ABAC Writing Center Basic Grammar Workshop

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ABAC Writing CenterBasic Grammar Workshop

• Verb Issues I

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Overview

• Basic Definitions
• Infinitives (defined)
• Gerunds (defined)
• Participles (defined)
• Active vs. Passive (discuss illustrate)
• Helping verbs (discuss illustrate)
• Linking verbs (discuss illustrate)
• Transitive and Intransitive (discuss illustrate)

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Verbs the basics

• As you know, every sentence has two parts, the
  subject and the predicate. The key word in the
  predicate is the verb.
• The verb tells what the subject is doing or
  feeling
• The young children play outside in the yard.
• The verb in a sentence is one of the most
  important elements it does the work of the
  sentence.

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Basic definitions

• Infinitives
• also known as the base form
• consists of the word to followed by the basic
  verb
• to walk, to sing, to be
• are usually considered nouns
• To walk is the simplest form of exercise.
• can have their own object or modifiers
• The whole choir wants to sing the song. (object)
• My father always liked to walk fast. (modifier)

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Basic Definitions (cont.)

• Gerunds
• often referred to as a verbal since it uses a
  verb but does not function as a verb in a
  sentence
• uses the -ing ending
• fishing, tying, hanging
• function as nouns in a sentence
• Fishing is my favorite leisure activity.
• My grandfather taught me the art of tying flies.
• can have their own object or modifiers
• The colorful wall hanging makes the room
  brighter.
• Sailing a big yacht around the ocean is my
  favorite fantasy.

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Basic definitions (cont.)

• Participles
• a form of a verb that can function as part of a
  verb phrase or as a modifier
• was thinking had determined (verb phrases)
• a determined effort the teenager walking the dog
  (modifiers)
• can have their own object or modifiers
• the teenager walking the dog (object)
• the women carefully crossing the street (modifier
  object)

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Active Passive Voice

• This refers to the relationship between the main
  verb, the subject, and the object of that verb.
• In active voice, the subject directly performs
  the action of the verb.
• The dog chased the cat.
• In passive voice, the subject of the sentence is
  the receiver of the action of the verb.
• The cat was chased by the dog.
• Note it is the dog that does the chasing, but the
  cat is the subject of the sentence.

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Examples

• The car company sold more cars last year than
  this year. (active)
• More cars were sold by that company last year
  than this year. (passive)
• The whole class is coming to the Senior Day
  celebration. (active)
• The Senior Day celebration is being attended by
  the whole class. (passive)

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Action Verbs 

• Most verbs are actions verbs. Some verbs refer to
  physical action that can be seen by other people.
  Others refer to mental action that cannot be
  seen.
• Physical Action The farmer feeds the chickens.
• Mental Action He likes the red rooster best. 

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Being Verbs 

• Other verbs can express a state of being. These
  verbs do not refer to action of any sort. They
  simply tell what the subject is.
• Being Verbs
• Forms of be  am, is, are, was, were, be,
  being, been
• Some other being verbs appear, become, feel,
  grow, look, seem, remain, smell, sound, stay,
  taste

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Examples 

• Julie is the teachers assistant.
• He seems afraid of the dark.
• That boy looks angry.
• In fact, the students are hungry. 

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Helping Verbs 

• Work with other verbs to indicate voice, tense,
  or mood
• Have no meaning on their own
• Are necessary for the grammatical structure of a
  sentence
• Sometimes called auxiliaries forms of be,
  have, or will
• Am going, had gone, will go
• Sometimes called modals
• ability modals can, could
• permission modals may, might
• determination modals shall, should, will, would
• obligation modals ought, must

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Examples 

• The mother had seen her daughter.
• I can't speak Chinese.
• John may arrive late.
• Would you like a cup of coffee?  
• You should see a doctor.
• I really must go now.

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Linking Verbs 

• Verbs that express a state of being often
  function as linking verbs
• Some common ones forms of be, become, seem,
  feel, look, sound, taste
• A linking verb links, or connects, the subject
  with a noun or an adjective in the predicate that
  names or describes the subject
• Cooper is a dog.
• Cooper looks bigger than my dog.

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Linking or Action? 

• Some verbs function as either linking verbs or
  action verbs. 
• Linking
• The skunk smells terrible.
• The boy felt hungry.
• Action
• The boy smells the flower.
• She felt the hairy dog. 
• Still confused?  Try replacing the verb with is
  or are, and if it still makes sense, the verb is
  probably a linking verb.

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Transitive Verbs 

• A verb that sends its action to a noun or a
  pronoun in the predicate is called a transitive
  verb. The noun or the pronoun that receives the
  action of the verb is called the direct object.
• The teacher helped the student.
• Joe hit the ball over the fence.
• You lifted the bag.

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Intransitive Verbs 

• A verb that does not send its action to a word in
  the predicate is called an intransitive verb.
• Everybody in the stands applauded
  enthusiastically.
• Many verbs can be either transitive or
  intransitive.
• Transitive  The fans cheered the batter.
• Intransitive  The fans cheered loudly.
• How can you tell if a verb is transitive or
  intransitive?  Ask yourself whom? or what?
  after the verb. If the answer is a noun or
  pronoun, the verb is transitive.