Verbs in English Grammar

In the English language or any language for that matter, verbs happen to be an
essential part of speech, without which it would be impossible to indicate what the
subject is doing. It refers to all actions, including those related to feelings and
emotions. Verbs come in different types and forms so that they can perform
differently in order to provide complete meaning. Before we look into the types of
verbs and the verb forms, let us look at how various dictionaries define the term
‘verb’.

General Classification of Verbs according to What They Signify

Before we get into a broad classification, let us first have a look at how verbs can be
classified generally according to what kind of action they signify.

Verbs Referring to Actions

Verbs referring to action (action verbs) are those that involve the movement of one’s
body in one way or the other. Some examples of verbs referring to actions are as
follows:

 Walk
 Run
 Talk
 Sit
 Read
 Write
 Jog
 Cough
 Sleep
 Jump
 Sing
 Drink
 Teach
 Present
 Build
 Break
 Tow
 Toss
 Hug
  Fight

Verbs Referring to Experiences or Feelings

These are verbs that refer to something that you can feel or experience and do
not necessarily involve a movement of any kind. Some examples of verbs referring
to feelings and experiences are as follows:

 Love
 Hate
 Envy
 Believe
 Trust
 Feel
 Entrust
 Experience
 Care
 Cherish
 Sense
 Know
 Recognise
 Understand
 Comprehend
 Like
 Need
 Adore
 Loathe
 Appreciate

Verbs Referring to a State or Condition

These verbs are those that refer to situations or the state of being. All forms of ‘to be’
verbs belong to this category. Some examples of verbs referring to a state or
condition are as follows:

 Am
 Is
 Are
 Was
 Were
 Have
  Has
 Will be
 Appear
 Seem
 Become
 Been
 Being

The Various Types of Verbs with Examples

Verbs can be classified into numerous types according to their function or role in a
sentence or context. Let us look into the various types of verbs and some examples
of each type of verb.

Auxiliary Verbs/Helping Verbs

Auxiliary verbs or helping verbs, as the name suggests, is a verb that is used to help
another verb sound sensible and meaningful. It is used to change the other verb’s
tense, mood or voice. So, every time an auxiliary verb is used, you always have one
more verb, which acts as the main verb in a sentence.

Examples of auxiliary verbs are as follows:

 Am
 Is
 Are
 Was
 Were
 Have
 Has
 Do
 Will
 Can
One point you have to take care of when you use auxiliary verbs is that you should
conjugate the auxiliary verb correctly according to the tense form of a sentence.
Another specific fact about auxiliary verbs is that they can also be used as a main
verb. Also, there are verbs called modal verbs that can be used as a helping verb.

Work out exercises on auxiliary verbs to practise.

Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are those verbs that are used to denote the possibility, probability,
capability or necessity of something happening. Modal verbs, unlike other auxiliary
verbs, cannot be used as a main verb in a sentence.

Examples of modal verbs are as follows:

 Can
 Could
 Will
 Would
 May
 Might
 Should
 Must
 Ought to

Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs include phrases that are formed by combining two or more parts of
speech that performs the same function as a verb in a sentence. In most cases, a
phrasal verb results from a combination of a verb and a preposition.

Some examples of phrasal verbs are as follows:

 Go by
 Lay off
 Log in
 Get off
 Run out
 Go all out
 Think through
 Fed up
 Taken aback
 Act on
 Back away
 Back up
 Look up
 Mix up
 Opt out
  Pop in
Check out the list of phrasal verbs and exercise on phrasal verbs.

Linking Verbs

A linking verb, just like the name suggests, is a type of verb that is used to link
the subjects in a sentence to the other parts of the sentence so that it is meaningful.
It connects the subject to the object, an adjective and even a prepositional phrase.
All ‘to be’ forms of verbs and verbs like ‘seem’ and ‘become’ can act as linking verbs.

Have a look at the following examples to understand how verbs perform the role of a
linking verb in sentences.

Example 1: Connecting Nouns to Other Nouns in a Sentence

Danny is my brother.

In the above example, the verb ‘is’ is used to connect the subject ‘Danny’ as the
‘brother’ of the speaker. In this sentence, the words ‘Danny’ and ‘brother’ are used to
refer to the same person.

Example 2: Connecting a Noun to a Prepositional Phrase in a Sentence

The children were in the park.

In Example 2, the verb ‘were’ is used to connect the subject ‘the children’ to the
prepositional phrase ‘in the park’.

Example 3: Connecting a Noun/Subject to an Adjective

Your presentation of the life cycle of the silkworm was excellent.

In the above example, the verb ‘was’ is used to link the subject ‘Your presentation of
the life cycle of a silkworm’ to the adjective ‘excellent’.

Example 4: Connecting the Subject/Noun to the Predicate using Seem/Become

This book on a treasure hunt seems interesting.

In this sentence, the subject ‘This book on a treasure hunt’ is connected to the
adjective ‘interesting’ with the linking verb ‘seem’.

The students became bored after two continuous hours of classes and were not
ready to take another hour of class without a break in between.
In the above sentence, the subject ‘The students’ has been linked to the rest of the
sentence with the linking verb ‘became’.
What Are Modal Verbs?

Modal verbs are helping verbs that are used along with main verbs to represent the
ability, possibility and probability of a subject to do an action and emphasise the
necessity of an action.

Examples of Modal Verbs

Let us look at some examples of modal verbs used as auxiliary verbs and their
functions.

Modal Function
Verb

Can Used to denote the ability of the subject to perform an action or to request
permission to perform an action

Could Used to denote the ability of the subject to perform an action or an offer made by
the subject to perform an action

May Used to denote the probability of an action taking place or to request permission to
perform an action

Might Used to denote the probability of an action taking place or to make suggestions

Will Used to denote the surety of an action taking place or the assurance of the subject
to perform a particular action

Would Used to show politeness when requesting or asking if an action can be done by
the subject.

Shall Used to denote the surety of an action taking place or the assurance of the subject
to perform a particular action

Should Used to denote the necessity of an action to be done by the subject

Must Used to denote the strong obligation or necessity for the subject to do or not do an
action
 Ought to Used to denote the obligation of the subject to perform a particular action

How to Use Modal Verbs in Sentences

Given below are a few examples of how modal verbs can be used to indicate the
possibility or probability of an action taking place.

 It might rain in the evening.

 I think they will reach Coimbatore by 8 pm.
 Can you pick up my brother from school on your way home tomorrow?
 I could make some time to help you with your assignments.
 Your friends may come to visit you next week.
 It would not be possible for you to complete all of it by tomorrow evening.
Here are some examples of modal verbs being used to show the necessity and
obligation of the subject to perform a particular set of actions.

 All students of this institution ought to abide by the rules and instructions
provided.
 All employees should follow the dress code strictly.
 You must get yourself checked before the situation becomes worse.
 Your sister will have to apply for a leave request if she wants to take a
month’s leave.
Modal verbs can be used to make offers, suggestions and requests. Check out the
examples given below for know-how.

 It would be better if you did it the other way.

 I could help you if you want.
 Shall I bring you some water to drink?
 Could you please pass me the science record?
 Will you please take care of my son for an hour? I have some grocery
shopping to be done.