones up in a dictionary if youre at all unsure of the past participle. Here are a few examples of
irregular verbs:

Root Simple Past Past Participle

Sing Sang Sung
See Saw Seen
Fall Fell Fallen
Give Gave Given
Go Went Gone
I had forgiven him for his unkind words.
We made paper flowers to decorate the walls.
Simon had lit candles all around the room.

Verb Conjugation
Verb conjugation refers to how a verb changes to show a different person, tense, number or
mood.

Different person

In English, we have 6 different persons : first person singular (I), second person singular
(you), third person singular (he/she/it/one), first person plural (we), second person plural (you)
and third person plural (they). We must conjugate a verb for each person. The verbto be is a
particularly notable verb for conjungation because its so irregular.
I am
You are
He/she/it/one is
We are
You are
They are

Different tense

We can also conjugate for the different tenses (past, present, future).
I was, I am , I will be
You were , you are , you will be
He was , he is , he will be
We were , we are , we will be
They were , they are , they will be

Source: Grammarly
 If I was asked to conjugate the verb to go in present continuous, it would look like this :

I am going
You are going
He/she/it/one is going
We are going
You are going
They are going

If I was asked to conjugate the verb to live in future perfect continuous, it would look like this :

I will have been living

You will have been living
He/she/it/they will have been living
We will have been living
You will have been living
They will have been living

Types of Verbs
Regular verbs
Irregular verbs
Conditional verbs
Modal verbs
Subjunctive mood
Transitive verbs
Intransitive verbs
Phrasal verbs
Linking verbs
Compound verbs
Imperative verbs
Reflexive verbs
Causative verbs

Regular Verbs
Regular verbs are the ones that follow a pattern when theyre changed to a different person or
tense. They have up to 4 different forms: root, third-person singular present (which is usually
the same as the root but with the -s added at the end), present participle, and past and past
participle (which are the same).

Source: Grammarly
Need needs needing needed needed

Notice how the past and past participle are the same form.

Talk talks talking talked talked

Call calls calling called called
Add adds adding added added
Work works working worked worked

Present tense regular verbs dont have -s (or -es) added to the end of the root word for
anything except the third-person singular.

My cat doe s whatever he want s, not what I want him to do.

They shop at the big market, but he shop s at the little one.

Regular verbs also have -ed (or -d if the verb already ends in -e) added to them to change
them into past tense.

Laugh laughed
Push pushed
Rest rested

Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs blow all the grammar rules out of the water. Ironically, there are a lot of
irregular verbs in English.

They generally have 5 different forms: root, third-person singular present, present participle,
past, and past participle. The irregularities often show up in the past and past participle forms.

Wake wakes waking woke woken

Sing sings singing sang sung
Shrink shrinks shrinking shrank shrunk
Steal steals stealing stole stolen
Run runs running ran run (notice how the past participle is the same as the root word)

Because the irregular verbs dont follow any rules, youll have to consult a dictionary if youre
unsure of them.

Conditional Verbs
Conditional verbs are used to create conditional sentences. Of course, there are other words
which contribute to making a sentence conditional, but the verb tenses are key. The auxiliary

Source: Grammarly
 verbs like can/could, will/would, and might are also key. Conditional verbs can be used in past,
present or future tense.

If my cousin had been just a little taller, he could have been a basketball player.
If my cousin were just a little taller, he could have been a basketball player.

Were is a conditional verb because its used to form the subjunctive.

If I had enough money, I would travel around the world.

Well come help you move if we can borrow a truck.
Sometimes, there conditional tone will be created by the juxtaposition of verb tenses. In this
sentence, the present tense makes the future tense conditional (but they need the word if to
complete the tone).
If Alex finishes his essay, he ll come over tomorrow.

Modal Verbs
Modal verbs are verbs which modify another verb, and imply the possibility or probability of
something happening. Modal verbs are words like can, will, could, must, would,
mightand should.

After a modal verb, the root form of the word is generally used. The infinitive is not used after
a modal verb.

We would to study more of Shakespeares works if we had the books.

We would study more of Shakespeares works if we had the books.

Exception: The phrase ought to is considered a modal verb. In this case, the to belongs with
the ought, and is not considered part of the infinitive.

Pet owners ought to vaccinate all their outdoor pets.

Pet owners ought not let their unvaccinated pets out of doors.
Pet owners ought not to let their unvaccinated pets out of doors.

Modal verbs are always written in the root form, and do not require special endings to identify
tense or person.

The president oughted to have approved larger holiday bonuses last year.
The president ought to have approved larger holiday bonuses last year.

We never use more than one modal verb in a clause.

Should he must finish the report by tomorrow?

Should he finish the report by tomorrow?

Source: Grammarly
Must he finish the report by tomorrow?

Subjunctive Mood
The subjunctive is usually the third-person form of the verb with the -s dropped. When using
the verb to be in the subjunctive, the present tense is be, and the past tense iswere.

The subjunctive is used after certain expressions which imply a good or bad quality, or an
imperative, and which create a strong mood. The subjunctive verb often comes after an
expression which can be followed by the word that (e.g. it is best that, and it is essential that).
It is recommended that he uses the subjunctive properly.
It is recommended that he use the subjunctive properly.
It is vital that I be at my best at all times.

The present tense be is used here because its an indefinite time period (see Simple Present).

The subjunctive is usually used with verbs like desire, ask, and require, where whatever is
desired or asked or required may not actually be done.

Maya insisted that the student seek the aid of a tutor.

It was proposed by the gunman that the victim remain lying on the ground.

Conditional sentences can also use the subjunctive.

If there were a quiz tomorrow, I would study tonight.

Transitive Verbs
Transitive verbs are used with an object. You can tell its a transitive verb if another noun is
involved in the action.

She walked the dog.

Theres an object here: the dog. In this sentence, walked is transitive.

She walked in the park.

In this sentence, walked only refers to the subject, so its intransitive.

Here are some more sentences using transitive verbs:

The shelf is holding a vase and a few books.

I love teaching students.
Send me a postcard from Australia!
The uncle took his niece to the zoo.

Source: Grammarly
 N.B. A lot of English verbs can be transitive or intransitive, depending on the meaning. Look
for the object to clearly identify a transitive verb.

Intransitive Verbs
Intransitive verbs are not used with an object; they relate only to the subject.

She walked the dog.

Theres an object here: the dog. In this sentence, walked is transitive.

She walked in the park.

In this sentence, walked only refers to the subject, so its intransitive.

Here are some more sentences using intransitive verbs:

The plane lands at 4:00.

When do you have to leave ?
I enjoy skiing.
The puppy looked cute when he sneezed .

N.B. A lot of English verbs can be transitive or intransitive, depending on the meaning. To
clearly identify an intransitive verb, make sure theres no object in the clause.

Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are verbs which are used with another word (an adverb or preposition) to create
a commonly used phrase.

Wait! I just thought of a good example !

Bringing up a child is a lot of work.
If you dont know how to spell it, look it up in the dictionary.
I dont know the answer ; let me check into it.
My dog ran away .

Some ofther examples of phrasal verbs are run into, make up, get around to, pass away, take
after, and turn off.

Linking Verbs

Source: Grammarly
 Linking verbs are the opposite of action verbs; they dont create any movement or action, but
they connect the subject to the subject complement. (A subject complement adds more
information about the subject.)

Look for the verb in the sentence. If you cant actually do the action, its probably a linking
verb.

The soup smells good. (linking verb)

I smell something good. (action verb)
I am tired.

To be is a linking verb. In this sentence, it connects I with tired.

The child became cranky just before supper.

The happy woman felt like dancing.
Seeming happy, the boy walked home with his new puppy.

Seeming is the linking verb, as it links happiness to the boy who is walking with his puppy.

Compound Verbs
Compound verb merely refers to a subject doing more than one thing. Compound verbs are
connected by conjunctions and commas.

I baked bread and made soup.

The subject I does two things: bake and make; these are compound verbs.

We ate potatoes chips and drank soda.

The kids painted pictures, played games, and had a water fight.
Mary should have danced or sung a song, but not both.

Imperative Verbs
Imperative verbs are verbs which create an imperative sentence, i.e. a sentence that gives an
order. It will always sound like the speaker is bossing someone around. Imperative verbs dont
leave room for questions or discussion, even if the sentence has a polite tone.

Use the root form of the verb to create the imperative.

Give me that book!

Clean your room!
Do your homework.

Source: Grammarly
Take the dog for a walk, please.
Dont touch that!
Do come to visit us whenever youre in town.
Push!

Reflexive Verbs
Reflexive verbs are verbs which are used with a reflexive pronoun (myself, yourself, himself,
herself, itself, oneself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves).
Dont climb too high or you will hurt yourself .
Writing a resume is just like trying to sell oneself .
Martha wasnt actually dieting, but she was denying herself desserts.
The nice thing about being self-employed is that I get to pay myself .

Causative Verbs
Causative verbs cause an action to happen, either by allowing it to happen or by forcing it to
happen. Let, make, and have are causative verbs.

I had the house painted.

The house didnt get painted all by itself; someone had to cause the painting to happen.

We insisted that she take the rest of the day off to recover from her cold.
She made me do it!
Anna couldnt get the bank to reimburse her for their error.
They should have this place cleaned up a little.

Source: Grammarly