Let’s look back and make certain we all understand the five kinds of verbs.

Broadly, we have
two groups of main verbs, action and no-action, which further break down into four types of
main verbs.
Action Verbs
1. Transitive verbs are those action verbs that can have a noun attached directly to them, as
in write book, hit ball, or answer questions.
2. Intransitive verbs are those action verbs that cannot attach directly to a noun; they need
the help of a preposition, as in walk to the store, comply with the
regulations, proceed with the inquiry.

No-Action Verbs
3. The verb to be can serve either as a main verb or as an auxiliary verb. When it acts as a
main verb, it typically couples a grammatical subject with an adjective (predicate adjective),
as in John is big or The sunset is beautiful. Or it couples a grammatical subject
with another noun (predicate noun), as in Mary is president or War is hell.

Or it might couple a grammatical subject with a phrase, as in

The book is on the table
or
He is from the South.

When it acts as an auxiliary verb, the verb to be forms the progressive tense, as in We are
studying grammar, or the passive voice, as in The ball was hit by John.

4. Linking verbs are non-be verbs that link a grammatical subject to

an adjective (Watermelon tastes good), to a noun (She seems an honest woman), or to
a phrase (He looks out of sorts).

Those are the four types of main verbs: (1) action transitive, (2) action intransitive,
(3) no-action to be, and (4) no-action linking.

5. The fifth kind of verb is not a main verb, but an (5) auxiliary verb, also called a helping
verb. It does not form a sentence all by itself. Instead, it hooks up with a main verb
and helps it show various tenses or conditions or states, as in By the time I arrived,
he had completed the assignment.

The imperative - Easy Learning Grammar

Commands and orders
The imperative is used to give commands and orders. The form of the verb used for the imperative
is the base form of the main verb, which is used without a subject.
  Walk to the corner, turn right, and cross the road.
 Open your mouth and say ‘Aaaah’.
 Although the main feature of sentences in the imperative is that they have no grammatical subject, they do
have an understood subject, ‘you’.
The basic form of the imperative remains the same whether it is addressed to one or more people.
 Come on, Mary; I’m waiting.
 Come on, girls; you’re late.
There is also a special type of imperative, using let’s, that is used when you need to include the
speaker. See The imperative.The word order of a sentence in the imperative is: verb + object (if
needed).The negative imperative is made with do + not or don’t.
 Don’t lose that key.
 Do not come back without it!
The uses of the imperative are as follows:
 to give an order.
 Go away.
 Stop that.
 Keep quiet.
 to give instructions.
 Don’t use this spray near a naked flame.
 Apply the glue thinly and leave it for ten minutes.
 to give advice or warnings.
 Don’t forget to take your passport with you.
 Be careful!
 Don’t go on the ice.
 to make an offer or an invitation.
 Have a piece of cake.
 Come round and see me some time.
The imperative of do + a main verb can be used:
 for polite emphasis.
 Do take your coat off.
 to be persuasive.
 Do try to eat a little of this; it will be good for you.
 to show irritation.
 Do stop talking! I’m trying to work.
 Note that the imperative is not the only way to form a command or an order. You can also issue a command
when you use a sentence in the declarative or the interrogative.
 I’m certainly not going to get it – you get it.
 Would you get it, then? I’m busy.

Making suggestions
Let’s (let + us) + main verb is used in the 1st person plural only, especially when you are trying to
encourage someone to do something with you.It includes both the speaker and the hearer, so the
subject that is understood is represented by the plural we.
 Let’s visit Malcolm this weekend.
 Please let’s go to the cinema tonight.
  Do let’s have a look at your new computer, Chris.
 Let’s pool our resources.
 Suggestions which start with let’s often end with the sentence tag shall we?
 Let’s phone her now, shall we?
 Let’s go for a walk after supper, shall we?
In ordinary English the negative is let’s not + main verb or sometimes don’t let’s + main verb.
 Let’s not worry about that now.
 Don’t let’s worry about that now.
In formal English, the negative is let us not + main verb.
 Let us not lose sight of our aims.
Do let’s is the emphatic form.
 It’s a very good bargain; do let’s buy it!
 The uncontracted form let us + main verb is occasionally used in formal and written English.
 Let us be clear about this.
 Let us hope that this will never happen again.
The answer to a suggestion with let’s is normally either, yes, let’s or no, let’s not or sometimes, no,
don’t let’s (…).
 Let’s phone her now, shall we? – Yes, let’s.
 Let’s phone her now, shall we? – No, let’s not.
 Let’s invite Malcolm over this weekend. – No, don’t let’s do that.

What is a verb?
Verbs are the action words in a sentence that describe what the subject is doing. Along
with nouns, verbs are the main part of a sentence or phrase, telling a story about what is
taking place. In fact, without a verb, full thoughts can’t be properly conveyed, and even the
simplest sentences, such as Maria sings, have one. Actually, a verb can be a sentence
by itself, with the subject, in most case you, implied, such as, Sing! and Drive!
When learning the rules of grammar, schoolchildren are often taught that verbs are ‘doing’
words, meaning they signify the part of the sentence which explains the action taking
place: He ran away, she eats chocolate cake on Sundays, the horses gallop across the
fields. Ran, eats and gallop are the ‘action’ parts of those sentences, thus they are the
verbs. However, it can be confusing because not all verbs are easily identifiable as
action: I know your name, Jack thought about it, we considered several applications.
These are non-action verbs, i.e. those that describe a state of being, emotion, possession,
sense or opinion. Other non-action verbs include include love, agree, feel, am, and have.
How to Recognize a Verb
As you can see from the examples above, one clue to help you recognize a verb is its
location compared to the subject. Verbs almost always come after a noun or pronoun.
These nouns and pronouns are referred to as the subject. The verb thought comes after
the noun Jack, so the action Jack (subject) was taking was thinking (verb).
1. Mark eats his dinner quickly.
2. We went to the market.
3. You write neatly in your notebook.
4. They thought about all the prizes in the competition.
Here are some other ways to recognize verbs in a sentence:
1. If you’re not sure if a word is a verb, ask yourself, “Can I do ______?”
Can I think, wonder, walk, yawn? Yes, so these are verbs.
2. You can also ask, ”What is happening?”
In the sentence Mark eats his dinner quickly, what is happening? Eating is happening, so
eating is the verb.
In the sentence They thought about all the prizes what is happening? Thought (thinking) is
happening, so thought is the verb.

Verbs – Definition and Examples

Physical verbs are action verbs. They describe specific physical actions. If you can create
a motion with your body or use a tool to complete an action, the word you use to describe
it is most likely a physical verb. For example, Joe sat in his chair, the
dog breathes quickly after she chases her ball, and should we vote in the election? Even
when the action isn’t very active, if the action is done by the body or a tool, consider it a
physical verb.

Physical Verb Examples

The physical verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
 Let’s run to the corner and back.
 I hear the train coming.
 Call me when you’re finished with class.

Mental Verbs – Definition and Examples

Mental verbs have meanings that are related to concepts such as discovering,
understanding, thinking, or planning. In general, a mental verb refers to a cognitive state.

Mental Verb – Definition and Examples

Mental verbs have meanings that are related to concepts such as discovering,
understanding, thinking, or planning. In general, a mental verb refers to a cognitive state.

Mental Verb Examples

The mental verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
 I know the answer.
 She recognized me from across the room.
 Do you believe everything people tell you?

States of Being Verbs – Definition and Examples

Also known as linking verbs, state of being verbs describe conditions or situations that
exist. State of being verbs are inactive since no action is being performed. These verbs,
forms of to be, such as am, is, are, are usually complemented by adjectives.
 States of Being Verb Examples
The state of being verbs in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
 I am a student.
 We are circus performers.
 Please is quiet.

Types of Verbs
There are many types of verbs. In addition to the main categories of physical verbs,
mental verbs, and state of being verbs, there are several other types of verbs. In fact,
there are more than ten different types of verbs that are grouped together by function.

List of all Verb Types

Action Verbs
Action verbs express specific actions and are used any time you want to show action or
discuss someone doing something. It’s important to remember that the action does not
have to be physical.
Action verb examples:
1. Run 6. Do
2. Dance 7. Go
3. Slide 8. Stand
4. Jump 9. Smile
5. Think 10. Listen.
The action verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
I run faster than David.
He does it well.
She thinks about poetry all day long
Transitive Verbs
Transitive verbs are action verbs that always express doable activities that relate or affect
someone or something else. These other things are generally direct objects, nouns or
pronouns that are affected by the verb, though some verbs can also take an indirect
object, such as show, take, and make. In a sentence with a transitive verb, someone or
something receives the action of the verb.
Transitive verb examples:
1. Love
2. Respect
3. Tolerate
4. Believe
5. Maintain.
The transitive verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
Gary ate the cookies.
 The transitive verb is ate, Gary is the subject, because it is Gary who is doing the eating,
and the cookies are the direct object, because it is the cookies that are being eaten. Other
examples:
He kicked John.
John punches him.
They sold the tickets.
Examples of verbs used with both direct and indirect objects:
They sell him the tickets.
In this sentence, the tickets are the direct object while him is the indirect object.
Mary baked her mother a pie.
In this sentence, a pie is the direct object while her mother is the indirect object.
Intransitive Verbs
Intransitive verbs are action verbs that always express doable activities. They are different
from transitive verbs because there is no direct object following an intransitive verb.
Intransitive verb examples:
1. Walk
2. Laugh
3. Cough
4. Play
5. Run
The intransitive verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy
identification.

We travelled to London.
The intransitive verb is travelled, the subject is we, because we are doing the travelling,
but London is not a direct object because London is not receiving the action of the verb.
Other examples:
I sneeze in the morning.
He arrived with moments to spare.
Kathryn sat away from the others.
John eats before leaving for school.
The last example shows that the verb eats can be both transitive and intransitive
depending on whether there is a direct object or not. If the sentence read: John eats the
cookies before leaving for school, eats would be transitive as there is a direct object – the
cookies.
By the way, some verbs can be both transitive and intransitive. These verbs include: start,
leave, change, live, stop.
Auxiliary Verbs
Auxiliary verbs are also known as helping verbs and are used together with a main verb to
show the verb’s tense or to form a question or negative. Common examples of auxiliary
 verbs include have, might, will. These auxiliary verbs give some context to the main verb,
for example, letting the reader know when the action took place.
Auxiliary verb examples:
1. Would
2. Should
3. Do
4. Can
5. Did
6. Could
7. May
The auxiliary verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
I will go home after football practice.
The auxiliary verb will is telling us that the action of the main verb go is going to take
place in the future – after football practice has ended. If the auxiliary verb will was
removed, we get the sentence:
I go home after football practice.
In this case, there is no definite time frame for the action. The sentence suggests that
going home after football practice is just something the subject I generally does. Other
examples:
I may dance with you later.
We did consider Bryan’s feelings.
Jenny has spoken her final words.
In addition, we can sometimes use the auxiliary very before the pronoun to make a
question:
Might you dance with me later?
Did we consider Bryan’s feelings?
Has Jenny spoken her final words?
Also, auxiliary verbs are used to help form negative statements, with the use of words
like not and never. These will usually split the auxiliary and main verbs:
I may never dance with you again.
We did not consider Bryan’s feelings.
Jenny has not spoken her final words.
Stative Verbs
Stative verbs can be recognized because they express a state rather than an action.
They typically relate to thoughts, emotions, relationships, senses, states of being,
and measurements. The best way to think about stative verbs is that they are verbs that
describe things that are not actions. The stative verbs are all expressing a state: A state of
doubting, a state of believing, a state of wanting. These states of being are often
temporary.
The stative verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
 The doctor disagrees with your analysis.
Disagree is a stative verb here, as it describes the doctor’s state of being – disagreement.
John doubts the doctor’s opinion.
I believe the doctor is right.
She wanted another opinion.
Modal Verbs
Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that are used to express abilities, possibilities,
permissions, and obligations.
Modal verb examples:
1. Can
2. Must
3. May
4. Should
5. Would
The modal verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
He can shoot a three-point shot easily.
The auxiliary verb can is expressing an ability, suggesting that shooting a three-point shot
is a skill the subject possesses.
Please note that in the case of should and must in the examples below, the modal verbs
are expressing obligations, whereas would and may are expressing possibilities.
I should go home.
You must not delay.
Sally would not recommend the sushi.
David may be late.
Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs aren’t single words; instead, they are combinations of words that are used
together to take on a different meaning to that of the original verb. There are many
examples of phrasal verbs, some of which have colloquial meanings, such as make up,
hand in, bring up, point out, look forward to. Each time the verb takes the extra word(s) it
takes on a new meaning. For example, make without the up expresses that something is
being created, whereas with make up, the suggestion is that there are some lies or a
fantastical element to the story and make out can mean either to grasp or see something
difficult, or to kiss passionately.
Phrasal verb examples:
1. Run out
2. Go all out
3. Make out
4. Hand out
5. Bring out
6. Face up
7. Think through
The phrasal verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
Mary looked forward to her high school reunion.
The verb looked has taken on forward to to become a phrasal verb meaning to be excited
about or eagerly await something.
He brought up the same points again and again.
Leroy handed in the wallet to the police.
I make up stories all the time.
She pointed out Donald’s mistake.
Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs are those that don’t take on the regular spelling patterns of past simple and
past participle verbs. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of irregular verbs in the English
language. But don’t worry, while many are used often, the majority are not in common
usage – or if they are, you will use them so often you will learn them quickly. Some of the
most common irregular verbs include: say, make, go, take, come, know and see.
Irregular verb examples:
1. Eat 7. Lay
2. Think 8. Catch
3. Bring 9. Drive
4. Hold 10. Paid
5. Bear 11. Feel
6. Buy 12. Redo
The irregular verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
I take my time when I go to the shops (present tense)
I took my time when I went to the shops (past tense)
Julie makes cake for the classroom (present tense)
Julie made a cake for the classroom (past tense)
She sees a silhouette shaped like a man in the window (present tense)
She saw a silhouette shaped like a man in the window (past tense)
We come to Aunt Jane’s for Thanksgiving each year (present tense)
We came to Aunt Jane’s for Thanksgiving each year (past tense).
You should also remember that auxiliary verbs ‘do’ and ‘have’ are also irregular verbs:
I do agree.
He does it often.
We have done our homework early.
They do their homework on Fridays.
I have a suspicion about Fran
Fran has a devious look.
We have no money left.
They have had a cough twice this winter.