When is a verb not a doing word

What is a verb?

Verbs are the action words in a sentence that describe what the subject is doing. Along with nouns, verbs are the main part of a sentence or phrase, telling a story about what is taking place. In fact, without a verb, full thoughts can’t be properly conveyed, and even the simplest sentences, such as Maria sings, have one. Actually, a verb can be a sentence by itself, with the subject, in most case you, implied, such as, Sing! and Drive!

When learning the rules of grammar, schoolchildren are often taught that verbs are ‘doing’ words, meaning they signify the part of the sentence which explains the action taking place: He ran away, she eats chocolate cake on Sundays, the horses gallop across the fields. Ran, eats and gallop are the ‘action’ parts of those sentences, thus they are the verbs. However, it can be confusing because not all verbs are easily identifiable as action: I know your name, Jack thought about it, we considered several applications. These are non-action verbs, i.e. those that describe a state of being, emotion, possession, sense or opinion. Other non-action verbs include include love, agree, feel, am, and have.

How to Recognize a Verb

As you can see from the examples above, one clue to help you recognize a verb is its location compared to the subject. Verbs almost always come after a noun or pronoun. These nouns and pronouns are referred to as the subject.  The verb thought comes after the noun Jack, so the action Jack (subject) was taking was thinking (verb).

  1. Mark eats his dinner quickly.
  2. We went to the market.
  3. You write neatly in your notebook.
  4. They thought about all the prizes in the competition.

Here are some other ways to recognize verbs in a sentence:

  1. If you’re not sure if a word is a verb, ask yourself, “Can I do ______?”

Can I think, wonder, walk, yawn? Yes, so these are verbs.

  1. You can also ask, ”What is happening?”

In the sentence Mark eats his dinner quickly, what is happening? Eating is happening, so eating is the verb.

In the sentence They thought about all the prizes what is happening? Thought (thinking) is happening, so thought is the verb.

Physical Verbs – Definition and Examples

Physical verbs are action verbs. They describe specific physical actions. If you can create a motion with your body or use a tool to complete an action, the word you use to describe it is most likely a physical verb. For example, Joe sat in his chair, the dog breathes quickly after she chases her ball, and should we vote in the election? Even when the action isn’t very active, if the action is done by the body or a tool, consider it a physical verb.

Physical Verb Examples

The physical verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

  • Let’s run to the corner and back.
  • I hear the train coming.
  • Call me when you’re finished with class.

Mental Verbs – Definition and Examples

Mental verbs have meanings that are related to concepts such as discovering, understanding, thinking, or planning. In general, a mental verb refers to a cognitive state.

Mental Verb – Definition and Examples

Mental verbs have meanings that are related to concepts such as discovering, understanding, thinking, or planning. In general, a mental verb refers to a cognitive state.

Mental Verb Examples

The mental verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

  • I know the answer.
  • She recognized me from across the room.
  • Do you believe everything people tell you?

States of Being Verbs – Definition and Examples

Also known as linking verbs, state of being verbs describe conditions or situations that exist. State of being verbs are inactive since no action is being performed. These verbs, forms of to be, such as am, is, are, are usually complemented by adjectives.

States of Being Verb Examples

The state of being verbs in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

  • I am a student.
  • We are circus performers.
  • Please is quiet.

Types of Verbs

There are many types of verbs. In addition to the main categories of physical verbs, mental verbs, and state of being verbs, there are several other types of verbs. In fact, there are more than ten different types of verbs that are grouped together by function.

List of all Verb Types

Action Verbs

Action verbs express specific actions and are used any time you want to show action or discuss someone doing something.  It’s important to remember that the action does not have to be physical.

Action verb examples:

  1. Run
  2. Dance
  3. Slide
  4. Jump
  5. Think
  6. Do
  7. Go
  8. Stand
  9. Smile
  10. Listen.

The action verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

I run faster than David.

He does it well.

She thinks about poetry all day long

Transitive Verbs
Transitive verbs are action verbs that always express doable activities that relate or affect someone or something else. These other things are generally direct objects, nouns or pronouns that are affected by the verb, though some verbs can also take an indirect object, such as show, take, and make. In a sentence with a transitive verb, someone or something receives the action of the verb.

Transitive verb examples:

  1. Love
  2. Respect
  3. Tolerate
  4. Believe
  5. Maintain.

The transitive verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

Gary ate the cookies.

The transitive verb is ate, Gary is the subject, because it is Gary who is doing the eating, and the cookies are the direct object, because it is the cookies that are being eaten. Other examples:

He kicked John.

John punches him.

They sold the tickets.

Examples of verbs used with both direct and indirect objects:

They sell him the tickets.

In this sentence, the tickets are the direct object while him is the indirect object.

Mary baked her mother a pie.

In this sentence, a pie is the direct object while her mother is the indirect object.

Intransitive Verbs

Intransitive verbs are action verbs that always express doable activities. They are different from transitive verbs because there is no direct object following an intransitive verb.

Intransitive verb examples:

  1. Walk
  2. Laugh
  3. Cough
  4. Play
  5. Run

The intransitive verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

We travelled to London.

The intransitive verb is travelled, the subject is we, because we are doing the travelling, but London is not a direct object because London is not receiving the action of the verb. Other examples:

I sneeze in the morning.

He arrived with moments to spare.

Kathryn sat away from the others.

John eats before leaving for school.

The last example shows that the verb eats can be both transitive and intransitive depending on whether there is a direct object or not. If the sentence read: John eats the cookies before leaving for school, eats would be transitive as there is a direct object – the cookies.

By the way, some verbs can be both transitive and intransitive. These verbs include: start, leave, change, live, stop.

Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary verbs are also known as helping verbs and are used together with a main verb to show the verb’s tense or to form a question or negative. Common examples of auxiliary verbs include have, might, will. These auxiliary verbs give some context to the main verb, for example, letting the reader know when the action took place.

Auxiliary verb examples:

  1. Would
  2. Should
  3. Do
  4. Can
  5. Did
  6. Could
  7. May

The auxiliary verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

I will go home after football practice.

The auxiliary verb will is telling us that the action of the main verb go is going to take place in the future – after football practice has ended. If the auxiliary verb will was removed, we get the sentence:

I go home after football practice.

In this case, there is no definite time frame for the action. The sentence suggests that going home after football practice is just something the subject I generally does. Other examples:

I may dance with you later.

We did consider Bryan’s feelings.

Jenny has spoken her final words.

In addition, we can sometimes use the auxiliary very before the pronoun to make a question:

Might you dance with me later?

Did we consider Bryan’s feelings?

Has Jenny spoken her final words?

Also, auxiliary verbs are used to help form negative statements, with the use of words like not and never. These will usually split the auxiliary and main verbs:

I may never dance with you again.

We did not consider Bryan’s feelings.

Jenny has not spoken her final words.

Stative Verbs

Stative verbs can be recognized 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.

The stative verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

The doctor disagrees with your analysis.

Disagree is a stative verb here, as it describes the doctor’s state of being – disagreement.

John doubts the doctor’s opinion.

I believe the doctor is right.

She wanted another opinion.

Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that are used to express abilities, possibilities, permissions, and obligations.

Modal verb examples:

  1. Can
  2. Must
  3. May
  4. Should
  5. Would

The modal verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

He can shoot a three-point shot easily.

The auxiliary verb can is expressing an ability, suggesting that shooting a three-point shot is a skill the subject possesses.

Please note that in the case of should and must in the examples below, the modal verbs are expressing obligations, whereas would and may are expressing possibilities.

I should go home.

You must not delay.

Sally would not recommend the sushi.

David may be late.

Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs aren’t single words; instead, they are combinations of words that are used together to take on a different meaning to that of the original verb. There are many examples of phrasal verbs, some of which have colloquial meanings, such as make up, hand in, bring up, point out, look forward to. Each time the verb takes the extra word(s) it takes on a new meaning. For example, make without the up expresses that something is being created, whereas with make up, the suggestion is that there are some lies or a fantastical element to the story and make out can mean either to grasp or see something difficult, or to kiss passionately.

Phrasal verb examples:

  1. Run out
  2. Go all out
  3. Make out
  4. Hand out
  5. Bring out
  6. Face up
  7. Think through

The phrasal verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

Mary looked forward to her high school reunion.

The verb looked has taken on forward to to become a phrasal verb meaning to be excited about or eagerly await something.

He brought up the same points again and again.

Leroy handed in the wallet to the police.

I make up stories all the time.

She pointed out Donald’s mistake.

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs are those that don’t take on the regular spelling patterns of past simple and past participle verbs. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of irregular verbs in the English language. But don’t worry, while many are used often, the majority are not in common usage – or if they are, you will use them so often you will learn them quickly. Some of the most common irregular verbs include: say, make, go, take, come, know and see.

Irregular verb examples:

  1. Eat
  2. Think 
  3. Bring
  4. Hold
  5. Bear
  6. Buy
  7. Lay
  8. Catch
  9. Drive
  10. Paid
  11. Feel
  12. Redo

The irregular verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

I take my time when I go to the shops (present tense)

I took my time when I went to the shops (past tense)

Julie makes cake for the classroom (present tense)

Julie made a cake for the classroom (past tense)

She sees a silhouette shaped like a man in the window (present tense)

She saw a silhouette shaped like a man in the window (past tense)

We come to Aunt Jane’s for Thanksgiving each year (present tense)

We came to Aunt Jane’s for Thanksgiving each year (past tense).

You should also remember that auxiliary verbs ‘do’ and ‘have’ are also irregular verbs:

I do agree.

He does it often.

We have done our homework early.

They do their homework on Fridays.

I have a suspicion about Fran

Fran has a devious look.

We have no money left.

They have had a cough twice this winter.

Verb: Definition & Types

A verb is a word or a combination of words that indicates action or a state of being or condition. A verb is the part of a sentence that tells us what the subject performs. Verbs are the hearts of English sentences.

Examples:

  • Jacob walks in the morning. (A usual action)
  • Mike is going to school. (A condition of action)
  • Albert does not like to walk. (A negative action)
  • Anna is a good girl. (A state of being)

Verbs are related to a lot of other factors like the subject, person, number, tense, mood, voice, etc.

Basic Forms of Verbs

There are six basic forms of verbs. These forms are as follows:

  • Base form: Children play in the field.
  • Infinitive: Tell them not to play
  • Past tense: They played football yesterday.
  • Past participle: I have eaten a burger.
  • Present participle: I saw them playing with him today.
  • Gerund: Swimming is the best exercise.

Different Types of Verbs

  • Main/Base Verb
  • Regular/Weak Verb
  • Irregular/Strong Verb
  • Transitive Verb
  • Intransitive Verb
  • Weak Verb
  • Strong Verb
  • Finite Verbs
  • Non-finite Verbs
  • Action Verbs
  • Linking Verb
  • Auxiliary Verbs
  • Modal Verbs
  • Reflexive Verb
  • Ergative Verb
  • Phrasal Verb
  • Lexical Verb
  • Delexical Verb
  • Stative/Being Verb
  • Dynamic Verb
  • Non-continuous Verb
  • Participle
  • Gerund
  • Infinitive

Base Verb

The base verb is the form of a verb where it has no ending (-ing, -ed, -en) added to it. It is also called the Root Verb since it is the very root form of a verb.

Examples:

  • I go to school every day.
  • You run a mile every morning.
  • Do your homework.

Regular Verb

The Verbs that follow the most usual conjugations are considered Regular Verbs. It is regular since it abides by most if not all of the regular grammar rules there are.

Examples:

  • Rehan plays cricket.
  • Tam called out my name.
  • You really walked all the way back? 

Irregular Verb

The Verbs that have irregularities in terms of following grammar rules are Irregular Verbs, in general.

Examples:

  • Do the dishes.
  • I hardly ever drink enough water in a day.
  • She drove all the way back. 

Transitive Verb

The Main Verb that takes a direct object sitting right after it would be a Transitive Verb. They usually construct the most straightforward of sentences.

Examples:

  • She went to the fair.
  • We do not like being called out loud in crowds.
  • I love visiting my village home.

Intransitive Verb

The main Verb that does not take a direct object specified right afterward and rather there is an indirect one mentioned somewhere along the line is called an Intransitive Verb. These verbs often make the corresponding sentences incomplete.

Example:

  • I laughed.
  • John ran.
  • A ghast of cold wind blew.

Weak Verb

Verbs that end with “-d” and “-t” in their Past Indefinite and Past Participle form are Weak Verbs. There is a tendency to associate Weak Verbs with Regular Verbs but not all Weak Verbs are Regular Verbs in the English language.

Examples:

Present Indefinite Past Indefinite
Spend Spent
Walk Walked
Book Booked
Learn Learnt
Want Wanted

 Strong Verb

Strong Verbs are those in which the vowels in the verb stem changes from “i” to “a” to “u” in the Present Indefinite to Past Indefinite to Past Participle form of Verbs.

Examples:

Present Indefinite

Past Indefinite

Past Participle

Ring

Rang

Rung

Drink

Drank

Drunk

Cling

Clang

Clung

Swim

Swam

Swum

Sing

Sang

Sung

Wring

Wrang

Wrung

Finite Verbs

Finite verbs are the actual verbs that are called the roots of sentences. It is a form of a verb that is performed by or refers to a subject and uses one of the twelve forms of tense and changes according to the number/person of the subject.

Example:

  • Alex went to school. (Subject – Alex – performed the action in the past. This information is evident only by the verb ‘went’.)
  • Robert plays hockey.
  • He is playing for Australia.
  • He is one of the best players. (Here, the verb ‘is’ directly refers to the subject itself.)

Non-finite Verbs

Non-finite Verbs are not actual verbs. They do not work as verbs in the sentence rather they work as nouns, adjectives, adverbs, etc. Non-finite verbs do not change according to the number/person of the subject because these verbs, also called verbals, do not have any direct relation to the subject. Sometimes they become the subject themselves.

The forms of non-finite verbs are – infinitive, gerund, and participle (participles become finite verbs when they take auxiliary verbs.)

Example:

  • Alex went abroad to play (Infinitives)
  • Playing cricket is his only job. (Present participle)
  • I have a broken bat. (Past participle)
  • Walking is a good habit. (Gerund)

Action Verbs

Action verbs indicate what the subject of a sentence performs. Action verbs can make the listener/reader feel emotions, see scenes more vividly and accurately.

Action verbs can be transitive or intransitive.

Transitive verbs must have a direct object. A transitive verb demands something/someone to be acted upon.

Example:

  • I painted the car. (The verb ‘paint’ demands an object to be painted)
  • She is reading the newspaper. (The verb ‘read’ asks the question “what is she reading?” – the answer is the object)

Intransitive verbs do not act upon anything. They may be followed by an adjective, adverb, preposition, or another part of speech.

Example:

  • She smiled. (The verb ‘smile’ cannot have any object since the action of ‘smiling’ does not fall upon anything/anyone)
  • I wake up at 6 AM. (No object is needed for this verb)

Note: {Subject + Intransitive verb} is sufficient to make a complete sentence but {Subject + Transitive verb} is not sufficient because transitive verbs demand a direct object.

Linking Verb

A linking verb adds details about the subject of a sentence. In its simplest form, it connects the subject and the complement — that is, the words that follow the linking verb. It creates a link between them instead of showing action.

Often, what is on each side of a linking verb is equivalent; the complement redefines or restates the subject.

Generally, linking verbs are called ‘be’ verbs which are — am, is, are, was, were. However, there are some other verbs that can work as linking verbs. Those verbs are:

Act, feel, remain, appear, become, seem, smell, sound, grow, look, prove, stay, taste, turn.

Some verbs in this list can also be action verbs. To figure out if they are linking verbs, you should try replacing them with forms of the be verbs. If the changed sentence makes sense, that verb is a linking verb.

Example:

  • She appears ready for the game. (She is ready for the game.)
  • The food seemed delicious. (The food was delicious.)
  • You look happy. (You are happy.)

Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary verbs are also called helping verbs. An auxiliary verb extends the main verb by helping to show time, tense, and possibility. The auxiliary verbs are – be verbs, have, and do.

They are used in the continuous (progressive) and perfect tenses.

Linking verbs work as main verbs in the sentence, but auxiliary verbs help main verbs.

Do is an auxiliary verb that is used to ask questions, to express negation, to provide emphasis, and more.

Example:

  • Alex is going to school.
  • They are walking in the park.
  • I have seen a movie.
  • Do you drink tea?
  • Don’t waste your time.
  • Please, do submit your assignments.

Modal Verbs

A modal verb is a kind of auxiliary verb. It assists the main verb to indicate possibility, potentiality, ability, permission, expectation, and obligation.

The modal verbs are can, could, must, may, might, ought to, shall, should, will, would.

 Example:

  • I may want to talk to you again.
  • They must play their best game to win.
  • She should call him.
  • I will go there.

Reflexive Verb

When the Subject and the Object are the same and the Verb reflects on the Subject, that is the Reflexive Verb. These Verbs are often used with Reflexive Pronouns like — myself, himself, herself, itself etc.

Examples: 

  • He has done it himself.
  • I’ll watch it myself. 

Ergative Verb

Ergative Verbs can be used as Transitive and Intransitive Verb. They are also called Labile Verb in English.

Examples:

Intransitive Verbs

Transitive Verbs

The door opens.

I opened the door.

The bell rang.

She rang the bell.

The light is fused.

They fused the lights.

The whistle blew.

Tom blew the whistle.

 Phrasal Verb

An idiomatic phrase consisting of a Verb and another element, most likely an Adverb or a Preposition is called a Phrasal Verb.

Examples:

  • She broke down in tears.
  • Don’t look down upon the poor.
  • I’ll see to it. 

Lexical Verb

Lexical Verb is the main or principal verb of a sentence which typically takes the major responsibility of a Verb that represents the action of the Noun or Pronoun.

Examples:

  • He ran to his father.
  • I laughed out loud.
  • Rina tried her best. 

DE-Lexical Verb

Delexical Verbs lack importance when it comes to meaning since these Verbs hardly have meanings of their own when used individually. The meaning is taken out of the Verbs and put into the Noun. Take, have, make, give etc. are Delexical Verbs.

Examples:

  • He took a shower.
  • I had a cold drink.
  • She made some arrangements. 

Stative Verb

The Verbs that describe the state of being are called Stative or Being Verbs.

Examples:

  • I need some boxes.
  • You belong to the pomp and power.
  • He smells danger.
  • They remember what happened that day. 

Dynamic Verb

The Verbs that entail continuous or progressive action of the Subject are called Dynamic or Fientive Verbs. They express the Subject’s state of being on the move.

Examples:

  • He’s running fast.
  • Keep hitting the ball hard.
  • The dog goes for a walk every afternoon.

Non-continuous Verb

The Verbs that are usually never used in their continuous forms are called Non-continuous Verbs.

Examples:

I like to swim.

I’m liking to swim.

I love to do the chords.

I’m loving to do the chords.

He does not hate you.

He’s hating you.

She just feels a bit dizzy, no need to worry.

She’s just feeling a bit dizzy.

 Intensive Verb

The Verbs that focus intensely on just the Subject are called Intensive Verbs. Intensive Verbs are also called Linking or Copular Verbs.

Examples:

  • You seem happy.
  • It appears to be just perfect.
  • She looks stunning.
  • He’s become rather irritable. 

Extensive Verb

All the Verbs that do not focus intensively on just the Subject (as the Intensive Verbs) of the sentence are Extensive Verbs.

Examples:

  • He loves her.
  • She runs too fast.
  • Ron sells fish. 

Participle

A participle is a Verb form where they retain some of the characteristics and functions of both Verbs and adopt those of the Adjectives.

Examples:

Present Participle (Verb + -ing)

  • Have I become a laughing stock?
  • Cycling is a well-rounded exercise.

Past Participle

  • I have taken a hint.
  • Have you given it enough thought?

Perfect Participle (Having + Past Participle)

  • Having said that, I was quite worried.
  • Having stepped out of my comfort zone, I saw a whole new world.

Gerund

The Verbs having -ing endings that function like Nouns in sentences are called Gerunds.

Examples:

  • Smoking is injurious to health.
  • Walking is good for health.
  • I love swimming.

Infinitive

The ‘to + Verb’ forms where the Verbs are at their base or stem forms while they function as Nouns, Adjectives or Adverbs instead of Verbs.

Examples:

  • I wanted to help you out.
  • Are you trying to go there?
  • I just love to flaunt my new Ferarri.

Do you have a problem in learning English verb conjugation? No worries, here you can understand how to conjugate English regular and irregular verbs of different tenses.

“To be or not to be” is a famous quote from the Shakespearean play Hamlet. But sometimes in the course of learning English “to be” becomes quite problematic. This is because the verb “be” in English is what is known as an irregular verb — therefore it follows its own unique pattern. And yet it will be found in almost every piece of English writing or even the most basic of conversations. If this is leaving you pulling your hair out, fear not, this article will help in making verb conjugation in English as simple as possible.

What is English Verb Conjugation

Verb conjugation means modifying a verb according to the tense, gender, and aspect. A verb, or doing word, will change either in its ending or entirely depending on the subject, the tense, the number of doers, the mood, or the aspect. It provides detail as to who is doing the action, how many people are doing the action when the action is happening, and if it is still happening.

As the verb conjugation is the base of English grammar, you can learn it well in one month as long as you memorize the rules carefully.

Let’s take a look at the following examples:

Conjugation will always follow a pattern depending on the pronoun subject used and according to the tense:

The following pronouns will be found in every verb conjugation table:

They are: I, You, He/she/it, We, They

Note you may also come across “You Plural” but this is not very common and will not be focussed on much here. It should be noted that “You Plural” follows the same pattern as “You Singular”.

So in the case of the verb “Sing”

  • I sing
  • You sing 
  • He/She/It sings
  • We sing
  • They sing

“Sing” is an example of a verb that doesn’t change too much,

However, let’s take a look at the verb “be”, it changes vastly:

  • I am
  • You are
  • He/She/It is
  • We are
  • They are

There is no magic formula here, it really is a case of memorizing. However, it is also worth highlighting here that “be” is the only English verb that changes 3 times in the present tense. 

However let’s take a look at how the verb will change as the tense changes in the case of the verb — “go”

  • I go to work — Present simple — I mean the action is happening at present
  • I went to work yesterday — Past Progressive — the action has already taken place
  • I will go to work on Monday — Future tense — this action will occur in the future
  • I would go to work if I could — Conditional — There is an “if” that makes the action dependent on that condition
  • I am going to work every day — Presently occurring and does occur regularly
  • I have gone to work every day — Past perfect shows that the action has taken place already  

Examples of Common Verbs

These verbs are what is known as “regular” verbs — this means that they follow a regular or consistent conjugation formula. As you can see in the examples above, the list is by no means exhaustive but merely serves to demonstrate a couple. These verbs can be identified as regular because they take the suffix “-ed” or “-d” in their past form.

Irregular Verbs

What then are Irregular verbs? They are quite simply verbs that do not follow a regular conjugation structure or pattern

This seems very straightforward as it is only the Third Person singular that changes with an “s” added to the end. 

For example — this is just a small list. A good piece of advice to advance your English would be to learn these early on and learn them very well as they will stand you in good stead in the future.

A few more rules to note

The verb used shows to which degree an action is completed — for example,

  • I am baking — Present Progressive (the action is happening at present)
  • I bake — Present Simple (the action is something that happens occasionally, often but not at this present moment)
  • I have baked — Present Perfect (the action is complete)
  • Conjugating verbs is inextricably linked with time — it is used to show WHEN the action is taking place. 
  • As you can see in the following examples how the verb can be modified to show time and relation to the doer: 
  • She likes to dance but she dances alone.
  •  He didn’t dance with her, but we danced with her later. 
  • They left dancing to the younger folks but said they will dance again when a better song comes on.

Tenses

English becomes complicated when you note that there are up to 16 different tenses to indicate the time in which the action happened/will happen but do not let that intimidate you. The tenses can be simply broken down into 5 groups

  • Present, Past, Future, Conditional and Perfect
  • Past tense conjugation: 

Simple: She went to the supermarket

Past progressive: She was going to the supermarket

Present tense conjugation:

Simple present: I buy apples at the supermarket

Present progressive: I am buying apples at the supermarket

  • Future tense conjugations:

Future simple: He is going to have dinner at 7 o’clock

Future perfect: Will they have dinner at 7 o’clock?

Future progressive: They will have dinner at 7 o’clock

  • Perfect tense

Present perfect simple: He has spoken about it 

Present perfect progressive: He has been speaking about it

Past perfect progressive: He had been speaking about it 

Past perfect simple: He had spoken about it 

  • Conditional tense conjugations

Conditional simple: We would consider your proposal

Conditional perfect: We would have considered your proposal

Conditional progressive: We would be considering your proposal 

Conditional perfect progressive: We would have been considering your proposal

Conclusion

A few good pointers: 

As you can see in the above examples most verbs in English are connected through the use of “helping” verbs such as would, will, had, did or did not. 

There are some exceptions in verbs and it would be wise to learn the exceptions first. 

One way some students learn is to recite tables of how the verbs change and learn lists of irregular verbs. Some students record this table and listen to it on the way to work or school. This is only one way to go — you need to find a method that suits you. Oftentimes it is more helpful to read widely and listen to podcasts or the news where you hear the words spoken naturally and over time start to pick the correct tense up through hearing. 

What works for you to learn verb conjugation? Comment below I would love to hear some suggestions. And if you want to learn English well, you can book English lessons with me. I’m a native English tutor and can help you study English online.

Transitivity category of English verbs

как определить переходность глагола

English verbs are classified in many ways. While a lot has been said about the correctness and incorrectness, modality of verbs or their belonging to the auxiliary group, the category of transitivity often remains in the shadows. And in vain, because information about whether a verb is transitive or intransitive will help to correctly use it in a sentence and answer the question about the compatibility of the verb with some grammatical structures.

Separation of English verbs into transitive and intransitive

So, English verbs (as well as Russian ones) are divided into transitive verbs and intransitive verbs. The first ones necessarily require additions after themselves, otherwise the thought expressed by them will not be complete. For example:

He often uses his computer. He uses his computer a lot.

The verb to use is transitive because you cannot say “he is using” without mentioning what it is. As for the object, it exists in the form of a direct object (it corresponds to the accusative case without a preposition in Russian) and / or indirect. And some transitive verbs require not one, but several additions after themselves. For example:

Mr. Smith offered him a job. Mr. Smith offered him a job.

In this example, the indirect object him and the direct object a job are used after the transitive verb to offer.

Intransitive verbs do not require additions after themselves. A sentence with such a verb will be complete, even if there are no more sentence members in addition to the subject and predicate. For example:

Mrs. James is traveling. Mrs. James is traveling.

The verb to travel is intransitive, since it is simply impossible to add an object after it. However, more often such verbs «overgrow» in a sentence with all sorts of circumstances. For example:

Mrs. James is traveling through South America at the moment. Mrs. James is currently traveling in South America.

Some dictionaries give information about whether a verb is transitive (vt or v / t — verb transitive) or intransitive (vi or v / i — verb intransitive) using special abbreviations before the meaning. For example:

to find — vt –to sit — vi — find a sit

When determining whether a verb is transitive, you should not rely heavily on the Russian translation. Indeed, many verbs have this feature in both languages, and by trying to add an accusative addition to the corresponding Russian verb without a preposition, it is sometimes possible to determine whether the corresponding English verb will be transitive, for example:

sleep + who? what? = intransitive verb, which means to sleep — also intransitive to see + who? what? = transitive verb, which means to see is also a transitive verb

However, there are many English verbs, the transitivity of which differs from the same characteristic of the corresponding Russian verbs, for example:

wait — transient to wait for — intransitive
influence — intransitive to affect — transient

Verbs Combining Transitive and Intransitive Properties

There are a large number of verbs that, due to their polysemy, can manifest transitivity or intransitivity in different meanings. For example:

Transitive verb (vt) Intransitive verb (vi)
I burnt my hand while cooking. — I AM burn hand while cooking. The campfire burnt brightly. — Bonfire burned bright.
Jerry walks the dog twice a day. — Jerry walks dog twice a day. Tom walks home after school. — Volume walks домой on foot after school.
Do not drop litter in the park! — Not throw trash in the park! Water dropped from the tap. — Water dripping from the tap.
Open

Source: https://1hello.ru/grammatika/kategoriya-perexodnosti-anglijskix-glagolov.html

Transitive and intransitive verbs in Russian: how to determine what it is — a rule, examples and how to distinguish

как определить переходность глагола

The verb is a part of speech, «responsible» for the designation of actions. He has not only mutable signs, but also constant ones — those that do not disappear with inflection. Transitive and intransitive verbs in Russian differ in the presence or absence of one of these constant features — transitivity.

The concept of verb transitivity

Transitivity is understood as a grammatical category that indicates the ability of the verb form to control the direct object, that is, to attach nouns (objects) in the accusative and, less often, genitive case that has no preposition.

This is the formal side of the definition. But what is a transition from the semantic side?

The meaning of transitive verb forms is that they denote «non-independent» actions that cannot be performed without a controlled object. Here are some examples:

  • To write (what?) A play, to serve (whom?) A client, didn’t earn (what?) Money — transitive verbs (it’s impossible to simply “write” or “serve”, and “making money” without a controlled object is a verb with a different meaning).
  • Sitting (on what?) On a chair, washing, suffering (from what?) From an illness are intransitive verbs (you can just “sit” or “suffer”).

The transition is the transfer of the action from the subject (subject) to the object (called direct object).

What cases to put nouns in

Transitive verbs are capable of manipulating the object in both the accusative and genitive forms, in both cases without a preposition. But how to understand which of the two cases to use in each specific case?

Accusative is the main one. The addition acquires the genitive case in the following cases:

  1. If it means «a certain amount of something»: «drank water» (genus. P.) — that is, some part of the liquid poured, but «drank water» (wine. P.) — that is, all the water in this vessel or reservoir.
  2. In negative sentences, if the meaning “at all” is meant: “I didn’t eat your carrots” (I just didn’t eat) — “I didn’t eat your carrots” (I didn’t eat at all, not a piece).
  3. In negative sentences, if there is an amplifying particle «neither»: «We have not the slightest idea.»

The accusative case in negative sentences weakens the negation, while the genitive case, on the contrary, strengthens it.

Important! Some nouns with transitive verb forms acquire a genitive form that differs from the main one: «I’ll take sugar», «not knowing the ford, don’t stick your nose in the water» (instead of «sugar», «ford»).

How to determine the transitivity of a specific verb

How to determine the transitivity of a verb? Problems often arise with this. The presence or absence of transitivity can be found out using the following method.

First you need to find the verb form in the sentence. Then find nouns or pronouns to which you can ask the question «who?» or «what?»

If there is such a word and there is no preposition with it, then this is a direct addition, before us is a transitional one.

If the sentence is incomplete, then the direct object may not be available, but it is implied, in which case you also need to ask the question of the accusative case from the verb: “Do you understand me? “I understand (who? What?)”. If such a question cannot be asked, then it is intransient: “Where have you been for a whole week? — I was sick ”(it is impossible to ask“ who? ”Or“ what? ”).

Important! All reflexive and verbal forms are not transitive, in the passive voice, that is, those that have the suffix «-s» or «-sya»: it seems to be washed, is.

Observing this rule, you need to keep in mind the meaning of the noun — it should denote the object of the action. There are situations when a noun in the form of an accusative case without a preposition stands near the verb and has a relation to it, but it cannot be transitive: “Drive for an hour”, “live for a week”.

Transitivity of polysemantic verbs

Verb forms of a word can have several meanings. In this case, in the first meaning there is a transitional type, and in the second meaning the same word is an intransitive type. “He says (what?) A lie” is transitional, but “the child is already speaking (talking)” is intransitive. «The orchestra is playing (what?) March» is transitional, but «the child is playing (busy playing)» is intransitive.

In humorous texts, a situation is possible when, in the norm, the intransitive acquires a transience: «To drink vodka and discipline to hooligan.»

The comic effect is built on this, while the verbs seem to acquire the meanings of those instead of which they are put — «bully» instead of «violate», etc.

Obsolete meanings of intransitive verb forms may have transitivity.

«To trade» in modern Russian is an intransitive verb, but earlier, meaning «to ask the price», it was transitive: «Trade a horse.» This usage remained in folklore.

Differences between transient and intransient

Now you need to find out how the transitional differs from the intransitive. First of all, this is its meaning. Transient usually means:

  1. Creation, modification or destruction of objects (built a house, reduced the dose),
  2. Sensory perception of objects (I hear music, I see the city),
  3. Contact with the object without changing it (touched the wall, stroked the cat),
  4. Attitude to the object (I love science fiction, I love a contrast shower).

It is also possible to distinguish the transitional by trying to form a passive participle from it. If it works out — the verb is transitive, it will not work — intransitive.

Phrases with transitive verbs always consist of a verb form and a direct object, sometimes a definition, a circumstance can be included: chopping down trees, driving a bus, finding a pirate treasure, quickly learning a lesson.

Transitive and intransitive verbs in Russian

We study Russian language types of verbs, examples

Conclusion

It is not so difficult to attribute the verb form to any of the groups. One has only to remember that the meaning of the main and dependent word should be analyzed to a greater extent, and not the external form: the same verb in a different context can be both transitive and intransitive.

Source: https://tvercult.ru/obrazovanie/kak-opredelit-perehodnyie-i-neperehodnyie-glagolyi-v-russkom-yazyike

Transitive and intransitive verbs: how to define transitivity

как определить переходность глагола

One of the grammatical characteristics that is worth mentioning when parsing verbs in Russian is transitivity. This feature describes the ability of a verb to attach a direct object in a sentence. That is, whether he can manipulate nouns, which in context are used to denote an object of action.

For example: fix the computer, eat a chocolate bar, stand near the entrance, grow smarter before our eyes.

Transitive and intransitive verbs in Russian have some differences and their own characteristics.

What is a transitive verb

Transitive verb denotes an action that occurs or is directed at an object or creature. In a sentence, there is a grammatical connection between them, due to which the verb affects the non-sentence form of the word and places it in the accusative case. If the verb has a negative meaning or it is about some part called a noun, then the case becomes genitive.

Example: invite (whom?) friends, experience (what?) fear, not buy (what?) encyclopedias, drink (what?) juice.

Transitive verbs can mean:

  1. Processes of creating, making adjustments or destroying an object or creature (write a synopsis, tear a manuscript, edit a photo).
  2. The speaker’s attitude to some phenomenon or object (adore jazz, prefer wine).
  3. Some impact that does not physically affect an object or creature in any way (accused a neighbor, pet a dog).
  4. The processes of perceiving the world by touch, hearing, sight or other senses (seeing the stars, feeling cold).

What is an intransitive verb

Intransitive verbs transmit an action that does not need a direct object, because it is not able to go to it. It is important to remember that this kind of verbs can rarely be combined with the name of an object or creature, which is used in the accusative case.

Example: living with neighbors, taking a nap on the bed, singing in the car, teaching at a music school.

The lexical meaning of intransitive verbs can be as follows:

  1. The name of the occupation, be it routine or professional (teach, lazy, clean up, play music).
  2. The designation of the movements of an object and its existence in general (to be, to be, to move, to appear).
  3. Description of the process of changes occurring with an object or being (deteriorate, blush, grow up, grow wiser).
  4. Constant of the position of an object in space, its state, physical characteristics, psychological sensations, etc. (to stand, to catch a cold, to become sad, to be happy).

Intransitive verbs include all reflexive ones — to fall in love, to gather, to hug.

How to determine the transitivity of a verb

Since the transitivity of the verb affects primarily the meaning of the word and its interaction with the noun, then this grammatical state can be determined by logically analyzing the phrase.

If a verb expresses a direct effect on an object or being, and the noun describing this object is in the genitive or accusative case, then we are dealing with a transitive verb. If, according to the context, the verb only helps to determine in what state or position the object is, but does not affect it, then it is intransitive.

You can also pay attention to the need for a preposition between the verb and the noun used in the accusative case. If you need it (transfer to the bus) — then this verb is intransitive.

Source: https://russkyaz.ru/slova/glagoly/perehodnye-i-neperehodnye-glagoly-kak-opredelit-perehodnost.html

Transitive and intransitive verbs — what are they

The transitivity of the verb is one of the most difficult topics studied in grade 6. Having mastered this concept, you can avoid mistakes, as well as expand your lexical range due to correctly formed word forms.

What is transitivity

some in Russian are verbs that can control the object without a preposition. Most often, the controlled word is in the accusative case.

Table 1. Examples of both forms

Transient

Drag a suitcase Walk in the street
Notice the number Jump off the walkway
To draw a picture Call parents
Remember a poem To drive a car

The subordinate part of speech can be a noun or a pronoun.

Example: On the river, her father saw her. Saw — transitional type.

The grammatical meaning is that the action goes to the managed object. In this case, the dependent word can be transformed into a passive participle of the past tense.

For example: Meet a friend — a friend I met. Drinking water — water drunk by a child.

The dependent word can be expressed in the following configurations:

  • A noun or a pronoun in VP: learn the news, portray surprise, teach them, emphasize it.
  • A noun in R.p. in the meaning of a part of something, a certain amount of a whole: Taste cabbage soup, salad. Drink some water. She brought potatoes from the cellar.
  • A noun or pronoun in the genitive case, depending on the construction with a negative particle, is not: You will not meet an aunt. Didn’t see any pencils. Didn’t invite them. Didn’t recognize him.

How to distinguish a transitional form

Intransitive forms

The intransitive form of verbs differs in that the action is not directed to the subject. Such words can be determined by the impossibility of controlling the word in the accusative or genitive case, except for prepositional constructions.

For example: Thinking about the country. Dream of the sea. Sing for them. Take care of him.

A word that depends on a part of speech with the property of intransition cannot be transformed into a passive participle of the past tense.

Rule: reflexive word forms do not need a subordinate word and are almost always characterized by intransitivity.

Meaning of different grammatical forms

Properties of polysemous words

Those words that have different lexical meanings based on the context are called polysemous. The transitivity and intransitivity of such verbs depends on their meaning in each specific case.

Example: He translates (what?) The text. The predicate «translates» governs the word in V. p. (text). Therefore, the view is transitional.

Consider another meaning of this word: Don’t bother translating. The word “translate” in this case does not require any addition and is characterized by intransitivity.

Procedure for defining grammatical properties

Let’s consider the algorithm of actions using an example.

  • On the table he saw (what?) A vase of flowers. The predicate has a subordinate word without a preposition in V.p. (vase). The design can be transformed into a passive participle: the vase he saw. Therefore, the type is transitional.
  • The other day she saw (who?) Friends. The predicate “saw” is used with the dependent word in T. p. with an excuse (with friends). Therefore, the view is transitional.

Consider how to determine the transitivity of any verb if the word is given out of context.

  1. Pick up a dependent word in V.p. or R. p. without an excuse.
  2. Transform the construction into a passive participle.

If it was possible to do both, the verb is transitive, if not, it is intransitive.

Algorithm for determining grammatical properties

Transitional constructions are combined with an object in the accusative or genitive case. If such an addition is not required or it is impossible to pick it up, then we have an intransitive view.

Source: https://kakpishem.ru/chasti-rechi/glagol/glagoly-perehodnye-i-neperehodnye-chto-eto-takoe.html

The verb is an independent part of speech with constant morphological features, one of which is transitivity. This criterion is difficult to determine, because you need to look for a subordinate word, establish its case, deal with negative and partial verbs. Let’s set the transition in a simplified and understandable way.

1

How to determine the transitivity of a verb — preface

Transitive verbs (n. G.) Mean an action that switches to an object expressed by a noun in a noun noun without a preposition. — I am composing (what?) A resume, looking for (whom?) A girlfriend. Intransitive — show the movement of an object, its psychophysical state (running along the path, talking about business).

In transitive verbs, the subordinate word can also be in the genitive case:

  • The verb comes out with a negative particle — I did not understand the example. Don’t waste time. Transition is easy to check by putting the dependent word in the V.P .: I did not understand (what?) The example, do not waste (what?) Time.
  • When expressing partial. Take a sip of wine, drink wine.

Important: reflexive verbs are intransitive. — The climber went down. Passengers return home.

2

How to determine the transitivity of a verb — instructions

  • Find the verb, put the question V. p. (Who? What?) From it to the subordinate word (usually this is a direct addition). When you find a noun, see if it has no preposition — it’s a transitive verb. Example: A forester brought (n. G.) Water from a distant spring. The child threw (n. G.) The toy on the floor and ran on. Lower (p. G.) The ladder for me.
  • Do you have a verb with a particle “not” in a phrase, but a dependent word is in a phrase without a preposition? This is also a transitive verb. — Grandmother wandered through the forest for a long time, but did not find (n. G.) Not a single mushroom, not even fly agarics. The professor did not start (p. Year) the lecture at exactly ten o’clock, but read it a little later.
  • You have found a verb that defines a part of a subject, it is a transitive one. For example: My brother told me to bring (what?) Firewood from the shed for kindling.

So, you have figured out how to find out the transitivity of the verb, analyzed the examples, it remains to practice a little in order to better assimilate the theoretical knowledge.

Source: https://sovetclub.ru/kak-opredelit-perehodnost-glagola

Transitive verb in Russian — transitive and intransitive

The transitivity of the verb or intransitivity is a constant property of this part of speech. Verbs can have only one of the characteristics.

Transitive verb

A transitive verb is when the action indicated by it is directed directly at the object.

To love (whom?) Mom, to meet (what?) A bus, to pretend to be tired, to get to know a friend.

How to find? You need to see the phrase in the sentence. It must include a verb and a noun (pronoun), the accusative case without a preposition.

  1. To write (what?) An essay about my native land is my homework.
  2. Good taste helped me make a model airplane for the competition.
  3. When I see (whom?) You, my heart skips with delight.
  4. “Listen to me,” Father asked Misha.

They are predicates in a sentence and govern direct objects.

Such verbs can be combined with a noun in the genitive case. There is also no official word here. In this case, the following conditions must be met:

  • only part of the subject expressed by the noun is presented;
  1. I would like to drink tea, sweet, hot, with milk.
  2. “Today I will definitely buy bread in a nearby store,” Varya thought all the way. “And I’ll also grab some sugar and ask for sweets.”
  • there is negation in the sentence;
  1. “Well, won’t I watch a film based on Petrov’s story? What of that? » The critic asked.
  2. “Yes, I didn’t take your notebook! Didn’t break a pencil! Didn’t wait for you after school! » — the boy shouted convulsively.
  • lexical meaning — perception, attitude, destructive or constructive action, etc.
  1. I listen to classical music, love nature, write poetry.
  2. The Nazis destroyed cities, wiped out historical objects from the face of the earth.

Transitive verbs are the basis for the formation of passive participles: seen a film, heard a sound, read a chapter, increased security.

Intransitive

All other words in this part of speech will be intransitive:

  • control nouns or pronouns with prepositions that are indirect objects;
  1. Lying on the couch, thinking about world problems, thinking about the soul — these are the usual things of Ilya Ilyich.
  2. I will always grieve, take care of you.
  • the reflexivity of the verb indicates its intransitivity;
  1. Smiling at strangers was a burden to Petrov.
  2. The bully from 5A didn’t get tired of running around the school corridors.

Verbs can be polysemous words. In one sense, they are transient.

“My brother is constantly hitting (who?) Me,” complained a neighbor’s kid.

In another lexical sense — no.

The horse hits (with what?) His hoof on the ground, breaks free.

This category depends on the formation of the word.

Intransitive verbs:

  • ending in -nice: messing around, doing needlework, cooking, samovar, locksmithing;
  • — to stay awake, gloat, be mad, philosophize;
  • -to: get wet, dry, freeze, subside, wither;
  • formed from interjections: uhnut, gasp, groan, oykat.

The verbs obtained from nouns such as whiten, blacken, blue, dove, green are transitive.

  1. Whitewashing huts before the holiday is a tradition of the Russian people.
  2. Before washing, every housewife knew how to blue the laundry.

Determination of transitivity-intransitivity

  1. Does the verb have an object? No? Intransitive.
  2. There is an addition. What questions does he answer?
  3. Accusative case without preposition? Transition.
  4. For other cases, see the information above.

Source: https://prochastirechi.ru/glagol/perehodnost-glagola

Transitive and intransitive verbs

The transitivity of a verb is a grammatical category of verbs that reflects the ability of a verb to attach a direct object. That is, transitivity indicates whether a verb can govern non-sentence nouns denoting an object of action. For example: visit an exhibition, eat sweets; grow before our eyes, stand near the door.

In the Russian language, there are transitive and intransitive verbs that differ in meaning and control features.

Features of transitive verbs

Transitive verbs are verbs denoting a relation or action directed at a certain object and passing to this object. Transitive verbs control the non-sentence form of the noun in the accusative case.

If the verb is in negative form, then the control is carried out by the noun in the genitive case. Also, control of the genitive case is possible when it comes to a part of an object.

Examples of transitive verbs: invite friends, test, not read books, not receive gratitude, drink water.

From a lexical point of view, transitive verbs can mean:

    The process of creating, modifying or destroying an object; Sensory perception ; Impact on an object that does not change it; The relation to the object.

Passive participles are formed from transitive verbs.

Features of intransitive verbs

Intransitive verbs are verbs that denote an action that does not go to a direct object, and does not need such an object. As a rule, such verbs are not combined with nouns in the accusative case. Intransitive verbs examples: lie on the couch, live with your parents, enjoy the new day, teach at school, stay in the car.

From a lexical point of view, intransitive verbs can mean:

    Mental, physical condition, position in space; Movement and existence; Professional or non-professional occupations; Formation and identification of qualities.

How to determine the verb transitivity?

Summing up, there are 3 basic rules for determining the transitivity of a verb:

Transitive verbs control nouns and pronouns in the accusative or genitive case without a preposition; Intransitive verbs, when combined with accusative nouns, require the use of a preposition. All reflexive verbs are intransitive.

Source: https://lit.ukrtvory.ru/perexodnye-i-neperexodnye-glagoly/

Indicate transitive and intransitive verbs. Transitive verb

The transitivity of a verb in Russian is determined by its ability to denote an action directed directly at an object. Grammatically, this is expressed by the fact that the verb controls the noun in the accusative case without a preposition. There are many examples of such constructions — «fishing», «writing a letter», «cleaning the carpet».

How to determine the transitivity of a verb? There is nothing complicated in such an operation, it is enough to mentally ask him the question: «Whom?», «What?» If the verb is used in a negative context (don’t buy milk), the case changes to genitive — this should be remembered.

The meaning of transitive and intransitive verbs

Linguists have established that the transitivity and intransitivity of a verb are differentiated by the meaning of words. Thus, transitive verbs refer to various actions on objects. They can be created, destroyed or modified (build a building, chop wood, destroy a house). The object can also remain unchanged (congratulate mom). The same list includes combinations denoting the sensory perception of an object with the verbs «look», «listen», etc.

In turn, intransitive verbs are characterized by the following meanings:

  • physical or mental condition (be afraid, doze);
  • the appearance of a sign, its strengthening (blush);
  • movement or location in space (go sit);
  • occupations, skills (host).

Morphological signs of intransition

The main difference between transitive and intransitive verbs lies in the ability to form passive participles. Compare the number of impersonal forms of the words «draw» and «walk»:

Paint

Walk

Sometimes the transitivity of a verb is determined based on the infinitive. There are derivational types of verbs that cannot be transitive:

Base suffix What part of speech is formed from Examples
imperfect adjective Get stronger, go blind, get wet
то же самое noun To malign (however, to feel, to admonish are exceptions)
то же самое nominal parts of speech Beast, turn white
то же самое то же самое Lazy, carpentry

Reflexive verbs

Of all the formal signs, the transitivity and intransitivity of the verb are best distinguished by the postfixes -ca — / — сь-. Once upon a time they were forms of the pronoun «myself» until they lost their independence. This origin of the postfix determined the specific name of the verbs — reflexive (the action is directed at the agent himself). Compare: wash your face и wash up.

All reflexive verbs are intransitive. And this is absolutely understandable: why use an additional noun next to them, if the transitivity of the verb is contained in the structure of the word itself?

Particularly difficult cases

Sometimes the question of how to determine the transitivity of a verb can be confusing. the difficulty lies in the fact that certain words with the meaning of action can be used in different contexts in different ways. Consider the sentences: «The child is reading a book « and «The child is already reading «.

In the first case, there is an action directed at a specific object — a book. The main purpose of the second sentence is to convey information that the child is able to perceive what has been written, that is, the verb “read” appears as intransitive. Another, more understandable example, with the word «shut up».

Compare: «Everyone fell silent at last « and «Silence a certain fact « (that is, deliberately not to mention anything).

Before determining the transitivity of a verb, it is necessary to check whether the noun next to it in the accusative case has adverbial meaning. In the sentence “We studied all night”, the nominal component is used as a temporal characteristic, and not the object on which the action is performed.

Some transitive verbs govern genitive nouns outside of negation (buy notebooks, pick berries).

In other cases, parallel forms are possible — wait for the trolleybus / trolleybuswhich are differentiated according to the certainty / uncertainty category. So, after the phrase «I’m waiting for a trolleybus» I would like to add «No. 5».

But the form of the genitive case latently indicates that the speaker himself is not completely sure what kind of vehicle he needs. Just waiting and that’s it.

A similar situation is with constructions like «drink tea / tea». The existence of two parallel forms should not be confusing. The genitive case indicates that they are going to drink exactly cup / glass tea. However, both in the first and in the second case, the transitivity of the verb takes place.

For the curious

Phrases like «walk / swim me» can often be heard from young children. Such a mistake testifies to a good sense of language that every child is endowed with.

Several centuries ago, we had many more verbs that governed nouns without prepositions in the accusative case. Now their number has decreased. Perhaps someday the transitivity of the verb in the Russian language will cease to exist altogether.

However, it is difficult to judge how true this information is, so it does not interfere with repeating the above material once again.

The division of verbs into transitive and intransitive is based on their meaning.

Transitional verbs denote an active action that is reversed, passes to an object (subject). Pointing to an object clarifies the meaning of the verb, makes it more specific (break the glass — break the enemy, build a house — make plans). The meaning of transitivity is expressed syntactically: the name of the object with transitive verbs is in the form V.p. without an excuse (write a poem, love a friend, feel joy).

!!! In the form of R. p. an object can stand in 4 main cases:

1) if the verb has a negation (do not receive letters);

2) if the object is not fully used (drank milk, ate bread);

3) if the object is undefined (We were looking for a haven);

4) if R. p. shows that the object is taken for temporary use (Let the cars go to the city).

Instead of a noun, as a direct object in a sentence, some equivalent of it can act:

a) the indefinite form of the verb (I asked him to show the book);

b) an explanatory clause (I love it when the day goes out beyond the river);

c) direct speech (He said «I will come tomorrow»);

d) substantivized unchangeable word (I bet you well).

NOTES:

1. There is a small group of transitive verbs that are usually used without an object. With them, the object is thought of as the only possible one and therefore is easily restored: plow (land), sow (grain), eat, drown, pay, smoke, drink.Such verbs are called absolutive.

2. The accusative case of the object should be distinguished from the accusative circumstance. Blames. the case of a circumstance, denoting a certain period of time or space, does not express an object. In this case, it denotes the measure of the action, that is, it acts as a circumstance, and in that case it is impossible to ask questions from the verb whom? what?,to which the direct complement (sit all day, sleep all the way).

Intransitive verbs denote an action that does not go to the object, and therefore they cannot have a direct object with them.

In addition, a group of indirectly-transitive verbs is distinguished, that is, those verbs that govern the obligatory indirect object (a noun in the indirect case with a preposition and without a preposition, except for V. p.). These verbs denote a relation to an object or a state of a subject, but do not express the transition of an action to an object: be afraid of the dark, be proud of your brother, think of victory.

It should be noted that the meaning of transitivity is closely related to the LZ of the verb. Often, the same verb in one whole LZ is transitive, and the other is intransitive (Compare: He reads the letter. — The child is four years old, and he is already reading.).

Whole semantic groups of verbs are transitive or intransitive. For example, verbs of creation or destruction, destruction of an object, as a rule, are transitive (sew a coat, break a glass).

К intransitive relate

Move verbs (run, swim), position in space (sit, hang), sound (rattle, hiss), states (be silent, hurt)

Verbs ending in —to live, to play, to live,denoting the occupation of the person named in the producing basis (be heroic, mess around, carpentry)

Verbs on -Sya(rejoice, wash)

Verbs formed from adjectives and nouns using a suffix –– (turn white, cool off).

Verbs are independent parts of speech that indicate the action of an object. They, like any part of speech, have permanent signs, that is, those that are characteristic of them in any form, no matter how they change the word. One of these properties is transitivity.

What is the transitivity of a verb, how to determine the transitivity of the intransitivity of a verb, what ways to use for this?

What is a transitive verb?

Transitive verbs denote an action that is directed at an object, «moves» to it. Such verbs have or may have words in the accusative case without a preposition.

Words with transitive verbs can also appear in the genitive case in two cases:

  • When designating a part of a whole, for example: drink milk (it is easy to replace the accusative case — drink milk).
  • If the verb has a negation: do not complete the task (it is also easy to replace with the accusative case: do not complete the task).

Difficulties can arise in determining the transitivity of a verb. How to determine the transitivity of a verb? We offer an algorithm for how this can be done.

Algorithm for determining the transitivity of a verb

  1. Find the verb. Let’s see if there are words in the sentence to which you can ask questions of the accusative case (who? What?), Such words are called direct additions. If questions are asked and the words have no preposition, then these are transitive verbs. Remember that these additions are expressed by nouns or pronouns. Examples: «I read (what?) A book.»; «I saw (whom?) Him.»
  2. If there is no direct object in the verb, then we still ask questions of the accusative case and try to find a word that would answer these questions. It was said above that transitivity is a constant sign. This means that it will be characteristic of the transitive verb without the addition. For example: He said (what?) — we can easily pick up the word (truth); «I noticed (who?) Them.» BUT: «To hurry (who? What?)» — the word is not selected, the verb is intransitive.

    “Laugh (who? What?)” Is also intransitive.

  3. If the addition to the verb is in the genitive case, does not have a preposition and denotes a part of the whole, or there is a negation in the verb, then the verb will also be transitive. For example: «Drink (what?) Water.»; “Don’t write (what?) A letter.

    «

Remember: all reflexive verbs, that is, those with the suffixes «-sya», «-s», are intransitive, since the action is not directed at something or someone, but «returns» to the subject of the action: it seems to be solved

, «Responsible» for the designation of actions. He has not only mutable signs, but also constant ones — those that do not disappear with inflection. Transitive and intransitive verbs in Russiandiffer in the presence or absence of one of these permanent signs — transitivity.

Source: https://ik-ptz.ru/literatura/ukazat-perehodnye-i-neperehodnye-glagoly-perehodnyi-glagol.html

German grammar (reference)

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Transitive and intransitive verbs. Verb control

Transitive verbsusually denote действиеperformed by a person and directed at an object / object. The addition (to which the action is directed) is in the accusative case (Akkusativ):

Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch— I put the book on the table
Sie hangt den Mantel in den Schrank— She hangs her coat in the closet
Die kinder springen ins wasser— Children jump into the water

The circumstance of the place contains an accusative preposition. It answers the question Wohin? (where? Akkusativ):

Ich lege das Buch on the material moisture meter shows you the Table— I put the book on the table
Sie hangt den Mantel in the material moisture meter shows you the Cabinet— She hangs her coat in the closet
Die kinder springen in the Water— Children jump into the water

Intransitive verbs denote result of action and have no accusative object:

Mit diesem Mittel wasche ich mein Auto — With this tool I wash my car Sie weint at each Schrei — She cries from any cry

The circumstance of the place contains a dative preposition. It answers the question Where? (where?).

For example:
Die glasses stehen in of the Kuand— Glasses are in the kitchen
Der opa sitzt im Armchair— Grandpa is sitting in a chair
them ground liegt ein Hund- There is a dog on the floor

As a rule, the object in the accusative case of the transitive verb becomes the subject of the intransitive verb:

Ich hänge das Bild an die Wand (The Wohler? Where?) — I hang a picture on the wall
Das Bild hängt an der Wand (Where? Where?) — The picture is hanging on the wall

In German, there are many related pairs from transition и intransitive verbs… In this case, the transitive verb is correct (weak), and the corresponding intransitive verb is irregular (strong).

For example:
put (put): legen-legte-gelegt / lie (lie down): liegen-lag-gelegen
questions (put): stellen-stellte-gestellt / could be shown (to stand): stehen-stand-gestanden
Hangen (hang): hängen-hängte-gehängt / Hangen (hang): hängen-hing-gehangen
etc.

Transitive verbs are indicated in the dictionary vt, non-transitive vi.

When memorizing verbs, pay great attention to verb control.

For example:
In German, verbs are distinguished verschwenden (wasting) /verschwunden (disappear)
Erverschwendet sein Geld (Akkusativ) — He is wasting money
Das Geld verschwindet in seinen Handen spurlos (datif) — Money disappears in his hands without a trace

The control of verbs is also given in the dictionary. There are no clear rules explaining which case a particular verb controls. The same applies to prepositions used with verbs.

Inconsistencies in the management of verbs with similar verbs in Russian are quite common.

For example:
Reputation me (Akkusativ) sofort an! — Call me (dative *) now!
Ich begegne ihm (Dativ) — I meet him (accusative)
Die Firma kündigte ihm (Dativ) — The firm fired him (accusative)
I agree dir zu (Dativ without a preposition) — I agree with you (preposition)
Erahnelt I seinem friend (Dativ) — He looks like his friend (preposition + blame case)

* An asterisk denotes the control of verbs in Russian

Based on the materials of the textbook by Lev Luchko

Reflexive verbs Modal verbs

Source: http://www.studygerman.ru/online/manual/verb6.html

Verb forms: transitive and intransitive

The topic of transitivity of verbs in Russian can seem complicated. But this is only at first glance. It is important to understand the topic in order, starting with a general concept. So, what is transitivity and how to define it.

Intransitive verbs

These verb forms do not transfer the action to the object. Even without the addition, they carry an understandable semantic load, while the addition only spreads it.

Take care of your pet, believe in a miracle, smile at a passer-by.
Accusative additions are always attached with a preposition only.

  • Reflexive or verb forms ending in –s and –sy are intransitive: take a closer look at the pattern, walk along the embankment, wake up with a smile.
  • The suffixes –nicha–, –е– also testify in favor of the intransitivity of the verb: dumbfounded, bother, be careful.

In terms of vocabulary, intransitive verbs express:

  • Emotional or physical state, position in space: leaning on a wall, homesick, lift off the ground.
  • Movement and process of work: run along the path, dance to the melody, work at the enterprise.
  • Manifestation of qualities: blush in public, prettier with age, be careful with the relic.

Attention! Lexically, there is no difference between transitive and intransitive verbs. The only difference is in grammatical construction. Standing close in meaning, can act in two roles, only their form will change. “Walk along the road” and “Cross the road” — the meanings are almost the same, but the phrases are constructed in different ways. This variety of language allows you to more accurately express thoughts and describe what is happening.

How to determine transitivity

  1. We choose the phrase «verb + addition».
  2. Whether there is a preposition in this phrase means intransitive.
  3. If «no», then we determine the case of the complement. If it is any case other than genitive, then it is intransitive.
  4. If the genitive case, you need to find out if there is a negation in the phrase, or an indication of an action with a part of the object. If any of this is available, then transitional. If not, intransitive.

Source: http://sklonenie-slova.ru/rus/perehodnost-glagolov

Verbes transitifs et intransitifs — Transitive and intransitive verbs in French

Transitive verbs include those whose action is directed at a person or object, i.e. after such a verb, an addition is used. In dictionaries, such verbs are indicated by letters vt.

  • If a direct object is placed after the verb, then this is a direct transitive verb (verbe transitif direct):

J’écris une lettre. — I’m writing a letter. (j’écris quoi? — writing what?)

  • If an addition with a preposition is used after the verb, then this is an indirect transitive verb (verbes transitif indirect):

J’écris à mes amis. — I am writing to my friends. (j’écris à qui? — writing to whom?)

  • Some verbs can have both direct and indirect objects:

J’écris une lettre à mes amis. — I’m writing a letter to my friends. (j’écris quoi à qui? — writing what to whom?)

  • Some verbs can be either direct transitive or indirect transitive, while, usually, the meaning of the verb changes:

1) Il a abusé son ami. — He deceived his friend.

2) Il a abusé de sa force. — He abused his power.

Verbes intransitifs — Intransitive verbs

These are verbs that express an action that is not directed towards an object. In dictionaries are indicated by the abbreviation vi… After such verbs, direct and indirect additions are not used:

Le poisson nage. — The fish swims. (it is impossible to add additions answering the questions «what, what, what», etc.)

However, intransitive verbs can have circumstances related to them (answer the questions «where, where, when, how», etc.):

Le poisson nage dans le lac. — The fish swims in the lake.

  • A large number of verbs can be both transitive and intransitive:

1) Je rentre mon vélo. — I bring my bike.

2) Je rentre chez moi. — I am going back home.

  • Some verbs are always intransitive: aller, arriver, courir, venir, pleurer, nager, voyager, etc.
  • State verbs are always intransitive: être, paraître, sembler, rester, demeurer, devenir.

Why is it necessary to know the transitivity of a verb?

The transitivity of the verb affects:

1) the possibility of using direct and indirect additions with it;

2) coordination of participles in difficult times;

3) the choice of an auxiliary verb for the formation of a complex tense.

Source: http://irgol.ru/grammaticheskij-spravochnik/verbes-transitifs-et-intransitifs-perehodnye-i-neperehodnye-gla/

How to determine the verb transitivity?

Transitivity Is a constant grammatical feature of the verb in Russian. We will learn how to determine the transitivity of a verb using an error-free algorithm.

When morphological analysis of a verb as a part of speech, it is important to correctly indicate its transitivity or intransitivity.

Before compiling an algorithm for determining this feature, let us recall what the transitivity of a verb is in the morphology of the Russian language.

What is transitivity of a verb?

The action that the verb denotes can go directly to the subject.

Let’s observe:

Nadia is carrying (what?) A basket of vegetables.

The girl drew (who?) A bunny.

The verbs «carries» and «painted» do not just denote an action, but an action that is associated with the object (bunny, basket) to which it is directed. Such verbs are called transitive. From transitive verbs, we can ask questions to whom? what?

  • catch (who?) perch;
  • feed (whom?) the goat;
  • call (whom?) you;
  • ask (whom?) you;
  • glorify (what?) the Motherland;
  • protect (what?) nature.

Their grammatical feature is the ability to attach nouns or pronouns in the form accusative without preposition.

Sometimes transitive verbs control the genitive form of a noun, if called

1.part from the whole

  • drink (what?) kvass (meaning a glass of kvass);
  • eat (what?) ice cream (that is, a serving of ice cream);

2. with a verb with negation «not»

  • not meet (what?) a train;
  • not hear (what?) news;

3.when specifying a large quantity

  • collected (what?) mushrooms;
  • picked (what?) flowers.

All other verbs are intransitive. The action they represent does not transfer to an object or a person. You can ask them any case questions:

  • R. n. I stand (at what?) by the river;
  • etc. I am happy (what?) Christmas;
  • v. n. I will ask (who?) from my mother;
  • etc. we will meet (with whom?) with friends;
  • etc. you will tell (about what?) about the trip.

Note that many nouns and pronouns with intransitive verbs have prepositions in their case form, including the accusative case. This means that a preposition in a noun is a marker of the intransitivity of the associated verb. All reflexive verbs are also intransitive, since, due to their grammatical features, they cannot transfer an action to an object.

TRANSITIONAL VERBSNON-TRANSITIONAL VERBS

carry the sled wander through the woods
see the boy stand on the bridge
write a letter help Mother
I `m studying lead a team

As a result of our reasoning, we will conclude what is the transitivity of a verb in Russian.

Transition is the ability of a verb to transfer an action to a person or object in the form of the accusative case without a preposition.

To find out whether a verb is transitive or intransitive, we suggest the following reasoning algorithm.

Sample reasoning

In accordance with the specified algorithm, we determine the transitivity of the verb in sentences.

A gray kitten lapping milk from a bowl.

The kitten (what is it doing?) Laps up.

1. The word «lapping» is a verb, as it denotes the action of an object.

2. The verb «lapping» is irrevocable (it has no postfix -sya).

3. The word «milk» depends on it:

lapping (what?) milk

4. The word «milk» has the accusative form without a preposition. This is a direct addition.

5. The verb «lapping» is transitive.

Grandpa went to the well to get water.

Grandpa (what did he do?) Went.

The word «went» is a verb.

2. The verb «went» is irreversible.

3. Nouns depend on it:

  • went (for what?) for water (etc.);
  • went (to what?) to the well (d. p.)

4. Dependent words «for water» and «to the well» have the form of instrumental and dative cases with prepositions. These are indirect additions.

5. The verb «went» is intransitive.

Listening to the violin, we find ourselves in the wonderful world of music.

We (what are we doing?) Get in.

1. The word «we hit» is a verb.

2. The verb «we get» is irreversible.

3. The noun depends on it:

we fall (into what?) the world.

4. The noun «to the world» has the accusative form with a preposition.

5. The verb «we get» is intransitive.

lesson «Transitive and intransitive verbs»

Source: https://russkiiyazyk.ru/chasti-rechi/glagol/kak-opredelit-perehodnost-glagola.html

Transitive and intransitive verbs in Russian — what is it? Examples of

In Russian, all verbs are divided into transitive and intransitive.

Transitive verbs are verbs that act on a subject. They denote an action that passes to an object. In this case, the addition is in the accusative case, without a preposition.
Example: buy is a transitive verb. I bought (what?) A gift. They bought (who?) A cat.

A verb is a part of speech that denotes an action. Verbs answer the questions what to do? what to do? For example: live, think, paint, work.

Read more about verbs in the article: What is a verb. Forms and types, conjugation of verbs

Transitive verbs are capable of manipulating direct object. The addition — a noun or a pronoun — is most often in the accusative case, without a preposition.

Examples of transitive verbs:

Defeat (whom?) The opponent
Carry (what?) A brick
See (who?) Sister
Detect (what?) Error

In some cases — with nouns and pronouns in the genitive case: drank milk, poured vodka, bought flowers.

Intransitive verbs. What is an intransitive verb. Examples of

Intransitive verbs are all other verbs of the Russian language. Their action is not directed towards the subject. They can denote movement, position in space, state.

Examples of intransitive verbs:
stand, walk, jump, doubt, worry

Intransitive verbs do not have a direct object with them, they cannot control the accusative case of a noun or pronoun.

Intransitive verbs are used with nouns or pronouns with and without prepositions in the following forms:

  1. Genitive case. Demand (what?) Respect. Drive (past what?) Past the village.

  2. Dative case. Tell (to whom?) Friends. Served (what?) The country. Miss (for what?) Homeland. Push (to what?) To think.

  3. Accusative case with a preposition. I didn’t believe (what?) In coincidences. To hit (what?) The bull’s-eye. Enter (what?) Into the room. Inspire (what?) To accomplishments.

  4. Instrumental case. Tired (with what?) Chatter. We value (what?) Friendship. Flies (over what?) Over the forest.

  5. Prepositional case: To live (in what?) In an apartment. To be located (on what?) On the hill. Swim (what?) In the pool.

All reflexive verbs are intransitive. If the verb ends in -ся or -s, then it refers to reflexive, and cannot be transitive. For example: Soon a young officer (A.S. Pushkin) appeared on one side of the street from behind a coal house.

Intransitive reflexive verbs. Examples: be offended (for what?) At a friend, be worried (for whom?) For your fate, be offended (with what?) Suspicions

doubt (what?) the answer

How to distinguish a transitive from an intransitive verb?

To find out if a verb is transitive or intransitive?

  1. Is it possible with him to add? If not, it’s definitely an intransitive verb.

  2. Determine the case. Is the accusative case good? Does the question of whom fit in with the supplement? what? If not, then

  3. Find out if there is a preposition. If there is a preposition, it is an intransitive verb.

So, if you have a verb with an object without a preposition in the accusative case (blame who? What?) — this is a transitive verb.

Source: https://www.anews.com/p/110802328-perehodnye-i-neperehodnye-glagoly-v-russkom-yazyke-chto-ehto-primery/

Verbs title

Think of all the actions you can perform. You can walk, run, and dance. You can speak, read, and write.

All of these are verbs—words that tell us what the subject of a sentence is doing.

Verbs are one of the most important parts of speech. In fact, they’re the only word that every complete sentence needs to include.

You can build a grammatically complete sentence without any nouns or adjectives, but no matter what, you need a verb.

If you want your writing to be clear and effective, you need to understand the different types of verbs and how they work.

This article will give you a complete guide to verbs to help you improve your writing.

What Is a Verb: A Simple Explanation

A verb is a word that denotes action or a state of being.

As a part of speech in grammar, a verb is the action in the sentence. Along with a noun, the verb is a critical component of a complete sentence. Somebody (noun) does something (verb).

The definition of a verb

In grammar, the doer is the subject, and the action is the predicate (the part of the sentence containing the verb and describing the subject).

Those two elements form a complete sentence: “Jim grins.”

You may want more information in your sentence, like an object: “Jim grins at Sally.”

You may add subordinate clauses: “Jim grins at Sally when she fumbles the ball.”

However complex your sentence, the verb is the action. It tells you what the subject is doing, feeling, or being.

How to Use Verbs in Writing

You use verbs every day when you talk and write. Because verbs denote action, they move every story forward.

In writing, your verb choice delivers a punch to your prose.

Using the right verb also increases readability for your audience because you don’t need to lengthen the sentence by describing the action with extra modifiers. The verb does all the work.

Here are our three favorite tips for how to use verbs well in your writing.

Tip #1: Don’t Hide Your Verbs

Don't hide your verbs

Many writers unintentionally hide their verbs by turning them into nouns accompanied by a weak verb.

Take these two sentences:

  • «We will decide tomorrow.”
  • “We will make a decision tomorrow.”

The first sentence is shorter and more direct. In the second sentence, the strong verb decide is changed into the weaker make, which dilutes the meaning.

How can you spot hidden verbs? Look for words ending in -ment, -tion, -sion, and -ance.

Also, if you’ve used weak verbs like give, have, make, reach, and take, this could be a sign of a hidden verb.

Reading through your whole document to find weak verbs takes time. ProWritingAid automatically highlights your hidden verbs so you can change them with a single click.

Tip #2: Avoid Passive Verbs

Avoid passive verbs

You could say “The ball was thrown by me” or “I threw the ball,” and both sentences mean the same thing.

However, it’s normally better to convey action and grab your reader’s attention, rather than using passive verbs like is, has, and was.

Rewording your sentences to favor active verbs instead of passive verbs will strengthen your writing.

For example, you can use a verb instead of an adjective:

  • Original Sentence: He is asleep under the tree.
  • Improved Sentence: He sleeps under the tree.

The verb sleeps is more powerful than the passive version is asleep.

Similarly, you can use a verb instead of a noun:

  • Original Sentence: She was a good writer.
  • Improved Sentence: She wrote well.

Once again, the verb wrote is more powerful than the passive version was a writer, because it conveys movement and action.

Letting active verbs do the heavy lifting in your sentence will help you convey your point in a strong and concise way.

Tip #3: Choose Specific Verbs Instead of Modifying Weak Verbs

Choose specific verbs

Some verbs in the English language are more descriptive and precise than others.

For example, the word whispered conveys more information than the word said, because it implies adverbs like quietly or furtively.

Similarly, the verb sprint conveys more information than move, because it tells the reader the specific type of movement being described.

There’s nothing wrong with using a generic verb like said, but if you want to provide more information, it’s almost always better to use a specific verb instead of modifying a weak verb.

Sometimes, this rule means replacing a generic verb and its adverb with a stronger, more specific verb. Consider the following example:

Original Sentence: She walked slowly up the stairs.

Improved Sentence: She trudged up the stairs.

Trudged is more concise and evocative than walked slowly.

Other times, this rule can also mean replacing a generic verb and a modifying phrase with a stronger verb.

  • Original Sentence: He smiled in a mean way at the new kid in class.
  • Improved Sentence: He sneered at the new kid in class.

Sneered is a more interesting way to say smiled in a mean way and will make your writing more powerful.

Keep in mind it’s okay to use phrasal verbs, which are verbs that consist of multiple words, such as break down and let go.

There’s a difference between using a phrasal verb and modifying a generic verb.

Choosing the right verb can help you say a lot more with fewer words.

ProWritingAid

Types of Verbs

There are three main types of verbs. Familiarity with verb types will help you understand when to use each type and when to avoid a verb type.

The three verb types are:

  • Action verbs (which can be transitive or intransitive)
  • Modal or helping verbs
  • Linking verbs

Let’s take a closer look at each of these verb types and how they function in a sentence.

Action Verb: Definition & Examples

When a person or thing is doing something, that’s an action verb.

Action verbs are the best ones to use in your writing to move your story forward and create tension.

Action verbs can also clarify articles and papers by indicating direct action.

Action verbs are split into two categories: transitive verbs and intransitive verbs.

1) Transitive Verbs

Transitive vs intransitive verbs

A transitive verb is always followed by a noun that receives the action, called the direct object.

Consider the sentence “I patted my dog’s head.”

The transitive verb is “patted,” and the noun that’s receiving this action is “my dog’s head,” which is the direct object of the action verb.

Sometimes an object can be indirect, such as when you’re expressing to whom the action is being done.

Consider the sentence “Mary gave Angelina a kiss on the cheek.”

The verb is “gave,” and the direct object was “a kiss.” To whom it happened was Angelina, the indirect object of the sentence.

Transitive verbs act on direct and indirect objects. Something or someone always gets affected by this type of verb.

2) Intransitive Verbs

When an action verb has no direct object, it’s called an intransitive verb. An adverb or adverb phrase can follow intransitive verbs, but there will not be a direct object.

Consider the sentence “Matthew runs away quickly.”

The verb is runs, and the phrase “away quickly” tells us more about the verb, but there is no object in the sentence to receive the action. Therefore, runs is an intransitive verb.

An easy way to tell the difference between a transitive and an intransitive verb is to ask the question, “Who or what is receiving the action from this verb?”

  • If you can name a noun that’s on the receiving end, it’s a transitive verb.
  • If you can’t name a noun, whether a direct or indirect object, then the verb is intransitive.

Either way, transitive or intransitive, active verbs lend immediacy to your sentence, drawing in the reader.

Auxiliary Verb: Definition & Examples

An auxiliary verb, also called a helping verb, modifies the action in the main verb.

Auxiliary verbs help readers to understand the main verb. They typically change the mood or tense of the main verb.

Auxiliary verbs provide hints related to the possibility of something happening (can, should, would, etc.) or time (has, did, was, etc.).

When you add auxiliary verbs to your sentence, you create verb phrases.

Auxiliary verb examples:

  • Laura is (helping verb) writing (main action verb) her life story.
  • Her story might (helping verb) be (main verb) embarrassing for some of her friends.

The following verbs always function as auxiliary verbs or helping verbs:

  • Can
  • Could
  • May
  • Might
  • Must
  • Ought to
  • Shall
  • Should
  • Will
  • Would

In addition, you can have auxiliary verbs comprising the forms of to be, to do, and to have.

Keep in mind that the following words can also serve as linking verbs (which we’ll discuss next):

  • Am
  • Are
  • Be
  • Been
  • Being
  • Did
  • Do
  • Does
  • Had
  • Has
  • Have
  • Is
  • Was
  • Were

Examples of be, do, have helping verbs in sentences:

  • Juliet is changing trains at the station.
  • Daniel had eaten everything on his plate.
  • Every cyclist does dismount at the crossing.

Linking Verb: Definition & Examples

Common linking verbs

A linking verb connects the subject of your sentence to a noun or adjective that describes your subject. The noun or adjective is called the “subject complement.”

Here are some examples:

  • My daughter is a marketing major.
  • We are your new neighbors.

The most common linking verb can be found in the various forms of to be (am, are, is, was, were, etc.). These are also called stative verbs, because they describe a state of being.

To become and to seem are always linking verbs. The following verbs, however, can sometimes be linking verbs and other times be action verbs:

  • To appear
  • To continue
  • To feel
  • To grow
  • To look
  • To prove
  • To remain
  • To sound
  • To stay
  • To smell
  • To taste
  • To turn

Here is an example of the difference between a linking verb and an action verb.

Linking: The seafood smelled off. (The linking verb smelled links seafood to off)

Action: I smelled the seafood before eating. (The action verb refers to the action of smelling)

Why Are Verbs Important?

Verbs are action words that engage your reader and help them picture what’s happening in your writing.

Choosing the right verb can elicit an emotional response, whether you’re writing academic essays or narrative fiction.

Verbs in Academic Writing

Academic writing tends to stick to more formal writing styles than fiction writing, but you still want to keep your reader’s interest and communicate your points clearly.

Whether you’re a student writing essays for class, or a professional researcher trying to publish a paper, using strong action verbs will improve your academic writing.

Look for weak verbs in your writing and try to replace them with precise and dynamic verbs.

Consider the following examples of verb choices in academic writing.

  • Original Sentence: “A recent psychological study makes it clear that children are more likely to respond to positive reinforcement than negative reinforcement.”
  • Improved Sentence: “A recent psychological study demonstrates that children are more likely to respond to positive reinforcement than negative reinforcement.”

  • Original Sentence: “This result is an example of how a single night of sleep loss can have long-term impacts on the brain.”

  • Improved Sentence: “This result illustrates how a single night of sleep loss can have long-term impacts on the brain.”

  • Original Sentence: “Her findings are in agreement with the conclusions I’ve presented in this paper.”

  • Improved Sentence: “Her findings support the conclusions I’ve presented in this paper.”

If you are new to thinking about verb use, here’s a list of 100 strong English verbs you can use to improve your essays, papers, and articles:

  • Admit
  • Advocate
  • Affirm
  • Allude
  • Analyze
  • Argue
  • Assert
  • Assess
  • Believe
  • Caution
  • Challenge
  • Clarify
  • Concede
  • Conclude
  • Condone
  • Confirm
  • Consider
  • Contemplate
  • Contend
  • Convey
  • Corroborate
  • Declare
  • Demonstrate
  • Denote
  • Deny
  • Depict
  • Derive
  • Describe
  • Determine
  • Discuss
  • Dismiss
  • Display
  • Dispute
  • Disregard
  • Dissect
  • Document
  • Emphasize
  • Endorse
  • Entail
  • Establish
  • Evaluate
  • Examine
  • Explore
  • Generate
  • Highlight
  • Hint
  • Hypothesize
  • Identify
  • Ignite
  • Ignore
  • Illustrate
  • Impact
  • Imply
  • Indicate
  • Infer
  • Influence
  • Inhibit
  • Initiate
  • Instigate
  • Interpret
  • Introduce
  • Invalidate
  • Maintain
  • Misconstrue
  • Negate
  • Observe
  • Perceive
  • Portray
  • Postulate
  • Presume
  • Promote
  • Propose
  • Provoke
  • Question
  • Recognize
  • Recommend
  • Refer
  • Refute
  • Reject
  • Represent
  • Reveal
  • Scrutinize
  • Signify
  • Speculate
  • Stimulate
  • Substantiate
  • Suggest
  • Support
  • Surface
  • Surmise
  • Theorize
  • Trigger
  • Typify
  • Uphold
  • Underscore
  • Unearth
  • Utilize
  • Validate
  • Verify
  • Yield

Verbs in Fiction Writing

Fiction writers use verbs with exactitude to prompt reader engagement, thereby sparking emotions and a desire to keep reading.

Dull verbs make for lackluster reading. Finding the right verb for your character’s action brings your story to life.

You might have heard the classic writing advice “Show, don’t tell.” Using strong verbs is a great way to show the reader what’s happening clearly and concisely.

Consider the following examples of verb choice in fiction writing.

  • Original Sentence: “Her long skirt was blown outward as she fell through the air.”
  • Improved Sentence: “Her long skirt ballooned outward as she fell through the air.”
  • Original Sentence: “The sound of his father’s last words was still running through his mind.”
  • Improved Sentence: “The sound of his father’s last words reverberated through his mind.”
  • Original Sentence: “The man in the black hat walked into the room.”
  • Improved Sentence: “The man in the black hat charged into the room.”

If you want a good starting point for stronger verbs to use, here’s a list of 100 strong verbs in English that you can use for fiction writing:

  • Absorb
  • Alter
  • Amplify
  • Balloon
  • Bash
  • Blast
  • Brood
  • Burst
  • Capture
  • Charge
  • Clasp
  • Climb
  • Clutch
  • Collide
  • Cower
  • Crash
  • Dangle
  • Dash
  • Demolish
  • Detect
  • Devour
  • Dismantle
  • Drag
  • Drip
  • Eavesdrop
  • Engage
  • Engulf
  • Enlarge
  • Ensnare
  • Envelop
  • Erase
  • Expand
  • Explore
  • Fling
  • Garble
  • Gaze
  • Glare
  • Gleam
  • Glisten
  • Glitter
  • Grasp
  • Groan
  • Growl
  • Gush
  • Hail
  • Hover
  • Ignite
  • Illuminate
  • Intertwine
  • Jostle
  • Lash
  • Leap
  • Lurch
  • Magnify
  • Mimic
  • Mystify
  • Notice
  • Obtain
  • Peek
  • Peer
  • Pinpoint
  • Plant
  • Pluck
  • Plunge
  • Prickle
  • Recite
  • Refine
  • Retreat
  • Reveal
  • Reverberate
  • Revolve
  • Saunter
  • Scamper
  • Scrape
  • Scrawl
  • Shatter
  • Shepherd
  • Shimmer
  • Shrivel
  • Skulk
  • Slink
  • Slump
  • Slurp
  • Snarl
  • Snowball
  • Sprinkle
  • Strain
  • Swell
  • Transform
  • Trim
  • Trudge
  • Uncover
  • Untangle
  • Usher
  • Veil
  • Weave
  • Wind
  • Wrestle
  • Yank

Using ProWritingAid to Strengthen Your Verbs

It’s easy to skip over weak verbs in your writing when you’re self-editing.

But, taking time to focus directly on your verbs helps ensure you’re always using the best word for your sentence.

ProWritingAid’s Thesaurus Report highlights all the verbs in your writing so you can get an overview of the strength and specificity of your word choices throughout your document.

Hover over a verb to see synonyms and click to replace weak verbs in your text with more powerful alternatives.

ProWritingAid suggesting a stronger verb than walked

Conclusion on Verbs

There you have it: our complete guide to verbs.

Here’s a quick recap of everything we’ve discussed.

Increase the power of your writing by following these three tips:

  • Don’t hide your verbs
  • Avoid passive verbs
  • Choose specific verbs instead of modifying weak verbs

The three verb types are:

  1. Action verbs (such as run, jump, and dance)

  2. Modal or helping verbs (such as can, was, and has)

  3. Linking verbs (such as to look, to feel, and to taste)

Whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, specific verbs spark emotions in your readers and keep them engrossed in your writing.

We hope this article helps you choose strong verbs to create powerful, professional prose.


Take your writing to the next level:

20 Editing Tips From Professional Writers

20 Editing Tips From Professional Writers

Whether you are writing a novel, essay, article, or email, good writing is an essential part of communicating your ideas.

This guide contains the 20 most important writing tips and techniques from a wide range of professional writers.

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