English Grammar Understanding the Basics - Evelyn P. Altenberg, Robert M. Vago 2010

Lesson 7: Identifying verbs
Unit 2: Verbs
Part I: Kinds of words

What’s a verb? Verbs are words that usually express an action. Here are two easy ways to identify a verb; you can use either one.

Quick tip 7.1

If a word can have should in front of it and the phrase sounds complete, the word is a verb. Examples: should leave, should sail, should discover, should complain. Leave, sail, discover, and complain are all verbs.

Quick tip 7.2

If a word can have to in front of it and the phrase sounds complete, it’s a verb. Examples: to leave, to sail, to discover, to complain. Leave, sail, discover, and complain are all verbs. (Note that we’re not talking here about two, too, or the to that indicates direction, as in Let's go to the park.)

Here are some examples of verbs. You can see that they all meet the test with should and the test with to.

In contrast, the following words do not pass the should or to test:

Thus, coffee, beautiful, hardly, and under are not verbs.

Test yourself 7.1

Which of the following words are verbs? See if they sound like a complete unit when you put the word here: should ... or to ... . Check the appropriate column.

Getting started (answers on p. 41)

1. defend

2. include

3. largest

4. how

5. learn

More practice (answers on the website)

6. sightsee

7. unbelievably

8. look

9. grow

10. ambitious

Test yourself 7.2

Underline the verbs in these phrases. Test each word to see if it sounds like a complete unit when you put the word here: should ... or to ...

Sample: should really think

Getting started (answers on p. 41)

1. must not worry

2. might keep

3. wish for peace

4. may sometimes cook

5. will travel

More practice (answers on the website)

6. can usually sleep late

7. won’t go home

8. would like guidance

9. could never build

10. shall do