PARTS OF SPEECH --
VERB
Meaning, Its types, Definitions, Explanation with examples.
Meaning, Its types, Definitions, Explanation with examples.
A sentence comprises of words each having its own function. It contains a Subject and Predicate. The Predicate has a verb and an object.
A verb is an essential part of a sentence. If a sentence is to be of a word, this word will be verb only.
For example:
Listen. Stop. Go. etc.
A verb can be of one word or more than one word.
For example:
Listen. Stop. Go. etc.
A verb can be of one word or more than one word.
For example :
One word :
I go. I run. I eat. etc.
I go. I run. I eat. etc.
Two words:
I am going. I am running.
I am going. I am running.
Three words :
I shall be sleeping.
I shall be sleeping.
Four words :
I shall have been working....
I shall have been working....
A verb tells about some work or action being done.
A verb is a word that tells about some work or action about a person, a thing or a place.
For example :
He writes a letter.
She is singing a song.
They played a match. etc.
For example :
He writes a letter.
She is singing a song.
They played a match. etc.
A verb tells :-
1.What a person or a thing does.
The child laughs.
The clock strikes ten.
The clock strikes ten.
2. What is done to a person or a thing.
The jar is broken.
The horse is tamed.
The horse is tamed.
The thief is arrested.
3. What a person, thing or place is :
The child is asleep.
Glass is brittle.
She feels happy.
Glass is brittle.
She feels happy.
A sentence generally has a Subject, Verb and Object.
For example
For example
She sings a song.
She is subject. Sings is a verb and a song is an object.
She is subject. Sings is a verb and a song is an object.
But in some sentences there is no object.
For example She sings.
For example She sings.
The sentence having an object has a transitive verb whereas a sentence without an object has an intransitive verb.
Verbs are divided into following classes :
1. Transitive Verb
2. Intransitive Verb
3. Auxiliary Verb
4. Linking Verb
TRANSITIVE VERB
A Transitive Verb is a word that denotes an action which passes on from the Subject to an Object.
For example : Girls sing a song. Boys play a match.
A Transitive Verb must govern the object.
INTRANSITIVE VERB
An Intransitive Verb is a word that denotes an action which does not pass on to an object.
For example : The child weeps. She cries. The horse neighs.
The words weeps, cries and neighs denote action but this action does not pass on to any object as there is no object.
AUXILIARY VERB
An Auxiliary Verb is a helping verb used to form a tense or mood of the Principal Verb.
For example :
He is (Auxiliary Verb) writing (Principal Verb) a letter.
They will (Auxiliary Verb) do (Principal Verb) their work.
She may (Auxiliary Verb) come (Principal Verb) in.
The chief Auxiliary Verbs are :
is, am, are, was, were, been, being, has, have, had, does, did, may, might, can, could, shall, should, will, would, ought and must.
LINKING VERB
A complement of a linking verb is word that acts as a Noun, Pronoun or an Adjective.
Is, am, are, was and were are forms of the verb 'Be'. These all are used as linking verbs. Following words are also used as linking words - come, go, get, grow, feel, run, appear, become, look, remain, seem and taste etc.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AUXILIARY VERB AND LINKING VERB :
Linking verb is a word used in a sentence whereas an auxiliary verb is a word or words used with the main verb in a sentence.
For example :
Linking Verb
She is rich.
He is brave.
We are happy.
You are sad.
He is a doctor.
2. Intransitive Verb
3. Auxiliary Verb
4. Linking Verb
TRANSITIVE VERB
A Transitive Verb is a word that denotes an action which passes on from the Subject to an Object.
For example : Girls sing a song. Boys play a match.
A Transitive Verb must govern the object.
INTRANSITIVE VERB
An Intransitive Verb is a word that denotes an action which does not pass on to an object.
For example : The child weeps. She cries. The horse neighs.
The words weeps, cries and neighs denote action but this action does not pass on to any object as there is no object.
AUXILIARY VERB
An Auxiliary Verb is a helping verb used to form a tense or mood of the Principal Verb.
For example :
He is (Auxiliary Verb) writing (Principal Verb) a letter.
They will (Auxiliary Verb) do (Principal Verb) their work.
She may (Auxiliary Verb) come (Principal Verb) in.
The chief Auxiliary Verbs are :
is, am, are, was, were, been, being, has, have, had, does, did, may, might, can, could, shall, should, will, would, ought and must.
LINKING VERB
A verb that requires a complement to complete its meaning is called a Linking Verb. It connects a Subject in a sentence to its complement.
The Principal is honest.
In this sentence the verb 'is' connects the Subject 'the Principal' with the complement of the sentence 'honest'.
Some examples are
She is beautiful.
You are brave.
This house is to let.
Sugar tastes sweet.
She looks sad.
He is a beggar.
The sun is hot.
Quinine tastes bitter.
The earth is round.
Is, am, are, was and were are forms of the verb 'Be'. These all are used as linking verbs. Following words are also used as linking words - come, go, get, grow, feel, run, appear, become, look, remain, seem and taste etc.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AUXILIARY VERB AND LINKING VERB :
Linking verb is a word used in a sentence whereas an auxiliary verb is a word or words used with the main verb in a sentence.
For example :
Linking Verb
She is rich.
He is brave.
We are happy.
You are sad.
He is a doctor.
Auxiliary Verb
He is playing football.
She is singing a song.
You are sleeping.
I am going to office.
COMPLEMENT
Intransitive Verbs do not take any object after them. They, however, require some word or words to be added to them in order to make the sense complete.
For example:
John is a rich man.
Roses smell sweet.
In these sentences their intransitive verbs 'is and smell' require additional words 'a rich man' and 'sweet' respectively to complete their sense.
Some examples are:
The milk tastes sour.
(The milk is sour when it is tasted.)
The plane feels rough.
(The plane is rough when it is felt.)
The cloth will wear thin. (The cloth will become thin when it is worn)
They found him dead. ( He was dead when they found him.)
IMPERSONAL VERBS
An impersonal verb is a verb which has no real object.
For example:
It is pleasant.
It rains.
It hails.
It is fine.
In these sentences it refers to either the weather or the sky. The sentences relating to weather start with 'it'.
REFLEXIVE VERBS
A Verb which has a reflexive pronoun as its object is called a Reflexive Verb.
For example :
The boy hurt himself.
He cried himself hoarse.
In these sentences the verbs hurt and cried are reflexive verbs as they are followed by reflexive pronoun 'himself.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRANSITIVE VERB AND INTRANSITIVE VERB :
A transitive verb is followed by an object but an intransitive verb has no object. Some verbs are transitive as well as intransitive verbs according to their usage.
For example:
Birds fly in the sky. (Intransitive Verb)
Boys fly kites. (Transitive Verb)
Girls are singing. (Intransitive Verb)
Girls are singing a song.(Transitive Verb)
The teacher teaches.(Intransitive Verb)
The teacher teaches us.(Transitive Verb)
The words Rise, lie, and fall are intransitive verbs but Raise, lay,and fall are transitive verbs.
The sun rises in the east.
The patient raised his head.
The child lies in the bed.
She laid the child in the cradle.
The boy fell.
TYPES OF OBJECTS:
DIRECT OBJECT
INDIRECT OBJECT
A Transitive verb is generally followed by an object but in some cases there are two objects.
For example:
The teacher teaches us.
The teacher teaches us English.
1. He gave a prize.
2. He gave her a prize.
1. She wrote a letter.
2. She wrote him a letter.
1.The mother told a story.
2.The mother told him a story.
In the sentences written above, sentences marked 1 have single object whereas those marked 2 have two objects.
Of the two objects one next to the verb is called Indirect Object and it is generally a person or an animal but the object next to this object is called Direct Object. It is generally a thing.
COGNATE OBJECT
Intransitive verbs sometimes take after them an object similar in meaning to the verb. Such an object is called the Cognate Object.
He sleeps a sound sleep.
She dreamt a horrible dream.
She sighed a deep sigh.
He laughed a heavy laugh.
Soldiers fight a good fight.
He ran a race.
They sang a sweet song.
A noun used as a Cognate Object is in the Object Case.
STATIVE VERB
As the word itself suggests it means a verb that does not represent any physical activity. For example He thinks. I aver. You imagined.
All the words think, aver and imagine donot involve any physical action but the action takes place at mental level.
Some examples are
He did not concur with me.
Do you agree with me?
I perceive he is wrong.
He considers himself as a king.
She prefers milk to tea.
Stative verbs can be recognised because they express a state rather than an action. They typically relate to thoughts, emotions, relationships, senses, states of being, and measurements.
The best way to think about stative verbs is that they are verbs that describe things that are not actions.
The stative verbs are all expressing a state: A state of doubting, a state of believing, a state of wanting. These states of being are often temporary.
Some examples of Stative Verbs are:
The manager disagrees with your views.
Disagrees is a stative verb here, as it describes a person's state of mind of disagreeing.
Lucy doubts your opinion.
She wants another opinion.
10. Many people were ....... in the riots.
1. The door opened and she went in.
2. They opened the door and she went in.
3. Her examinations will begin tomorrow.
4. He is yet to begin his work.
5. A thorn ran into his foot.
6. His father is running a factory.
7. Nobody can stop him from going there.
8. The train stopped and we got down.
9. The aeroplane flies in the sky.
10. He flies a kite in the sky.
1. Every man and every woman was/were punctual.
2. You who am/is/are my friend should not desert me.
3. The captain with all his team members was/were staying here.
4. The quality of goods is/are not so fine.
5. Each one of our shops is/are to let.
6. It was either she or her sister who was/were at fault.
7. Neither my brother nor I am/is/are to blame.
8. Neither food nor water was/were served to us.
9. Fire and water does/do not agree.
10. The artist and his accomplice is/are coming.
SOLUTION
He is playing football.
She is singing a song.
You are sleeping.
I am going to office.
COMPLEMENT
Intransitive Verbs do not take any object after them. They, however, require some word or words to be added to them in order to make the sense complete.
For example:
John is a rich man.
Roses smell sweet.
In these sentences their intransitive verbs 'is and smell' require additional words 'a rich man' and 'sweet' respectively to complete their sense.
Some examples are:
The milk tastes sour.
(The milk is sour when it is tasted.)
The plane feels rough.
(The plane is rough when it is felt.)
The cloth will wear thin. (The cloth will become thin when it is worn)
They found him dead. ( He was dead when they found him.)
IMPERSONAL VERBS
An impersonal verb is a verb which has no real object.
For example:
It is pleasant.
It rains.
It hails.
It is fine.
In these sentences it refers to either the weather or the sky. The sentences relating to weather start with 'it'.
REFLEXIVE VERBS
A Verb which has a reflexive pronoun as its object is called a Reflexive Verb.
For example :
The boy hurt himself.
He cried himself hoarse.
In these sentences the verbs hurt and cried are reflexive verbs as they are followed by reflexive pronoun 'himself.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRANSITIVE VERB AND INTRANSITIVE VERB :
A transitive verb is followed by an object but an intransitive verb has no object. Some verbs are transitive as well as intransitive verbs according to their usage.
For example:
Birds fly in the sky. (Intransitive Verb)
Boys fly kites. (Transitive Verb)
Girls are singing. (Intransitive Verb)
Girls are singing a song.(Transitive Verb)
The teacher teaches.(Intransitive Verb)
The teacher teaches us.(Transitive Verb)
The words Rise, lie, and fall are intransitive verbs but Raise, lay,and fall are transitive verbs.
The sun rises in the east.
The patient raised his head.
The child lies in the bed.
She laid the child in the cradle.
The boy fell.
The gardener felled the tree.
TYPES OF OBJECTS:
DIRECT OBJECT
INDIRECT OBJECT
A Transitive verb is generally followed by an object but in some cases there are two objects.
For example:
The teacher teaches us.
The teacher teaches us English.
1. He gave a prize.
2. He gave her a prize.
1. She wrote a letter.
2. She wrote him a letter.
1.The mother told a story.
2.The mother told him a story.
In the sentences written above, sentences marked 1 have single object whereas those marked 2 have two objects.
Of the two objects one next to the verb is called Indirect Object and it is generally a person or an animal but the object next to this object is called Direct Object. It is generally a thing.
COGNATE OBJECT
Intransitive verbs sometimes take after them an object similar in meaning to the verb. Such an object is called the Cognate Object.
He sleeps a sound sleep.
She dreamt a horrible dream.
She sighed a deep sigh.
He laughed a heavy laugh.
Soldiers fight a good fight.
He ran a race.
They sang a sweet song.
A noun used as a Cognate Object is in the Object Case.
STATIVE VERB
As the word itself suggests it means a verb that does not represent any physical activity. For example He thinks. I aver. You imagined.
All the words think, aver and imagine donot involve any physical action but the action takes place at mental level.
Some examples are
He did not concur with me.
Do you agree with me?
I perceive he is wrong.
He considers himself as a king.
She prefers milk to tea.
Stative verbs can be recognised because they express a state rather than an action. They typically relate to thoughts, emotions, relationships, senses, states of being, and measurements.
The best way to think about stative verbs is that they are verbs that describe things that are not actions.
The stative verbs are all expressing a state: A state of doubting, a state of believing, a state of wanting. These states of being are often temporary.
Some examples of Stative Verbs are:
The manager disagrees with your views.
Disagrees is a stative verb here, as it describes a person's state of mind of disagreeing.
Lucy doubts your opinion.
She wants another opinion.
EXERCISES FOR PRACTICE
NO. 1
NO. 1
Fill in the blanks with a suitable verb out of given words.
1. The books are .......... ( laying/lying) on the table.
2. The frog ......... (fell/felled) in the well.
3. The boss has ........ (raised/risen) his salary.
4. The old man was ......... (sitting/sat) under the tree.
5. She likes to ............ ( move/moving) in the sun.
NO. 2
Fill in the blanks with suitable words out of given ones.
small, sad, grudge, captain, free.
1.She appears ...........
2. The judge set the prisoner .........
3. Now she does not bear any ........
4. The players made him ...........
5. The gentleman felt ...........
No. 3.
Fill in the blanks with suitable form (tense or past participle) of the given verbs.
STING
1. His remarks .......... her,
2. The villager was ........ by a snake.
SHAKE
3. The poor lady was ........ by the news.
4. Her voice ........ as she spoke.
GO
5. The prices of vegetables have ........... high.
6. We ........ upstairs to see his mother.
STEAL
7. Someone has ........... her purse.
8. Our team ........... the show.
SLAY
9. The rogue ......... the young man.10. Many people were ....... in the riots.
No. 4.
Identify the verbs in bold in following sentences as Transitive and Intransitive verbs.
2. They opened the door and she went in.
4. He is yet to begin his work.
6. His father is running a factory.
8. The train stopped and we got down.
10. He flies a kite in the sky.
No. 5.
Select auxiliary verbs suitable to be filled in following sentences.
1. Every man and every woman was/were punctual.
2. You who am/is/are my friend should not desert me.
3. The captain with all his team members was/were staying here.
4. The quality of goods is/are not so fine.
5. Each one of our shops is/are to let.
6. It was either she or her sister who was/were at fault.
7. Neither my brother nor I am/is/are to blame.
8. Neither food nor water was/were served to us.
9. Fire and water does/do not agree.
10. The artist and his accomplice is/are coming.
SOLUTION
No. 5.
Select auxiliary verbs suitable to be filled in following sentences.
1. Every man and every woman was/were punctual.
2. You who am/is/are my friend should not desert me.
3. The captain with his team members was/were staying here.
4. The quality of goods is/are not so fine.
5. Each one of our shops is/are to let.
6. It was either she or her sister who was/were at fault.
7. Neither my brother nor I am/is/are to blame.
8. Neither food nor water was/were served to us.
9. Fire and water does/do not agree.
