Practice Makes Perfect: Exploring Grammar - Muschla Gary Robert 2010
Author of a Classic Story
Two Kinds of Verbs
Verbs
Verbs are words that express action or state of being. Along with a subject, every sentence must have a verb.
The following tip sheets and worksheets focus on verbs and verb usage. The first tip sheet and Worksheets 3.1 through 3.10 cover action verbs, verb phrases, and linking verbs. Another tip sheet and Worksheets 3.11 and 3.12 focus on direct objects. One tip sheet and Worksheet 3.13 concentrate on nouns (predicate nominatives) and adjectives (predicate adjectives) that follow linking verbs. A tip sheet and Worksheet 3.14 concentrate on verb contractions with not. Two tip sheets and Worksheets 3.15 through 3.17 cover verb tenses. One tip sheet and Worksheets 3.18 through 3.20 cover subject and verb agreement. One tip sheet and Worksheets 3.21 through 3.23 address irregular verbs, and one tip sheet and Worksheets 3.24 and 3.25 provide added material for the verbs be and have. Finally, Worksheets 3.26 through 3.29 provide reviews of verbs.
TIP SHEET
Two Kinds of Verbs
There are two kinds of verbs in English: action and linking.
✵ An action verb tells what the subject of a sentence does or did.
Anthony plays the drums in the school band.
Elena watched a scary movie last night.
The deer ran across the field.
✵ A linking verb links, or connects, the subject of a sentence with a noun or adjective in the predicate. A word that follows a linking verb names or describes the subject. Forms of the verb be—am, is, are, was, were, being, and been—are linking verbs.
Lindsay was happy.
Joe is a great soccer player.
I am thirsty.
✵ Other verbs such as appear, become, feel, grow, sound, seem, look, and taste can also be linking verbs. To be linking verbs, these verbs must be able to take the place of a form of the verb be in a sentence.
Megan seemed shocked.
Megan was shocked.
The kittens look sleepy.
The kittens are sleepy.
✵ A verb that contains more than one word is called a verb phrase. The last word in the phrase is the main verb. All other words in the phrase are helping verbs. There are many helping verbs. Here are some of the most common: am, are, is, was, were, be, have, has, had, do, does, did, will, would, shall, should, can, could, may, might.
Kim is studying for her math test.
Bryan has finished his science report.
We will be going to Europe this summer.
3.1 Author of a Classic Story
P. L. Travers wrote Mary Poppins. What do the initials P. L. stand for?
To answer the question, find the action verb in each set of words below. Write the letter of the action verb in the space above its line number at the bottom of the page. The first letter of the author’s name is given.
