The Verb
Recognize a verb when
you see one.
Verbs are a necessary component of all sentences.
Verbs have two important functions: Some verbs put static objects into motion
while other verbs help to clarify the objects in meaningful ways. Look at the
examples below:
My grumpy old English teacher smiled at the plate of cold meatloaf.
My grumpy old English
teacher =
static object; smiled =
verb.
The daredevil cockroach splashed into Sara's soup.
The daredevil cockroach = static object; splashed = verb.
Theo's overworked computer exploded in a spray of sparks.
Theo's overworked computer = static object; exploded = verb.
The curious toddler popped a grasshopper into her mouth.
The curious toddler = static object; popped = verb.
Francisco's comic book collection is worth $20,000.00.
Francisco's comic book
collection =
static object; is =
verb.
The important thing to remember is that every subject in a sentence must
have a verb. Otherwise, you will have written a fragment, a
major writing error.
Remember to consider word function when you are looking
for a verb.
Many words in English have more than one function.
Sometimes a word is a subject,
sometimes a verb, sometimes a modifier. As
a result, you must often analyze the job a word is doing in the sentence. Look
at these two examples:
Potato chips crunch too loudly to eat during an exam.
The crunch of the potato chips drew the angry
glance of Professor Orsini to our corner of the room.
Crunch is something that we
can do. We can crunch cockroaches
under our shoes. We can crunch popcorn
during a movie. We cancrunch numbers for a math class. In the first
sentence, then, crunchis what the potato chips do,
so we can call it a verb.
Even though crunch is
often a verb, it can also be a noun. Thecrunch of the potato chips, for example, is a
thing, a sound that we can hear. You therefore need to analyze the function
that a word provides in a sentence before you determine what grammatical name
to give that word.
Know an action verb
when you see one.
Dance! Sing! Paint! Giggle! Chew!
What are these words doing? They are expressing action, something that a
person, animal, force of nature, or thing can do. As a result, words
like these are called action
verbs. Look at the examples below:
Clyde sneezes with the force of a tornado.
Sneezing is something that
Clyde can do.
Because of the spoiled mayonnaise,
Ricky vomitedpotato
salad all day.
Vomiting is something that
Ricky can do—although he might not
enjoy it.
Sylvia always winks at cute guys driving hot cars.
Winking is something that
Sylvia can do.
The telephone rang with shrill, annoying cries.
Ringing is something that the
telephone can do.
Thunder boomed in the distance, sending my poor dog
scrambling under the bed.
Booming is something that
thunder can do.
If you are unsure whether a sentence contains an action
verb or not, look at every word in the sentence and ask yourself, "Is this
something that a person or thing can do?" Take this
sentence, for example:
During the summer, my poodle
constantly pants and drools.
Can you during? Is during something you can do? Can you the?
Is there someone theing outside
the window right now? Can yousummer?
Do your obnoxious neighbors keep you up until 2 a.m. because they are summering?
Can you my?
What does a person do when she's mying? Can you poodle?
Show me what poodling is.
Can you pant?
Bingo! Sure you can! Run five miles and you'll be panting. Can you and?
Of course not! But can you drool? You bet—although we don't need a
demonstration of this ability. In the sentence above, therefore, there are two
action verbs: pant and drool.
Know a linking verb
when you see one.
Linking
verbs, on the other hand, do not express action. Instead, they
connect the subject of a verb to
additional information about the subject. Look at the examples below:
Mario is a computer hacker.
Ising isn't something that
Mario can do. Is connects
the subject, Mario, to additional information about
him, that he will soon have the FBI on his trail.
During bad storms, trailer parks are often magnets for tornadoes.
Areing isn't something that
trailer parks can do. Are is
simply connecting the subject, trailer parks, to something said about
them, that they tend to attract tornadoes.
After receiving another failing
grade in algebra, Josebecame depressed.
Became connects the subject, Jose,
to something said about him, that he wasn't happy.
A three-mile run seems like a marathon during a hot, humid
July afternoon.
Seems connects the subject, a
three-mile run, with additional information, that it's more
arduous depending on the day and time.
At restaurants, Rami always feels angry after waiting an hour for a poor
meal.
Feels connects the subject, Rami,
to his state of being, anger.
The following verbs are true linking verbs: any form of the verb be[am, were, has been, are being, might have
been, etc.], become, and seem.
These true linking verbs are always linking verbs.
Then you have a list of verbs with multiple
personalities: appear, feel,grow, look, prove, remain, smell, sound, taste,
and turn.
Sometimes these verbs are linking verbs; sometimes they are action verbs. Their
function in a sentence decides what you should call them.
How do you tell when they are action verbs and when they
are linking verbs? If you can substitute am, is, or are for
the verb and the sentence still sounds logical, you have a linking verb on your
hands. If, after the substitution, the sentence makes no sense, you are dealing
with an action verb. Here are some examples:
Chris tasted the crunchy, honey-roasted
grasshopper.
Chris is the
grasshopper? I don't think so! In this sentence then, tasted is an action verb.
The crunchy, honey-roasted
grasshopper tasted good.
The grasshopper is good?
You bet. Roast your own!
I smell the
delicious aroma of the grilled octopus.
I am the
delicious aroma? Not the last time I checked.Smell,
in this sentence, is an action verb.
The aroma of the grilled octopus smells appetizing.
The aroma is appetizing?
Definitely! Come take a whiff!
The students looked at the equation until their brains
hurt.
The students are the
equation? Of course not! Here, lookedis an action verb.
The equation looked hopelessly confusing.
The equation is confusing?
Without a doubt! You try it.
This substitution will not work for appear.
With appear,
you have to analyze the function of the verb.
Godzilla appeared in the doorway, spooking me badly.
Appear is something Godzilla
can do—whether you want him to or not.
Godzilla appeared happy to see me.
Here, appeared is
connecting the subject, Godzilla, to his state of mind, happiness.
Realize that a verb can have more than one part.
You must remember that verbs can have more than one part.
In fact, a verb can have as many as four parts. A multi-part verb has a base ormain part as well as additional helping or auxiliary
verbs
with
it. Check out the examples below:
Harvey spilled chocolate milkshake on Leslie's new
dress.
Because Harvey is a klutz, he is always spillingsomething.
Harvey might have
spilled the
chocolate milkshake because the short dress distracted him.
Harvey should
have been spilling the
chocolate milkshake down his throat.
