types of verbs

Verbs can consider to be one of the most important parts of speech. it plays a vital role in the construction of sentences.

What is a verb?

This is a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence, and forming the main part of the predicate of a sentence, such as hear, become, happen


TYPES OF VERBS

Action Verbs 

Action verbs are words that express action (give, eat, walk, etc.) or possession (have, own, etc.).

Action verbs can be either transitive or intransitive.

Transitive Verbs 

A transitive verb always has a noun that receives the action of the verb, called the direct object.

EXAMPLE: Laurissa raises her hand.

• The verb is raises.                     
• Her hand is the object receiving the verb’s action. 

 Therefore, raises is a transitive verb. 

Transitive verbs sometimes have indirect objects, which name the object to whom or for whom the action was done.

EXAMPLE: Abdus gave Becky the pencil.

• The verb is gave.
• The direct object is the pencil. (What did he give? The pencil.) 
• The indirect object is Becky. (To whom did he give it? To Becky.) 

Intransitive Verbs 

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.

EXAMPLE: 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.

Linking Verbs 

A linking verb connects the subject of a sentence to a noun or adjective that renames or describes the subject. This noun or adjective is called the subject complement.

 EXAMPLE: Jason became a business major.

 The verb, became, links the subject, Jason, to its complement, a business major. 

                      Lisa is in love with Jason.

 The verb, is, links the subject, Lisa, to the subject complement, in love with Jason (describing Lisa). 

The most common linking verb is the verb to be in all of its forms (am, are, is, was, were, etc.). 

NB: This verb may also be used as a helping verb. To become and to seem are always linking verbs.

Helping Verbs 

Helping verbs are used before action or linking verbs to convey additional information regarding aspects of possibility (can, could, etc.) or time (was, did, has, etc.). The main verb with its accompanying helping verb is called a verb phrase.

 EXAMPLES: Teju is (helping verb) going (main verb) to Florida.

                        

                        The trip might (helping verb) be (main verb) dangerous.