VERBS AND VERB PHRASES

WHAT IS A VERB?

Verbs are used to show an action, state or experience. 

WHAT IS A VERB PHRASE?

A verb phrase is the part of the sentence that contains the verb or verbs. For example, the underlined part of I want to learn Japanese is a verb phrase. Verb phrases can be: single verbs (e.g. think); multiword verbs (e.g. grow up); auxiliary verbs and the main verb (e.g. have/has been working); or two main verbs (e.g. want to learn, stop speaking). You can also find verb phrases within noun phrases. For example, the people who want to learn Japanese. 

DIFFERENT TYPES OF VERB

Exercise 

Use the different types of verbs to label the underlined verbs in the sentences. For example, in number 1 Do is an auxiliary verb. Some verbs can be matched with more than one type. 

main, auxiliary, action, state, transitive, intransitive, reflexive

1. Do I know you?

2. He hurt himself. 

3. I was talking.

4. They didn't see me.

Answers 

1. Do - auxiliary;  know - main, state, transitive, reflexive 

2. Hurt - main, state, transitive, reflexive 

3. Was - auxiliary; talking - main, action, intransitive 

4. Did - auxiliary; see - main, action, transitive 

TYPE OF VERBS 

Main verb

● They have lexical meaning (unlike auxiliary verbs). 

● They have different forms (e.g. knows, knowing, knew).

● They can combine with auxiliary verbs (e.g. Do I know you?). 

Examples: know, believe, talk, see, go, dress

Auxiliary verb

● They are used in forming tenses (e.g. he has gone), questions (e.g. Do I know you?) and negatives (e.g. They didn't see me) and the passive voice (e.g. I was seen).

● They are not used in neutral positive present and past simple tenses (e.g. I know, I knew) except when modal. 

● They can also be used to replace the main verb (e.g. I know but nobody else does).

● Have, do and be can also act as main verbs (e.g. Can I have a shower? vs. I have visited them, I do my homework every evening vs. Do you like school?, I'm a teacher vs. I'm going to school).

Examples: All forms of be, have and do can be used as auxiliaries. 

Modal verbs, e.g. can, could, may.

Action verbs

● They are also sometimes called 'event' verbs or dynamic verbs.

● These are main verbs that describe an action. 

● They can be used in a continuous form (e.g. talking).

Examples: talk, see, go, eat, break, dress 

State verbs

● These are also sometimes called stative verbs.

● These are main verbs that describe a condition or state. 

● Often, they cannot be used in a continuous form though some can when they are used as action verbs (e.g. I was having (event) a shower vs. I have (condition/state) two brothers).

● When state verbs are used as action verbs, they change their meaning, e.g. having = the act of taking a shower, not 'possessing' a shower. 

Examples: know, believe, belong, smell, have

Transitive verbs

● Verbs that need an object in order to make sense, e.g. we cannot say I love, it needs an object: I love you. 

● Some verbs can take two objects (e.g. give: I gave it to him). 

Examples: believe, see, feel, love

Intransitive verbs

● Verbs that do not need a direct object in order to make sense.

● Some verbs can be transitive or intransitive (e.g. dance: I dance salsa vs. I dance on Saturdays) and a good dictionary will tell you this.

Examples: talk, laugh, dance, go

Reflexive verbs

● Verbs that can mean a person is doing the action to themselves. 

● This is normally expressed through a reflexive pronoun (e.g. himself, herself, themselves). 

Examples: hurt, cut, dress