Grammar 1 (DT 1113)

TOPIC 6
PARTS OF SPEECH (6)
 Learning Outcome

After studying this unit you should be able to:

• Define transitive, intransitive, auxiliary and modal

verb.
• Explain all the 4 types of verbs correctly
 Transitive and Intransitive
Verb

• Action verbs are words that express action (give, eat,

walk, etc.) or possession (have, own, etc.).
• Action verbs can be either transitive or intransitive.
• Direct objects are words that receive the action of the
verb.
• Some verbs have direct objects and others do not.
• If the verb has a direct object, it is transitive.
• If it does not, it is intransitive.
 Transitive Verbs

• A transitive verb, used with a direct object, transmits action to an object and
may also have an indirect object, which indicates to or for whom the action
is done.
• In other words, a transitive verb is a verb that transmits action to an object.
• A verb that needs object to complete itself is called transitive verb.
• Express an action directed toward a person, a place, a thing, or an idea
(a.k.a., nouns)
• The action passes from the doer (the subject) to the receiver of the action.
• The words that receive the action of transitive verbs direct
objects always nouns
Transitive verbs can only be action verbs.
Linking verbs are NEVER transitive.
 Transitive Verbs: Examples

• Malinda sang a solo (solo is the object)

• The pilot landed the antique airplane.
(Airplane is the direct object that answers the question landed
what? After the verb landed.)
• Derrick greeted the visitors.
Derrick greeted whom? The action (greeted)
passes from the subject (Derrick) to the object
(visitors).
• When will Felicia paint her room?
Felicia will paint what? The action (will paint)
passes from the subject (Felicia) to the object
(room).
 Intransitive Verbs

• An intransitive verb does NOT take an object.

• An intransitive verb never has a direct or indirect object.
Although an intransitive verb may be followed by an adverb
or adverbial phrase, there is no object to receive its action.
• Express action or tell something about the subject without
the action passing to a receiver, or object.
• A verb that doesn’t need any object to complete itself called
as intransitive verb.
• Intransitive verbs never answer the questions “who” or
“what”.
Intransitive verbs may be either action or linking verbs.
 Intransitive Verbs: Examples

• Malinda sang softly (there is no object. Softly is an adverb)

• Laurissa rises slowly from her seat.
The verb is rises. The phrase, slowly from her seat, modifies the
verb, but no object receives the action.
• The train stopped.
The train stopped what? There is nothing in the sentence to say
what the train stopped (i.e., there is no object). There is no transfer
of action.
• Last night we ate on the patio.
We ate what? There is nothing in the sentence to say what we ate
(i.e., there is no object). We did not eat some “on the patio.” This is
a prepositional phrase telling where we ate, not what. There is no
transfer of action.
 Let’s practice

Determine if each verb is transitive or intransitive.

1. Hopefully, it will snow this year.

2. The student asked his teacher a question.

3. Jackson is very energetic.

4. Students in the class were really loud.

5. I am confused about algebra.

6. The girl sang in the competition.

7. Always do your best.

8. The earth revolves around the sun.

 Auxiliary Verb
• Auxiliary verb is also called helping verbs. They have no meaning on their own. They are
necessary for the grammatical structure of a sentence, but they do not tell us very much alone.
We usually use helping verbs with main verbs. They "help“ the main verb (which has the real
meaning).
• An auxiliary verb is used to add functional or grammatical content to the information expressed
by another verb, considered to be the main verb.
• There are only about 15 helping verbs in English, and we divide them into two basic groups:
• Primary helping verbs (3 verbs). These are the verbs be, do, and have.
• Note that we can use these three verbs as helping verbs or as main verbs.
• Auxiliary verbs are helping verbs. They are used with full verbs to give other information action
and states.
• Example:
• Is, am, are, was, were.
What is an auxiliary verb?

• An auxiliary verb is also called a helper verb

• It comes before some verbs

• Not all sentences have an auxiliary

Examples:
• I am writing a book.
• He has done the work.
• We will be there in a minute.
• Would you help me with this homework?
• Can you open the door?
• Did you visit New York last holiday?
• Do you like chocolate?
• They must get there on time.
 List of auxiliary verbs
This is a list of English auxiliary verbs:
• be (am, are, is, was, were, being),
• can,
• could,
• do (did, does, doing),
• have (had, has, having),
• may,
• might,
• must,
• shall,
• should,
• will,
• would
 Be Do Have

am

is
has
are does
have
was do
had
were did
having
being

been Modal Auxiliaries [Never Change Form]

can, could, may, might, must, ought to, shall, should, will, would

These verbs often called as modal verbs

• Be, do, and have are both stand-alone verbs and auxiliary verbs. When these

verbs are auxiliary, you will find them teamed with other verbs to complete the verb

phrase.

• The most used auxiliary verbs are the verbs to be, to do and to have. For example:

the auxiliary to do is needed to ask questions in the present and past simple

tenses. To be is needed for the present and past continuous, and all the passive

forms. The auxiliary to have is used in the present and past perfect tenses. Some

tenses, like the present perfect continuous, need more than one auxiliary!
 To do

do, does, did

• These are followed by the base form of a verb.
• e.g.
- I do work very hard.
- Johnny does try his best.
- They did win the game last week.
 To have

Have, has, had

• These are followed by the past participle of the next
verb.
• e.g.
- I have eaten all of my food.
- John has climbed Ben Nevis.
- Debbie had hidden all of Paul’s pencils.
 To be

Am, is, are, was, were

• Is followed by the present or past participle in the
sentence
• e.g.
- I am going to the park. (going = present)
- Kylie is singing at Wembley stadium.
- Fish is usually eaten with chips. (eaten = past
participle)
- I was beaten by a better player
- They were running past the gates when they saw a
dog.
Here are some examples of the common auxiliary verbs in action:
∙ Do you like German food?
∙ Does your mother speak English?
∙ Did you come to school yesterday?
∙ Why are you talking? You should be listening to me!
∙ I was having a bath when you called!
∙ A new road is being built behind the school.
∙ Have you done your homework?
∙ My father has never visited the USA.
∙ How long have you been living in Germany?
∙ By this time next year I will have been learning English for 35
years!
 Modal Verb

• A modal verb (also modal, modal auxiliary verb, modal

auxiliary) is a type of auxiliary verb that is used to indicate
modality – that is, likelihood, ability, permission, and
obligation.
• They give additional information about the function of the
main verb that follows it. They have a great variety of
communicative functions.
• They alter or complete the meaning of the main verb.
• They can also indicate the level of formality in the
conversation.
• They do not take “s” for the third person singular.
 MODAL VERBS

a. Modal verbs do not add s or es to the third person

singular.

He can swim. He cans swim.

 MODAL VERBS

b. Modal verbs don’t need auxiliaries to form negative and

question.
Exp : She should stay.
She doesn’t should stay. → She shouldn’t stay.

Why does she stay? → Why should she stay?

c. Modal verbs don’t have infinitives or –ing forms

Exp: canning to might

 Use of modal verbs
Modal verbs are used to express functions such as:
1. Permission
2. Ability
3. Obligation
4. Prohibition
5. Lack of necessity
6. Advice
7. Possibility
8. Probability
9. Capacity
10. Supposition
11. Request
12. Desire
Examples:

• Two of my friends can play guitar(ability)

• You must stop when the traffic lights turn red

• You should see to the doctor

• There are a lot of tomatoes in the fridge. You need not buy

any.
 Modal Verb Meaning Expressing Example

to have to 100 % obligation I must stop when the traffic lights turn red.
must
to be very probable logical conclusion (deduction) He must be very tired after such enormous work

must not not to be allowed to prohibition You must not smoke in the hospital.
to be able to ability I can swim
can to be allowed to permission Can I use your phone please?
it is possible possibility Smoking can cause cancer !

List of modals
When I was younger I could stay up all night and not get
to be able to ability in the past
tired..
could
to be allowed to more polite permission Excuse me, could I just say something?

it is possible possibility It could rain tomorrow!

to be allowed to permission May I use your phone please?
may
it is possible, probable possibility, probability It may rain tomorrow!
to be allowed to more polite permission Might I use your phone please?

might I might come and visit you in America next year, if I can
it is possible, probable weak possibility, probability
save enough money.

need necessary necessity Need I say more?

lack of necessity/absence of I need not buy any tomatoes. There are plenty in the
need not not necessary
obligation fridge.

used to say or ask what is the correct or I should / ought to see a doctor. I have a terrible
50 % obligation
best thing to do headache.

should/ought to to suggest an action or to show that it is

advice You should / ought to revise your lessons
necessary
He should / ought to be very tired after such enormous
to be very probable logical conclusion (deduction)
work
to suggest an action or to show that it is
had better advice You 'd better revise your lessons
necessary
1. Can - One of the most commonly used modals in English. It can
express ideas such as capacity, permission or request
2. Could - It expresses possibility, past ability as well as suggestions
and requests.
3. May - It is most commonly used to express possibility. It can also
be used to give or ask for permission.
4. Might - It is more commonly used to indicate possibility. However,
it can also be used to make suggestions or requests; this is a rare
use, though.
5. Must - It can be used to talk about certainty, that is, something you
are almost sure is true. Moreover, it can be used to talk about
obligation, prohibition, necessity or strong recommendation.
6. Shall - It indicates a future action. It is more commonly used with
the first person singular and plural (I and we) often found in
suggestions, promises, or predestinations.
7. Will - It is more commonly used to talk about future situations.
Nonetheless, it can also be used to talk about the present when we
want to make a request. It is also used in situations in which we
make instant decisions.
8. Should - This modal is more commonly used to give
recommendations or advices. It can also be used to talk about
obligation as well as expectation.
 9. Ought to - It is used to advise or make
recommendations. It can also express assumption,
expectation, or strong probability when the context
implies that something is deserved.
10. Would - It is more commonly used to create conditional
verb tenses. In addition, it can be used to make offers,
requests, and talk about past habits.