4

Verbs and Verb Phrases

Verbs are often defined as words that state action, occurrence, or existence. This
definition, however, does not adequately convey the impotance of verbs in
communication; they make up the most versatile and intricate word class in the
language. Their characteristic forms, positions, and functions combine to provide an
enormous range of meaning and a variety of subtle distinctions. Therefore, the
effective use of language requires mastering the verb system.

4a Basic Forms

All verbs and verb phrases include one of the basic forms. Three of these forms --
base, past, and past participle -- are often called the three principal parts. As the
charts illustrate, regular verbs make their past forms and past participles by adding
-d or -ed to the base; irregular verbs do not follow this predictable pattern.

In addition to the three principal parts, two other forms exist for all verbs, both
regular and irregular: the -s form, made by adding -s or -es to the base, and the
present participle, made by adding -ing to the base. Thus, all verbs (except be, which
is treated separately) can be said to have a total of five possible forms.

Forms of Be
Past Present
Base -s Form Past
Participle Participle
be am was been being
is were
are

EXERCISE 1
Fill in the following chart.
Past Past Present
Base -s Form
Form Participle Participle
Exam. lift lifts lifted lifted lifting
1. forbid
2. spin
3. shred
4. burn
5. lead
6. beat
7. burst
8. creep

1
EXERCISE 2
Supply the verbs called for in the parentheses.

1. The sea gull (past of dive) into the water.

2. Fate has (past participle of deal) him a cruel blow.
3. The camper (past of lie) on the cold ground all night.
4. The consumer (-s form of pay) the price for advertisements.
5. The stations are (present participle of get) interference.
6. The stock has (past participle of be) listed in the exchange for the past year.
7. The troops (past of flee) the battlefield.
8. He (-s form of try) to play halfback.
9. The project has (past participle of have) a number of setbacks.
10. The map will (base form of show) you the shortest route.

4b Auxiliaries and Verb Phrases

Frequently, the verb in a sentence is not a single word but a phrase. In the phrase,
the last verb is the main verb, and all preceding verbs are auxiliaries.

Intense heat does not affect the paint.

The orchestra has been rehearsing.
The wallet might have been stolen.

There are four categories of auxiliaries that combine with one another and with
main verbs to create a variety of structures and subtle shades of meaning.

(1) Be auxiliary
The be auxiliary appears in one of eight forms (am, is, are, was, were, be, being,
been) and is always followed by the present or past participle.

Auxiliary : present participle of leave: He is leaving.

Auxiliary : past participle of fire: I was fired today.

(2) Have auxiliary

The have auxiliary appears in one of four forms (have, has, had, having) and is
always followed by a past participle.

Auxiliary : past participle of forget: I have forgotten the combination.

Auxiliary : past participle of break: The quarterback had broken his ankle.

2
(3) Modal auxiliaries
The modal auxiliaries influence the "mood" of verbs by expressing ideas such as
ability, advisability, necessity, and possibility. For example, the verb complete takes
on slightly different meanings when accompanied by different modal auxiliaries.

Ability : The crew can complete the job in one week.

Obligation : You should complete the investigation before you begin the
report.
Necessity : We must complete the remodeling by June.
Possibility : I may complete the course in time for graduation.

The common modal auxiliaries are will, would, can, could, shall, should, may, might,
and must. These auxiliaries are followed by the base form of either the main verb,
the be auxiliary, or the have auxiliary.

Auxiliary : base form of arrange: The director will arrange a meeting.

Auxiliary : base form of be auxiliary: She might be living in Paris.
Auxiliary : base form of have auxiliary: I could have taken three courses this
summer.

(4) Do auxiliary
The do auxiliary appears in one of three forms (do, does, did) and is always followed
by the base form of the main verb. This auxiliary is unique in that it cannot combine
with other auxiliaries.

Auxiliary : base form of reveal: The studies do reveal current trends.

Auxiliary : base form of bloom: The tree did not bloom this year.

EXERCISE 3
Rewrite the following sentences, changing the verbs in order to add the auxiliaries
indicated.

Example : We finished the work before dark. (must)→We must finish the work
before dark.

1. Their shop sells homemade quilts. (will)

2. The general led a successful coup. (can)
3. The chefs prepare an excellent chocolate mousse. (have)
4. The museum has sold the painting. (may)
5. The newspaper reported the murder. (did)
3
6. He played the stock market. (should)
7. The hotel made a profit. (has)
8. A conference on pollution takes place in August. (is)
9. We will leave by Friday. (have)
10. A library staff has assembled the collection. (been)

EXERCISE 4
Write sentences containing verb phrases in the combinations of auxiliaries and main
verbs listed.

Example : modal auxiliary + have auxiliary + past participle of see → You should
have seen the game last night.

1. modal auxiliary +base form of sell

2. have auxiliary + past participle of go
3. be auxiliary + present participle of live
4. modal auxiliary + be auxiliary + present participle of sleep
5. modal auxiliary + have auxiliary + past participle of know
6. do auxiliary + base form of deny
7. have auxiliary + be auxiliary + present participle of read
8. modal auxiliary + have auxiliary + be auxiliary + past participle of see

4c Tense

Tense suggests the verb's time frame. For example, present tense usually states
constant or repetitive actions. Past tense shows that an action was completed in the
past. Future tense can express future events. Present perfect can suggest that an
action began in the past is not yet complete. Nevertheless, you should remember
that tense may not be equivalent to time and that the meanings expressed by the
tenses can overlap. Some ideas, for instance, can be expressed in either the present
or the future tense.

Present Tense: Intense heat causes the surface to crack.

Future Tense: Intense heat will cause the surface to crack.

The following charts show the range of meanings that can be expressed by the three
simple tenses (present, past, and future) and the three perfect tenses (present
perfect, past perfect, and future perfect).

4
Simple Tenses
Formation Uses Examples

Present
-s form in third person present time with certain I hear a car in the driveway.
singular; base form verbs, especially referring
everywhere else to senses

statements of fact The Amazon empties into the Atlantic.

repetitive action She walks to school.

references to works of art In the Mona Lisa, the woman smiles

and literature enigmatically.

future time The races start tomorrow.

Past
past form past occurrences The Rams won the game.

Future
will + base form future time The store will open in May.
and sometimes
shall + base form*

results of conditions If suddenly heated, air will expand

violently.
*In current usage, shall and will often suggest different meanings. Shall we go? is an invitation -- "Would
you like to go?" Will we go? asks "Are we going?" Shall also occurs in set expressions (we shall overcome),
in laws, and resolutions (the court shall set the fine), and in heightened prose (we shall never surrender).

Perfect Tenses
Formation Uses Examples

Present Perfect
have/has + past participle occurrences completed He has sung at the Met.
at an unspecified time
in the past

action begun in the past We have always gone to Vermont in June.

and continuing to the
present

Past Perfect
had + past participle past action occurring The troops had reached the river when the
before some other past message arrived.
action

Future Perfect
will + have + action that will occur We will have left by the time he arrives.
past participle before or by the time of
another future action

5
EXERCISE 5
Identify the tense of each verb and verb phrase in the following sentences.

1. They have planned the museum's textile exhibit carefully.

2. He collected all Glenn Gould's recordings of Bach.
3. The freighter travels down the Mississippi to New Orleans every spring.
4. Trisodium phosphate will remove grease and heavy stain.
5. He had hoped for one victory on the PGA tour.
6. The veterinarian now does dental work on dogs.
7. The erosion will have caused an irreversible problem by next year.
8. In Goethe's drama, Faust sold his soul to Mephistopheles.
9. He had not applied for the job before the deadline.
10. The dancers have practiced pirouettes for two hours.

EXERCISE 6
Write a sentence using each verb in the tense indicated. Include enough detail in
each sentence so that the tense seems appropriate. In other words, avoid writing
sentences such as I see, I ran, I will tell you, and the like.

Example : past perfect tense of leave

The train had left a half hour before I reached the station.

1. present tense of clean

2. past tense of ride
3. future tense of type
4. present perfect tense of select
5. past perfect tense of hope
6. future perfect tense of complete

4d Progressive Forms

The six tenses have progressive forms that indicate actions in progress. A
progressive verb is made with a form of the verb be followed by a present participle
(an -ing form of the verb). The following chart explains the progressive forms and
their uses.

6
Simple Progressive Forms
Formation Uses Examples

Present Progressive
am/is/are + action currently in progress Crowds are lining the streets.
present participle
future time He is sailing Monday.

Past Progressive
was/were + past action in progress I was sleeping when he called.
present participle

Future Progressive
will be + future action in progress James will be traveling next month.
present participle future action that is not She will be arriving at noon.
continuous

Perfect Progressive Forms

Formation Uses Examples

Present Perfect
Progressive
have/has + been + continuous past actions The committee has been considering the
present participle still occurring or occurring Issue all week.
until recently

Past Perfect
Progressive
had + been + past action in progress He had been lifting weight daily before his
present participle until another past action doctor advised restraint.
occurred

Future Perfect
Progressive
will + have + been + continuous future action He will have been pitching for fifteen years
present participle that will be complete at by the time the season ends.
some other future time

EXERCISE 7
In the following sentences, identify the tense of each progressive verb form.

1. The agency is now considering candidates for director.

2. Red wines from France's Rhone region were selling well.
3. After the new guidelines are established, the commission will be rating movies
on a scale of one to four.
4. Before the recession, the company had been growing rapidly.
5. In May the factory will have been using robots for six months.
6. Psychics have been predicting earthquakes in Tannessee.
7
7. Experts are restoring the building to its original state.
8. The hurricane had been moving toward Texas when it suddenly reversed its
course.
9. At sunrise the barges were crossing the river.
10. The city has been issuing bonds for school construction for the past ten years.

EXERCISE 8
Write sentences using each of the following verb forms. Include enough detail so
that readers can see why each verb is appropriate to its sentence.

Example : had given

I had given the painting away before I found out how valuable it was.

1. catch 6. was drawing

2. burns 7. has been selling
3. is fighting 8. were sleeping
4. rode 9. had been drinking
5. had hurt 10. will learn

4e Voice

Some verbs can be expressed in either active or passive voice. In active voice, the
subject acts or in some way controls the action of the verb, and the object receives
the action. Active voice sentences have this pattern :
Actor Verb Receiver
An auditor has checked the figures.
Snow covers the mountains.
My dog ate my lunch.
Disney is filming the movie.

In passive voice, the subject receives the action. The actor or agent, if named,
appears in a prepositional phrase beginning with by or with. It is easy to recognize
passive voice verbs: they always contain a form of be plus the past participle.
Sentences with passive voice verbs have this pattern :

Receiver Form of Be Past Participle By/With Actor

The figures have been checked by an auditor.
The mountains are covered with snow.
My lunch was eaten by my dog.
The movie is being filmed by Disney.

8
Often in passive voice, the agent is not named: the by or with phrase is omitted.

Active: The horse threw the rider over the fence.

Passive: The rider was thrown over the fence by the horse.
Passive: The rider was thrown over the fence.

Active: Trash littered the streets.

Passive: The streets were littered with trash.
Passive: The streets were littered.

EXERCISE 9
Identify the verbs in the following sentences as active or passive.

1. The tour leader was lecturing the group in the Library of Congress.
2. The preposition was explained to the marketing representatives.
3. The radio advertisement is not attracting buyers.
4. Airlines offer reduced fares to people over sixty-five.
5. The bank has notified the company by telephone.
6. The essays in the collection are all written by scientists.
7. Clam chowder is always served on Friday.
8. The courier must deliver the package by five o'clock.

EXERCISE 10
Change the following passive voice sentences to active.

Example : The dents in the car were made by hail stones. →Hail stones made the
dents in the car.

1. Nutritional problems are sometimes overlooked by doctors.

2. Few memberships have been accepted by the club.
3. In The Pride of the Yankees, Lou Gehrig was played by Gary Cooper.
4. Gas production has been hampered by control laws.
5. The hillsides were blanketed with wild flowers.

EXERCISE 11
Change the following active voice sentences to passive and delete the resulting by
phrase.

Example : The citizens elect a President every four years. →A President is elected
every four years.
9
1. Witnesses saw the suspect driving a red convertible.
2. The school named her Outstanding Teacher of the Year.
3. You can purchase tickets two weeks in advance.
4. The company publishes the book only in paperback.
5. People expect doctors to be infallible.

4f Mood

The mood of a verb indicates whether the idea expressed is a fact (indicative mood),
a command (imperative mood), or a matter of desire or possibility (subjunctive). The
three moods are expressed through special verb forms.

(1) Indicative mood

The indicative mood is used to make statements and ask questions. This mood has
six tenses, explained by the charts in 4c and 4d.

(2) Imperative mood

The imperative mood is used to give commands. The omitted but understood
subject of all imperative verbs is the singular or plural you. In addition, for all verbs
except be, the imperative is the form used with you in the present tense.

Positive Nrgative
Answer the memo. Do not/Don't answer the memo.
Order the sirloin. Do not/Don't order the sirloin.

The imperative of the verb be is always be for positive commands and do not/don't
be for negative commands.

Positive Nrgative
Be serious. Do not/Don't be serious.
Be an observer. Do not/Don't be an observer.

(3) Subjunctive mood

The forms of subjunctive verbs (other than be) are the same as the forms of the
indicative except in one respect: the -s is not added in the third-person singular
present tense.

Subjunctive : Heaven forbid.

Indicative : Heaven forbids.

10
With be, the present tense subjunctive is always be, the past tense subjunctive is
always were.

Subjunctive : We demand that the accused be tried in a court of law.

Indicative : The accused is tried in a court of law.

Subjunctive : Even if the movie were free, I would not see it.
Indicative : The movie was free, but I did not see it.

In current English, the subjunctive mood has limited use, appearing only in three
special contexts.

 The subjunctive is present in a few traditional expressions, such as farewells and

blessings.

Subjunctive : Peace be with you.

Indicative : Peace is with you.
Subjunctive : Long live the Queen.
Indicative : The Queen lives long.

 The subjunctive is used in clauses introduced by conjunctions such as if, as if,

and as through to express hypothetical situations or conditions contrary to fact.

Subjunctive : If a left turn signal were installed, traffic flow would improve.
Indicative : When a left turn signal was installed, traffic flow improved.
Subjunctive : If I were you, I would not smoke.
Indicative : I am not you, but I don't think you should smoke.

 The subjunctive occurs in that clauses naming demands, recommendations,

wishes, and needs.

Subjunctive : We demand that the terms of the contract be met.

Indicative : The demands of the contract are met.
Subjunctive : The committee recommended that he submit a proposal.
Indicative : He submits a proposal.

11
 Subjunctive : I wish I were good at math. [That is understood after wish.]
Indicative : I am good at math.
Subjunctive : It is urgent that the police department enforce zoning
regulations.
Indicative : The police department enforces zoning regulations.

EXERCISE 12
Determine whether the mood of each underlined verb is indicative, imperative, or
subjunctive.

1. Stalin planned to liquidate some of his political associates.

2. The constitution requires that a majority be present to vote.
3. To keep your terrarium from souring, add broken charcoal.
4. The dreadful extravaganza will cost about ten million.
5. Two free throws were made in the final minute.
6. Describe what you see in the ink blots.
7. Most Asian countries insist that a visitor receive cholera injections before entry.
8. If I were in Italy during August, I would avoid Venice.
9. The sprinklers have been running all weekend.
10. It is imperative that she have privacy.

12