What are verbs
Download as DOCX, PDF0 likes268 views
Verbs are the most important words in a sentence, as a single verb can form a complete one-word sentence. Verbs describe either the action that a subject performs, such as "run" or "fight", or the state of being of a subject, such as "be" or "seem". Verbs always have a subject that they are describing the action or state of. Additionally, verbs are unique in English in that they change form depending on tense, aspect, and subject number, with some verbs having up to five different forms like "to work, work, works, worked, working".
What are verbs
- 1. WHAT ARE VERBS?<br />The verb is king in English. The shortest sentence contains a verb. You can make a one-word sentence with a verb, for example: \" Stop!\" You cannot make a one-word sentence with any other type of word.<br />Verbs are sometimes described as \" action words\" . This is partly true. Many verbs give the idea of action, of \" doing\" something. For example, words like run, fight, do and work all convey action.<br />But some verbs do not give the idea of action; they give the idea of existence, of state, of \" being\" . For example, verbs like be, exist, seem and belong all convey state.<br />A verb always has a subject. (In the sentence \" John speaks English\" , John is the subject and speaks is the verb.) In simple terms, therefore, we can say that verbs are words that tell us what a subject does or is; they describe:<br />action (Ram plays football.)<br />state (Anthony seems kind.)<br />There is something very special about verbs in English. Most other words (adjectives, adverbs, prepositions etc) do not change in form (although nouns can have singular and plural forms). But almost all verbs change in form. For example, the verb to work has five forms:<br />to work, work, works, worked, working<br />Of course, this is still very few forms compared to some languages which may have thirty or more forms for a single verb.<br />