In this lesson,
you'll learn about the two types of verbs and how verbs function as
the predicate of a sentence.
Verb
A verb
is a word that expresses an action or a state of being. Words like
to eat, to jump, and to sit express what someone or something
did, does, or will do; additionally, words like to be, to feel,
and to seem express the state of existence that someone or
something was, is, or will be in.
Types of Verbs
A verb of
action is perhaps the easiest type of verb to recognize in writing.
It is the word (or words) in a sentence telling the physical action
of the subject—-what the subject did, does, or will do. For example,
if a writer wants to describe what specific people do for exercise
on a particular day, she can use the following as a guide:
Singular I jump
You jump
He, she, it jumps
Plural We jump
You jump
They jump
A verb of
being can be a little trickier to recognize in writing because
it tells the state of existence a subject is in, rather than its physical
action. The verb of being most often used to tell the state of existence
of both people and things is "to be," which includes eight forms:
is, am, are, was, were, be, been, and being. So, if
a writer wants to describe something about a person or people on a
particular day, she can use these forms of "to be" as a guide:
Singular I am
You are
He, she, it is
Plural We are
You are They
are
Other common
verbs of being are to feel, to seem, and to believe.
Although these verbs of being may seem to express the same idea, there
is a difference in meaning between writing "She feels tired"
and "She seems tired." The sentence "She feels tired"
indicates what she is experiencing physically, while the sentence
"Sheseems tired" indicates what other people experience
or sense about her. Consequently, writers should choose verbs of being
carefully to convey their specific, intended meanings.
Characteristics
of Verbs
Verbs can be
described in many ways, including tense, number, and person. The tense
of a verb expresses when the action or state of being of the subject
occurs. The three primary tenses of verbs are past, present,
and future:
Example (action
verb):
Jim spoke (past tense)
Jim speaks (present tense)
Jim will speak (future tense)
Example (being
verb):
Janet believed (past tense)
Janet believes (present tense)
Janet will believe (future tense)
In both examples,
the verb tense expresses when the action or being of the subject takes
place—in the past (yesterday and before), in the present (today),
or in the future (tomorrow and beyond).
The number
of a verb indicates whether it is singular or plural. A singular
verb indicates that the subject of the sentence is one person or thing,
while a plural verb indicates that the subject of the sentence
is two or more persons or things:
(singular action
verb) Carol runs
(plural action verb) Carol and Elaine run
(singular being
verb) Carol seems (plural
being verb) Carol and Elaine seem
In both examples,
the number of the verb corresponds with the number of the subject.
That is, when the singular verb "runs" or "seems" is used, the subject
of the sentence is also the singular "Carol"; but when the plural
verb "run" or "seem" is used, the subject is the plural "Carol and
Elaine."
The person
of a verb indicates how directly the action or being of the verb is
experienced by the speaker. In the first person (I, we),
the action or being is experienced by the speaker herself (I sleep,
we believe). In the second person (you), the action
or being is experienced by someone the speaker talks to (you sleep,
you believe). In the third person (he, she, it, they),
the action or being is experienced by someone, or something, the speaker
talks about (he sleeps, they believe). For all persons, the
form of the verb provides information about the person:
Example (action
verb)
Singular:
First Person: I sleep
Second Person: You sleep
Third Person: He, she, it sleeps
Plural:
First Person We sleep
Second Person You sleep
Third Person They sleep
Example (being
verb)
Singular:
First Person I believe
Second Person You believe
Third Person He, she, it believes
Plural:
First Person We believe
Second Person You believe
Third Person They believe
Note: In the third person singular (present tense), the verb will
include the ending "-s" or "-es."
Verbs as the
Predicate of a Sentence
A predicate
is the word or words in a sentence that express the action or state
of being of the subject. Just like a sentence's subject will always
be a noun, a predicate will always be a verb:
The ducks
swim expertly in the pond.
(The birds' action is to swim, so "swim" is the predicate.)
I feel
important while at the "adult" table.
(What "I" experience is a feeling of importance, so "feel" is the
predicate.)
Exercise
1: In
the paragraph below, identify the tense, number, and person of each
highlighted verb. Type your answers in the text box provided, then
click Compare to check your answers against ours.
(1)
I want a new couch, so I go to a furniture store.
(2) At the store, a salesclerk shows me various styles and
fabrics. (3) I also want a new coffee table. (4) The salesclerk
and her supervisor help me choose a wood and a finish. (5)
I open my checkbook to pay for my purchases, and I am
shocked. (6) My checking account is overdrawn.
Summary
Verbs can be
classified as one of two types, action and being. In addition, verbs
can be characterized by tense, number, and person. When verbs are
paired with subjects in sentences, they are called "predicates." As
writers, it's important to be able to know the predicate of a sentence
to see whether it agrees with the subject (see
Lesson 3) and to avoid confusing readers.
