DEVAN’S CLASSES | VERBS MATERIAL

What are Verbs?

Verbs are words which convey actions, events and states of people or things.

Function of Verbs
1. What a person or thing does. (Active voice)

Examples: Professor Verma teaches in a university

She usually goes to the U.S. during summer.

2. What is done to a person or a thing. (Passive voice)

Examples: Mr. Sharma was rewarded for his outstanding contribution to the field of English Language
Teaching Vikram was killed in an accident recently.

3. What a person or thing is. (be as a regular/ordinary verb is used to described what a person is)

Examples: He was a school teacher before he became a lecturer.

My sister is a doctor.

Classes of Verbs
There are two classes of verbs:

1. Helping verbs, also known as auxiliary verbs

2. Transitive and intransitive verbs

Helping Verbs or Auxiliary Verbs

Forms of the verb be: is, was, been, am, are, were, being

Forms of the verb have: has, have, had, having

Forms of the verb do: do, does, did, done, doing

Modals or modal auxiliaries: can, could, shall, should, will, would, may, might, dare, ought (Meaning:
should)

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

1. Transitive verbs: Transit means to move. The action of transitive verbs passes over to the object.

Examples: Rajeev writes short notes in his diary every day.

His wife teaches him how to cook.

2. Intransitive verbs: The action of the intransitive verbs does not pass over to the object. It goes back
to the subject.

Examples: work, smile, sleep. These verbs cannot be changed into passive voice

Look at these examples: He worked very hand the whole day.

She smiled at me.

He slept the whole night peacefully.

His sister cried a lot.

The manager attended on time.

These verbs do not make grammatical, logical and meaningful sentences if changed into passive voice.

Note: Only the transitive verbs can be used in passive voice.

Types of Verbs
1. Finite verbs

2. Non-finite verbs

Finite Verbs
The finite verb has a subject of its own and is limited by the person and the number of the subject.
Transitive and intransitive verbs fall within the category of finite verbs.

Example: Sania is playing tennis now. (In this sentence, Sania is the subject and she is the one
performing the action described by the verb playing.)

Professors were discussing this issue. (In this sentence, professors is the subject and they are performing
the actions described by the verb discussing)

Non-finite Verbs
Non-finite verbs are not limited by the person and the number of any subject. They are used without
mentioning any subject.

Non-finite verbs are of three kinds:

1. Infinitive: The infinitive is the base form of a verb. In English, when we talk about the infinitive, we
are usually referring to the present infinitive, which is the most common. The infinitive has two forms:

• to-infinitive to=+ base verb

 • zero infinitive = base verb

The present infinitive base is the verb form we find in a dictionary

Example: He goes to Delhi to see his parents

To-infinitive Zero infinitive

to talk talk

to study study

to have have

to recall recall

2. Participle: A participle is a word formed from a verb which can be used as an adjective of a noun or as
a part the past or present tense, along with a helping verb.

Example: The smoking gun in his hand was a dead giveaway (adjective).

I am studying for UPSC. (a part of the present continuous tense)

My father fixed the broken window. (adjective)

She is crying because the doll has been taken away from her. (a part of the present perfect tense)

The two types of participles are the present participle (ending with-ing) and the past participle (usually
ending in -ed, -d, -t, -en, or -n). Here are some participles being used as adjectives:

Base Form of the Verb The Past Participle The Present Participle

rise risen rising sun

filter filtered filtering

break broken breaking

cook cooked cooking

3. Gerund: The gerund looks exactly the same as a present participle, but it is important to know the
difference between the two. The gerund always has the same function as a noun although it always
looks like a verb.

Examples: Smoking is strictly prohibited in airports.

Hunting tigers is an offence.

Flying makes me nervous.

Brushing your teeth twice in a day is important.

Forms of Verbs
All commonly used verbs (except for the verb be) have three, four or five forms. Here's a table showing
the different forms.

Verbs Work Sing Do Be

(Regular Verb) (Irregular Verb) (Irregular Verb) (Irregular Verb)

Base (V1) Work Sing Do Be

Simple past (V2) Worked Sang Did Was, Were

Past participle (V3) Worked Sung Done Been

Present Participle Working Singing Doing Being

(V4)

3rd person singular Works Sings Does Am, Are, Is

present simple (V5)

Number of forms 4 5 5 8

Syntax Guidelines: Subject-Verb Agreement

In the case of finite verbs, the verb needs to 'agree with the subject. This means that it needs to
correspond to the person (first, second or third), tense (past, present or future) and number of the
subject. Some rules for subject-verb agreement are provided below.
1. When two subjects are joined by and, the verb is plural.

Example: My friend and his father often go abroad.

2. When two singular nouns joined by and refer to the same person or thing, the verb is singular.

Examples: Ravi Ghosh, Director and Marketing Manager of Corps India Ltd, has been arrested. (Here,

Ravi Ghosh is both the director and marketing manager.)

The Chief Executive Officer and Team Leader is on leave today.

Be Careful! Notice that the is used only once when the two nouns refer to the same person or thing.

If the two nouns refer to different persons or things, the article the is used before each noun. In such
case the verb will be in the plural form.

Example: The secretary and the president have been given a warm welcome.

3. If two different singular nouns express one idea, the verb should be in the singular form.

Examples: Bread and milk is good for breakfast. (Here, bread and milk refers to one dish.)

Rice and curry is my favourite dish.

4. When two singular subjects are practically synonymous the verb should be in the singular form.

Examples: The law and order situation in the state is under control.

His name and fame is on the decline.

5. If two singular subjects (combined by and) are preceded by each or every, the verb should be in the
singular.

Example: Every man and woman was present in the office yesterday.

6. When the subjects joined by either...or/neither..nor are of different persons, the verb will agree
with the person and number which is nearest to it. Also, if one subject is plural, then the plural subject
must be placed nearest to the verb.

Examples: Either Ramesh or Suresh has done this mischief

Either the Chief Minister or the Cabinet Ministers are responsible for this problem.

Either you or I am responsible for this mistake.

7. If with, together with, as well as and accompanied by are used to combine two subjects, the verb
agrees with the subject mentioned first.

Examples: The Chief Minister of Telangana, together with his personal secretaries, is invited to this
function.

Prof Radhakrishnan, accompanied by wife and children, is arriving tonight by train.

Sandhya, as well as Priya, is our professor's daughters.

8. If the conjunction and is used instead, the verb would then be plural.

Examples: Sandhya and Priya are our professor's daughters.