Using Verbs When

Giving Information
and Explanation
 VER
B
A verb is a word that expresses an
action or a state of being.

Action Linking Helping

Verbs Verbs Verbs
State of being Auxiliary
verbs Verbs
A. ACTION VERBS - are verbs that directly
express actions.
 cook  write
Wonder Woman cooks dinner  clean  paint
for her family.  bake  push

Captain America is cleaning the

backyard.

Thor baked muffins for the

street children.
TRANSITIVE
VERBS ACTION
VERBS
INTRANSITIVE
VERBS
 Transitive Verb
It is a kind of verb that requires a
direct object. A direct object is the
receiver of the action of the transitive
verb. It answers the question “Who?”
or “What?”
 Transitive Verb
S T D.O
The students ledVthe tree planting project in La
Mesa Eco Park.
S T D.O
She usually leaves
V the books on the table.
S T D.O
Delia walked
V the dog to the park.
Intransitive Verb

It is a verb that does

not require a direct
object.
 Intransitive Verb
S IV
We play outside.
S IV
The train sometimes leaves early on Sunday.

S IV
To get to the show, she walked.
 Transitive VS.
Intransitive
Transitive Intransitive
We are reading your new We are reading.
book.
Transitive
Intransitive
Ed cancelled the
Ed cancelled. reservation.
Transitive Intransitive
They run a café together. How fast can your run?
 These are verbs that do not show
action. They are called linking
B. LINKING verbs because they “link” the
subject of the sentence to its
VERBS complement. A subject complement
describes or renames the subject.
(VERB OF STATE)
Common linking verbs include am,
is, are, was, were, be, being, been.
Subject Linking Verb Subject
Complement
S LV S.C. S LV S.C.
Spot is a dog. Spot is brown.

S LV S.C.
That car was incredibly fast.

S LV S.C.
All the kittens were playful.
 C. HELPING VERBS
(AUXILIARY VERBS)

They help the existence of the

main verb. Helping verbs cannot
stand alone. They always precede
the main verb.
1.be verbs: am, is, are, was, were, be,
being, been.

S H M.V
She isVpreparing dinner for us.

S HV M.V
I was given a free meal.

S H M.V
The geese areVdriven through the snicket.
2. have verbs: have, has, had

S HV M.V
She had drunk it before we arrived.

S H M.V
The organization have V
brought hope to us that it is never
too late to save our environment.
S H M.V
Jerry hasVbrought a new shirt to replace the one that was
ruined earlier.
 3. do verbs: do, does, did

HV S M.V
Did you remember to feed the dog yesterday?

S HV M.V
If he doesn’t arrive on time, he’ll have to take a later flight.

HV M.V S
Don’t forget your wallet.
 Linking Verb VS. Helping
Linking Verb Helping
Marian is singing at the
Marian is a singer.
auditorium.
Helping Linking
We are eating dinner. We are hungry.

Linking Helping
I was sure that he lied I was reading my notes
yesterday. last night.
 Short Quiz
Directions: Read the following sentences carefully. Write
TV if the verb is a transitive verb and IV if it is
intransitive verb.

1. The choir sang carols.

2. Pete always sings in the bath.
3. I want to leave early.
4. Taylor was found guilty of starting the fire.
5. Anne passed her cup of coffee.
 Short Quiz
Directions: Read the following sentences carefully. Write LV if
the verb is a linking verb and HV if it is helping verb.

1. They will return on the airplane.

2. Badger is a funny dog.

3. I should have been playing the drums.

4. I have been here a long time.

5. Mary is singing her favorite song.

 c t- Ve r b
S ubj e
e e m e n t
A g r
 Subject-verb agreement
means that a subject and its
verb must be both singular or
both plural: A singular subject
takes a singular verb. A plural
subject takes a plural verb.
 S V
My dog waits for the postal carrier.
S V
We understand the assignment.
S V
My mom cooks dinner for us.
1. Two singular subjects connected by or, either/or,
or neither/nor require a singular verb.

S Singular S V Singular
Neither he nor his dad is good at arriving.
S Singular S V
Usually, either my niece or my nephew picks me up at
the airport. Singular

S Singular S V
Neither the accountant nor the client knows the
combination. Singular
2. The verb in an or, either/or or neither/nor
sentence agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to
it.
Plural S V Plural
Either Larry or the boys hold the record.

It will be hard for them to get there, as neither Kate nor

her friends know how to drive.
Plural S V Plural
Singular S V Singular
Neither Matthew nor his friend knows how to cook.
3. Compound subjects connected by the conjunction and
require plural verbs.

S Plural V Plural
The ranger and the camper see the bear.

S Plural V Plural
A car and a bike are my means of transportation.

S Plural V Plural
Annie and Joey create a huge sand castle.
4. Words and phrases like “along with”, “as well as”,
“besides” do not affect the number of the main subject of the
sentence.

S Singular Singular V
The politician, along with the newsmen, is
expected shortly.
S Singular Singular V
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of
her shaking.
S Singular V Singular
No one, besides James, knows it.
5. In sentences beginning with here or there, the
subject follows the verb.

V Plural
Plura Here are the keys. S
l
V S
There are many reasons why we have to start acting
now.
Singular
V S
There is a bush near the school playground.
6. Use singular verb with distances, periods of time,
sums of money, etc. when considered as a unit.

S V
Even ten years is not enough to make a significant
environmental change.
S V
Fifty dollars seems a reasonable price.

S V
Three miles is too far to walk.
7. With words that indicate portions like “a lot”,
“majority”, “some”, etc. refer to the noun that follows
the preposition of.

S V Plural
A lot of pies have disappeared.

S V Singular
A third of the city is unemployed.

S V Singular
Some of the cake is missing.
8. With collective nouns like family, committee, audience, etc. as
subjects, check if they are used as one group or to reflect many
entities.

The collective noun has a singular meaning when one speaks

about a group as a unit.

The collective noun has a plural meaning when one wants to

show that each individual member of the group acts as an
individual.
The collective noun has a singular meaning when one
speaks about a group as a unit.

S V
This organization puts on a barbecue every summer.

S V
The family sits down to dinner.
 The collective noun has a plural meaning when one wants to show
that each individual member of the group acts as an individual.

S V
The family scatter in all direction to do their own thing.

S V
The jury often have different reactions to the evidence
they hear.
 “Truly I tell you, they have received
their reward in full. But when you give
to the needy, do not let your left hand
know what your right hand is doing, so
that your Father, who sees what is
done in secret, will reward you.”
– Matthew 6:1-4