What is Verb? Types of verbs and With Examples

Verb:

The verb is a word that tells or asserts something about a person or thing. The verb comes from a Latin Word Verbum, a word that’s why it’s called because it is the most important word in a sentence. A verb often consists of more than one word.

Example:

Sara cooks food.

The boys were singing the song.

She is dancing.

In the above sentence “cooks, singing and Dancing” is the verb of the sentence that shows the action which is done by the doer or subject “Sara, the boys and she”

• There are two classes of verbs:

1. Main/ ordinary verbs……………………. Play, repeat, cook and etc
2. Auxiliary/ helping verbs…………………..be, used, can, will and etc

Main verb:

A verb that functions as the head of verbs in a sentence is called the main verb.

Example:

She saw him at the wedding.

They play football.

In the above sentences, you can clearly notice that the word “saw and play” are the Main verb that performs an action.

Auxiliary/ Helping verbs:

Verbs, which are used in forming tenses, moods and voices of other verbs are called auxiliary verbs.

Example:

She is laughing at him.

They are working hard.

In the above sentences the word “laughing and working” are the helping verbs that perform an action in the sentence.

Note: There are Eight types of verb.

1. Causative Verbs
2. Transitive verbs
3. Intransitive verbs
4. Ditransitive verbs
5. Dynamic Verbs
6. Regular verbs
7. Irregular verbs
8. Phrasal verbs

1.  Causative verbs:

We use causative verbs when we don’t carry out an action ourselves but are responsible for the action being performed OR causative verbs indicate that we don’t do an action, but get it done by someone else.

Example:

I made my sister polish my shoes.

He forced them to work hard.

The most common causative verbs are:

(Allow, force, get, make, have, let, help)

The causative verbs which are followed by an object+ full infinitive.

 Force: means to compel somebody to perform something.

Allow: means to permit somebody to perform something.

Get means to cause or persuade somebody to perform something.

Example:

I get my brother to wash my clothes.

Ali allows his sister to go to the party.

In the above sentences u can see the word “to+ verb – to+ wash and to+ go” is the causative verbs followed by a full infinitive.

The causative verbs which are followed by object+ bara infinitive.

Make means to convince somebody to perform something.

Have means agreement.

Let means to permit somebody to perform something.

Example:

The parents shouldn’t let their children watch the movie.

She made her best friend enjoy the party.

The above sentences show the word “watch and enjoy” are the causative verbs followed by a bare infinitive.

2. Transitive verb:

Those verbs which need objects for their complete meaning is called transitive verbs.

Example:

He is eating a banana.

We watch TV every Saturday.

In the sentences, the words “eating and watch” are transitive verbs performing or completing the action.

3. Intransitive verb:

Those verbs which don’t need objects for their complete meaning is called intransitive verbs.

Example:

Sun rises in the east.

Birds fly.

She is sleeping.

In the above sentences the words “rises, fly, sleeping” shows intransitive verbs that perform the action.

4. Ditransitive verb:

The verbs which need direct and indirect objects are called ditransitive verbs.

Example:

I was asking him a question.

They told her about you.

In the 1st sentence, it shows that the person directly ask the person question and in the 2nd sentence it shows that the person indirectly talked about the 2nd person in front of the third person.

5. Dynamic verb:

The verb in which there is an action progressive or continued on the part of the subject is called a dynamic verb.

Example:

She is writing a letter.

He will do it.

6. Regular verb:

Verbs form their past tense and past participle by adding “ed”

Base Form	Past Tense	Past Participle
walk	Walked	Walked
Laugh	Laughed	Laughed
Paint	Painted	Painted
Watch	Watched	Watched
Play	Played	Played
Marry	Married	Married
Die	Died	Died

7. Irregular verbs:

Verbs that form their past tense and past participle in a different way from adding “ed”

Base Form	Past Tense	Past Participle
Sit	Sat	Sat
Ring	Rang	Rung
Come	Came	Come

We have three types of irregular verbs. 

1. Verbs in which all three forms are the same.

 Example: cut  –  cut  –  cut

put –  put –  put

2. Verbs in which two of the three forms are the same.

Example:  sit  –  sat – sat

dig – dug – dug

3. Verbs in which all the three forms are different.

Example: ring – rang – rung

grow – grew – grown

8. Phrasal verb:

Verbs are mainly used in spoken English and informal texts. Phrasal verbs consist of a verb and a particle preposition and adverb. The particle can change the meaning of the verb completely.

Example:

We broke up two years ago.

Look for – seek (look for her ring)

Look forward – anticipate with pleasure (look forward to meeting someone)

The position of the particle:

In some cases, the particle is placed either after the verb or after the object.

Example:

Write down the word.

Write the word down.

If the object is the pronoun, however, the particle has to be placed after the pronoun (object)

Write it down.

Put it down.

Take it off.