English: six (6) main verb types and their Examples
- Definition
- Types of Verbs
- Examples of the above types of verb
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A verb is an action word or a doing word. It tells you what someone or something does.
Types of Verbs
There are six (6) main English verb types:
- Regular verbs
- Irregular verbs
- Lexical verbs
- Auxiliary verbs
- Transitive verbs
- Intransitive verbs
Regular verbs are verbs that use the suffix '-ed' or '-d' to form their past tense and past participle.
Examples:
Verb Past tense Past participle
- accept accepted accepted
- name named named
- turn turned turned
- want wanted wanted
- play played played
- look looked looked
- order ordered ordered
- perform performed performed
- jump jumped jumped
- love loved loved
- like liked liked
Irregular verbs are verbs that do not use the suffix '-ed' or '-d' to form their past tense or past participle.
Examples:
Verb Past tense Past participle
- begin began begin
- go went gone
- see saw seen
- fly flew flown
- withdraw withdrew withdrawn
- write wrote written
- sing sang sing
- awake awoke awoken
- wear wore worn
- ride rode ridden
Lexical verbs are also known as 'main verbs'. They are verbs that can stand on their own and make a complete meaning i.e when these words are used by a speaker, the listener immediately understands what he/she is being asked to do.
Examples:
- run
- jump
- drive
- come
- shout
- sit
- stand
- eat
- sing
- read
- write etc
Auxiliary Verbs
Another name for auxiliary verbs are "helping verbs". These verbs cannot stand on their own and make a complete meaning. Lexical verbs are usually added to them for the listener to understand what the speaker is saying.
Examples:
- Verb "Be" - am, is, are, was, were, being, been.
- Verb "Do" - do, does, did.
- Verb "Have" - have, has, had.
- Can - could
- Will - would
- Shall - should
- Must
- Might
- Ought to
- May etc.
These are verbs that require one or more objects to make a complete meaning.These verbs allow action to pass from the subject (performer of the action) to the object ( the receiver of the action).
Examples:
- Mike painted the wall
- Charlotte bought apples.
- The farmer harvested the yams.
- She plays the piano well.
- Eric wants the phone.
Unlike the transitive verbs, intransitive verbs do not require an object to make a complete meaning.
Examples:
- Elena fainted.
- The baby laughed.
- Blake cried.
- The choristers sang.
- The neighbors relocated.
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