CLASSIFICATION OF VERBS – PART 1

Verb is a word which conveys an action such as bring, read, walk, run, learn, etc or an occurrence (happen,
become), or a state of being (be, exist, stand). Verbs are broadly classified into three types. They are

1. Finite Verbs
2. Non-Finite Verbs (Verbals)
3. Helping Verbs (Auxiliaries)

1. FINITE VERBS:
A finite verb is a verb that has a subject, this means that it can be the main verb in a sentence. It shows
either of the following:
1. Tense such as past tense, present tense, etc
2. Number in singular / plural form

Finite verbs are also called as Main verbs because they always have meaning on their own and they tell us
something.
Example: I live in Singapore.
In the above, I is subject and live is a finite verb which describes the subject action

There are 5 types of finite verbs. They are as follows:

 Transitive Verbs
 Intransitive Verbs
 Linking Verbs
 Dynamic and Stative Verbs
 Regular and Irregular Verbs

1. Transitive Verbs:
A transitive verb is a type of finite verb. A finite verb is considered transitive or intransitive depending on
its relationship with some other words in the sentence. A transitive verb is a verb which has a direct object
whereas an object is the aim or purpose or destination or motto of a verb's action.
Examples:
He met her yesterday.
I saw an elephant.
We are watching TV.
He speaks English.

In the above examples, the transitive verbs are the words met, saw, watching and speaks. In the first
example, if a question “ met whom?”is asked, we can get the answer as her.

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List of Trasitive verbs:
Some of the transitive verbs are eat, drink, read, write, play, see, hear, answer, buy, find, love, like,
understand, catch, bring, sing, meet, give, take, get, forget, buy, sell, pay, help. Some of the transitive verbs
used in sentences are as follows:
Examples:
 My friend bought a house.
In this example, Verb is bought and the object is house.

 The children found the money.

In this example, Verb is found and the object is money.

 Most Indians love cricket.

In this example, Verb is love and the object is cricket.

2. Intransitive Verbs:
An intransitive verb is a type of finite verb and it does not have a direct object. A finite verb is considered
transitive or intransitive depending on its relationship with some other words in the sentence.

Example: We walk to the railway station.

In the above example, intransitive verb is walk but it does not answer the question “walked when?”

List of Trasitive verbs:

Some of the transitive verbs are walk, jump, sleep, sit, lie, stand, weep, kneel, fall, fly, flow, remain, die,
belong, wait, come, go. Some of the intransitive verbs used in sentences are as follows:
Examples:
The children jump with joy.
Babies sleep for many hours.
My brother stood there.

3. Linking Verbs:
A linking verb connects a subject with its complement. These verbs are often called copular verbs or
copulas. In other words, a linking verb does not have much meaning in itself. It links the subject to what is
said about the subject. Usually, a linking verb shows equality(=) or a change to a different state or
place(→). Linking verbs are always intransitive but not all intransitive verbs are linking verbs.

Examples:
Tara is beautiful. (tara = beautiful)
That sounds interesting. (that = interesting)
The sky became dark. (the sky → dark)
The bread has gone bad. (bread → bad)

 Most linking verbs are forms of the be verb.

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Examples:
We are happy.
They were shocked to hear the news.
He is my brother.
In the above example, are, is, were are the be verbs.

 A few other verbs such as look, feel, sound, taste and smell are related to the five senses are also
considered as linking verbs.
Examples:
The pizza tastes good.
I feel bad about the mistake.
She looks great.

Note: A linking verb should be followed by a noun or an adjective. Adverbs ahould not be followed after
linking verbs.
Examples:
 She looked happy.
 She looked happily

 The fish smells awful.

 The fish smells awfully

 I feel bad.
 I feel badly.

4. Dynamic and stative verbs:

Verbs that describes an action are called as dynamic verbs and can be used with continuous tenses.
Examples of dynamic verbs are hit, explode, fight, run, go, etc.
Verbs that describes the state of non-action or a situation are called stativeverbs and normally, cannot be
used with continuous tenses.
Examples:
 be
 like, love, prefer, wish
 impress, please, surprise
 hear, see, sound
 belong to, consist of, contain, include, need
 appear, resemble, seem
Note: Some of stative verbs can be used with continuous tenses with a change in meaning.
stative verbs.

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5. Regular and Irregular Verbs:
Verbs are subdivided into two groups, regular verbs and irregular verbs, on the basis of how their past tense
and past participles are formed.
 Regular Verbs
Most verbs are regular verbs. Regular verbs are those whose past tense and past participles are formed by
adding a -d or an -ed to the end of the verb.
Examples of regular verbs are stated in the order of base form, past tense form, past participle form are as
follows:
 roll, rolled, rolled
 look, looked, looked
 work, worked, worked
Sometimes the last consonant must be doubled before adding the -ed ending.
Examples:
 admit, admitted, admitted
 flap, flapped, flapped
 plan, planned, planned

 Irregular Verbs:
There is no formula to predict how an irregular verb will form its past-tense and past-participle forms.
There are many irregular verbs in English. Although all the verbs do not follow the same form like regular
verbs, there are some fairly common irregular forms. There are mainly three types of irregular verbs. They
are
• Verbs in which all the three forms are the same.
• Put, put, put
• cut, cut, cut

 Verbs in which two of the three forms are the same (e.g.)
Examples:
 burn, burnt, burnt
 run, ran, run
 meet, met, met
 come, came, come
 repay, repaid, repaid
 buy, bought, bought
 sit, sat, sat

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  Verbs in which all three forms are different (e.g. drink – drank – drunk)
Examples:
 break, broke, broken
 do, did, done
 swim, swam, swum