PARTS OF SPEECH : VERBS

Types of Verbs

Stative Verbs

These describe states, conditions, or senses, not actions. They are not usually used in continuous tenses.

1. I believe your story.
2. She owns three houses.
3. He doubts the result.
4. This soup tastes wonderful.
5. We understand the problem now.
6. The box contains old letters.
7. I remember my first day of school.
8. She deserves the award.
9. The answer seems correct.
10. He has a new car.

Dynamic Verbs

These describe an action, process, or event.

1. The children are playing outside.
2. He built a model airplane.
3. She is writing a novel.
4. They traveled across the country.
5. The athlete ran five miles.
6. We listened to the music.
7. He eats an apple every day.
8. The team is developing a new strategy.
9. She threw the ball.
10. I will study tonight.

Helping (Auxiliary) Verbs

These are used with a main verb to show tense or mood.

1. She is working from home.
2. They have finished their project.
3. He did not attend the meeting.
4. We were waiting for the bus.
5. I had already eaten when he arrived.
6. Does she know the answer?
7. You are making good progress.
8. They have been studying for hours.
9. He was elected president.
10. I do want to go to the concert.

Modal Verbs

A type of helping verb expressing ability, possibility, permission, or obligation.

1. She can speak three languages fluently.
2. You must submit your assignment by Friday.
3. It might rain later today.
4. May I borrow your pen?
5. We should leave early to avoid traffic.
6. He will arrive tomorrow morning.
7. You ought to apologize for your mistake.
8. I would like another cup of coffee, please.
9. They could have won the game.
10. You shall not pass!

Transitive & Intransitive Verbs

Transitive verbs need an object to receive the action, while intransitive verbs do not.

1. She read the book. (Transitive)
2. The baby slept. (Intransitive)
3. The pitcher threw the ball. (Transitive)
4. The sun shines brightly. (Intransitive)
5. I bought a new car. (Transitive)
6. He arrived late. (Intransitive)
7. The company manufactures electronics. (Transitive)
8. The audience applauded. (Intransitive)
9. She wrote a letter to her friend. (Transitive)
10. The old car broke down. (Intransitive)

Linking Verbs

These connect the subject with a word that renames or describes it (a subject complement).

1. He is an engineer.
2. The flowers smell wonderful.
3. She became the CEO of the company.
4. The situation seems complicated.
5. After the gym, I feel tired.
6. The night grew dark.
7. His story sounds unbelievable.
8. You look amazing in that dress.
9. The milk turned sour.
10. My sister remains my best friend.

Verb Forms

Verbs change form to show tense. Here are 10 more examples of common irregular verbs:

How to Identify Verbs: 9 Techniques

1. Meaning-Based Technique (Action/State Test)

Easy Explanation: The simplest way to spot a verb is to look for the word in the sentence that shows either an action (like running or thinking) or a state of being (a condition, like is, seems, or exists).

1. The wind howls at night. (Action)
2. She is a dentist. (State of Being)
3. He thinks about the future. (Mental Action)
4. The project appears complete. (State of Being)
5. They celebrated his victory. (Action)
6. I have a question. (State of Being - possession)
7. The river flows to the sea. (Action)
8. The defendant remained silent. (State of Being)
9. The team practices every day. (Action)
10. Honesty is the best policy. (State of Being)

2. Inflection Test (Tense Forms)

Easy Explanation: Verbs are unique because they change their form to show tense (past, present, future). If you can change a word to show a different tense, it's a verb.

1. Today I work; yesterday I worked.
2. She sings now; last night she sang.
3. He goes to school; yesterday he went.
4. They are here; yesterday they were here.
5. I begin the task; yesterday I began the task.
6. The company grows; last year it grew.
7. You choose a color; yesterday you chose a color.
8. He drives a car; yesterday he drove a car.
9. The sun shines; yesterday it shone.
10. I know the answer; yesterday I knew the answer.

3. Auxiliary (Helping Verb) Test

Easy Explanation: A main verb can often have a "helping" verb (like am, is, have, will, can) before it. If a word can be placed after one of these helpers, it is very likely a verb.

1. She can run very fast.
2. They are playing chess.
3. He has completed the course.
4. I will see you tomorrow.
5. You should listen carefully.
6. We were watching a movie.
7. She did not arrive on time.
8. They must follow the rules.
9. He has been studying all night.
10. It may rain this afternoon.

4. Negation Test

Easy Explanation: You can usually make a verb negative by adding the word "not" after it (or after a helping verb like do, does, did). If a word can be negated this way, it's a verb.

1. The store is not open today.
2. He does not understand the instructions.
3. They will not participate in the event.
4. I have not seen that film.
5. She cannot find her keys.
6. We did not receive the package.
7. You should not worry.
8. He was not paying attention.
9. The system is not working.
10. They are not ready yet.

5. Question Test (Inversion)

Easy Explanation: To turn a statement into a yes/no question, the helping verb moves to the front, before the subject. This swapping of position (inversion) is a clear sign of a verb.

1. Statement: He is coming. -> Question: Is he coming?
2. Statement: They have left. -> Question: Have they left?
3. Statement: You will help. -> Question: Will you help?
4. Statement: She works here. -> Question: Does she work here?
5. Statement: He saw the movie. -> Question: Did he see the movie?
6. Statement: The package has arrived. -> Question: Has the package arrived?
7. Statement: She can swim. -> Question: Can she swim?
8. Statement: They were listening. -> Question: Were they listening?
9. Statement: You like coffee. -> Question: Do you like coffee?
10. Statement: He should study. -> Question: Should he study?

6. Syntactic Position Test

Easy Explanation: In a standard sentence, the verb typically occupies a specific position: right after the subject (the noun or pronoun that performs the action).

1. The captain (S) instructed (V) the team.
2. Rain (S) fell (V) throughout the night.
3. The company (S) hired (V) new employees.
4. She (S) spoke (V) confidently.
5. The new policy (S) affects (V) everyone.
6. Many people (S) attended (V) the concert.
7. The sun (S) sets (V) in the west.
8. Our teacher (S) explained (V) the lesson.
9. A loud noise (S) startled (V) us.
10. The engineers (S) designed (V) the bridge.

7. Derivational Morphology Test (Suffixes)

Easy Explanation: Many verbs are formed by adding common suffixes (endings) to nouns or adjectives. If you see a word with endings like -ize, -ify, -ate, or -en, it is often a verb.

1. They will modernize the system. (-ize)
2. Please clarify your statement. (-ify)
3. The government will activate the new plan. (-ate)
4. We need to strengthen our defenses. (-en)
5. He tried to justify his actions. (-ify)
6. She will officiate the ceremony. (-ate)
7. The news will sadden many people. (-en)
8. They plan to colonize the planet. (-ize)
9. The artist tried to beautify the park. (-ify)
10. Let's differentiate between the two concepts. (-ate)

8. Agreement Test

Easy Explanation: In the present tense, the verb often changes its form to "agree" with the subject. A singular subject usually takes a verb ending in -s, while a plural subject does not.

1. The dog barks, but the dogs bark.
2. A student studies, but students study.
3. This machine works, but these machines work.
4. The bird sings, but the birds sing.
5. He has a car, but they have a car.
6. A child plays, but children play.
7. The employee knows, but the employees know.
8. She was happy, but they were happy.
9. An author writes, but authors write.
10. He is a leader, but they are leaders.

9. Extra Technique: Wh-Questions

Easy Explanation: A practical way to find the verb is to identify the subject and then ask, "What did [the subject] do?" or "What is [the subject] doing?". The answer to this question will almost always contain the verb.

1. Sentence: The manager approved the budget. (What did the manager do?)
2. Sentence: The river is flowing rapidly. (What is the river doing?)
3. Sentence: My friend gave me a book. (What did my friend do?)
4. Sentence: The sun provides light and heat. (What does the sun do?)
5. Sentence: The company will launch a new app. (What will the company do?)
6. Sentence: The mechanic is repairing the car. (What is the mechanic doing?)
7. Sentence: She has submitted her report. (What has she done?)
8. Sentence: The committee announced the winner. (What did the committee do?)
9. Sentence: The author was writing a new chapter. (What was the author doing?)
10. Sentence: The guard locks the gate at night. (What does the guard do?)