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How To Recognize Action Verbs, Helping Verbs, and Verb Phrases
A verb expresses the action of the subject.
Examples :
- The aircraft turned for an emergency landing.
- Martha remembered to call the switchboard supervisor.
Note that, a sentence may have two or more separate verbs.
e.g. The teller smiled and asked us to endorse the check.
In addition to action verbs, we also have helping verbs (sometimes called auxiliary verbs). Here are the twenty-three helping verbs :
- Was
- Were
- Is
- Am
- Are
- Be
- Being
- Been
- Has
- Had
- Have
- Do
- Does
- Did
- Shall
- Will
- Should
- Would
- May
- Might
- Must
- Can
- Could
Remember, many of these helping verbs may be used alone as the main verb.
Examples :
- I had the wrench in my tool box.
- He is strong.
Whenever a main verb is combined with one, two, or three helping verbs, a verb phrase is formed.
Examples :
- Apprenticeship applicants in the building trades are required to be in good health. (verb phrase)
- Our body shop personnel should have repaired the dents in your fender. (verb phrase)
So, when you are looking for the verb in sentences containing contractions, remember that part of the contraction may represent a verb. e.g. You've ruined the new uniforms for our employees.
've stands for have, a helping verb which is part of the verb phrase have ruined.
How To Recognize Linking Verbs
Most of verbs express physical or mental action, but some verbs help to complete a statement by linking a predicate noun (a word that stands for the same thing as the subject) or a predicate adjective (a word that describes the subject) to the subject.
Do not confuse the direct object with the predicate noun. The direct object will always be a word that applies to something different from the subject.
Example 1 :
Lassie is a dog.
The predicate noun (dog) stands for the same thing as the subject Lassie. Dog is linked to Lassie by the linking verb is.
Example 2 :
Lassie is beautiful.
The predicate adjective (beautiful) describes the subject Lassie. The verb is links Lassie and beautiful.
Example 3 :
Lassie buried a bone.
Bone does not stands for Lassie; it answers the question.
What did Lassie bury?
Bone is the direct object, and buried is not a linking verb.
Please notice that the verbs in the first two examples do not express action; they link the subject to the word following the verb. In the third example the verb buried tells what Lassie (subject) did.
Some verbs may function as either action or linking verbs.
Examples :
- Jim looked thin. (looked is a linking verb)
- Jim looked for his lab equipment. (looked is an action verb)
- Marry appeared in a television commercial. (action verb)
- Marry appeared happy. (linking verb)
The most frequently used linking verb are the various forms of the verb be (is, am, are, was, were, been). Remember that forms of be also function as helping verbs.
Examples :
- The uniform of our drivers are brown. (linking verb)
- The wages of intercity bus drivers are computed on a mileage basis. (helping verbs)
Among other words that function as linking verbs are appear, become, feel, get (when it means become), grow, remain, seem, smell, sound, and taste.