Verbs – JSS1 English Lesson Note (Third Term)

A verb is a word that shows an action, an occurrence or a state of being.

• Physical action: run, write, jump.
• Mental action: know, think, believe.
• State of being: am, is, are.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. explain what a verb is;
2. identify physical verbs, mental verbs and state-of-being verbs in sentences;
3. distinguish between transitive and intransitive verbs;
4. recognise auxiliary, stative, modal, phrasal and irregular verbs and use them in sentences.

What is a verb?

A verb is a word that shows an action, an occurrence or a state of being.

• Main part of a sentence: a sentence or a question cannot be formed without a verb.
• Kinds of action: the verb can show a mental, physical or mechanical action.
• How to find it: ask “What is the subject doing?” or “What is the subject?”

What are the three main groups of verbs?

The three main groups of verbs are physical verbs, mental verbs and state-of-being verbs.

What are physical verbs?

Physical verbs are action verbs that describe specific physical actions.

• Body test: if you can do it with your body, the word is most likely a physical verb.
• Tool test: if you use a tool to do it, the word is also a physical verb.

Examples of physical verbs

The physical verbs in these sentences are in bold.

1. Let’s run to the corner and back.
2. I hear the train coming.
3. Call me when you are finished with class.

What are mental verbs?

Mental verbs are verbs that refer to knowing, understanding, thinking or planning.

• Meaning: a mental verb refers to a state of the mind.
• Other examples: think, remember, forget, plan, understand.

Examples of mental verbs

The mental verbs in these sentences are in bold.

1. I know the answer.
2. She recognised me from across the room.
3. Do you believe everything people tell you?

What are state-of-being verbs?

State-of-being verbs, also called linking verbs, describe conditions or situations that exist.

• No action: they are inactive because nobody is doing anything.
• Forms of “be”: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been.
• Other linking verbs: seem and become, as in “He became tired”.
• What follows them: they are usually completed by a noun or an adjective.

Examples of state-of-being verbs

The state-of-being verbs in these sentences are in bold.

1. I am a student.
2. We are circus performers.
3. Please be quiet.
4. She is a doctor.

What are the other types of verbs?

Verbs can also be grouped by function, and this note covers eight types: action, transitive, intransitive, auxiliary, stative, modal, phrasal and irregular verbs.

Action verbs

Action verbs express specific actions, used when someone is doing something.

• Examples: dance, jump, write, run.
• Sentence: I am dancing.

Transitive verbs

A transitive verb is a verb that needs a direct object to receive its action.

• Direct object: the person or thing that receives the action.
• Test: ask “what?” or “whom?” after the verb, and there is an answer.
• She gave me my book.
• Bolu killed a snake.

Intransitive verbs

An intransitive verb is a verb that does not take a direct object.

• Test: asking “what?” or “whom?” after the verb gives no answer.
• She slept soundly.
• Jesus wept.
• The baby cried.

What is the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs?

The difference is whether the verb has a direct object.

• Note: some verbs can be both, as in “She rang the bell” (transitive) and “The bell rang” (intransitive).

Auxiliary verbs

Auxiliary verbs, also called helping verbs, are used with a main verb to show tense or to form a question or a negative.

• Common auxiliaries: be (am, is, are), do (do, does, did), have (has, have, had), will, shall.
• Tense: I will give you my note.
• Continuous action: I am going to the market.
• Future: I shall see you tomorrow.
• Question: Do you like rice?
• Negative: I do not know him.

Stative verbs

Stative verbs express a state rather than an action, and they are not normally used in the progressive (continuous) form.

• They relate to: thoughts, emotions, relationships, senses, states of being and measurements.
• Examples: hear, smell, feel, understand, see, know, love, want.
• I am hearing you (wrong). I can hear you (right).
• Are you understanding me? (wrong) Do you understand me? (right)

Modal verbs

Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that express ability, possibility, permission and obligation.

• Common modals: can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must, ought to.
• Ability: I can swim.
• Possibility: It might rain.
• Permission: May I come in?
• Obligation: You must obey the rules.
• Future: I will visit you later.
• Form: a modal is followed by the base form of a main verb.

Phrasal verbs

A phrasal verb is a verb joined to a preposition or an adverb, and the group has a new meaning.

• Not single words: they are made of two or more words.
• put off: delay something.
• give up: stop trying.
• look after: take care of.
• sit up: as in “You need to sit up academically”, meaning to work more seriously.

Irregular verbs

An irregular verb is a verb whose past simple and past participle do not end in “ed”.

• Regular verb: walk, walked, walked.
• Irregular verb: sleep, slept, slept.
• Sentence: I slept soundly last night.

Evaluation

1. What is a verb?
2. Name the three main categories of verbs and give one example of each.
3. What is the difference between a transitive verb and an intransitive verb? Give one example of each.
4. Correct this sentence: “Are you understanding me?” Give a reason for your answer.
5. Write the past simple and past participle of the verb “sleep”. What type of verb is it?

Assignment

Write one sentence each for a physical verb, a mental verb, a state-of-being verb, a transitive verb and an intransitive verb. Underline the verb in each sentence.

References

• English Grammar
• Student Companion