Verbs

1. Action Verbs: What the subject is doing

He (subject/pronoun) ran (action verb) to (prepos.) the (adject.) store (object).

She (subj./pron.) lied (action verb) about (prepos.) her (adject.) age (object).

2. Being Verbs: What the subject is being (state, not an action); the being verb links the subject to the state, which is often an adjective

Being Verbs: am; are; is; was; were

I am tired (adjective).

He is tall and blond (2 adjectives).

The car is red (adjective).

· Verb Phrases: A main verb and one or more helping verbs (see 36)

Ex: I may have a cold.

Ex: I will go after work.

· Never, Not, Hardly, Seldom: These are not verbs; they modify verbs.

Ex: I never drink water. (“never” tells you more about “drink”—when)

· Compound Verbs: Verbs joined by and or or

Ex: I will either walk to Safeway or go through a drive-through.

· Verbals: These are not verbs; they function as other parts of speech

1. Infinitives: to + a verb

Ex: I prefer to drink Pepsi. I want to have fun.

2. Gerunds: Verbs ending in –ing that act like nouns

Ex: Drinking soda is refreshing, but it isn’t good for you.

3. Participles: Verblike words that end in –ing or –ed

Ex: Exhausted beyond belief, she sank down onto the sofa.

Ex: Taking a final drink, he threw the can out the window.