Notes in English
Verbs : Lecture and Practice Test
VERBS
Verbs indicate the central action or essential being of their subject. Their function is to state what
the subject does (Accountant compute taxes) or what its condition is ( The laborers are restless).
Verbs identified through any of the following signals:
A. Inflectional suffixes
1. Third person present tense marker – s as in cuts, labors.
Ex. The cook cuts the fish into two parts.
The woman labors hard.
2. Past tense marker – ed as in attacked, designed
Ex. The men attacked the enemy.
She designed the whole building
3. Present participle marker – ing as in outlining, dropping.
Ex. Her next job is outlining the story.
What the chickens need is dropping the bread bit by bit.
B. Derivational Suffixes
1. Addition of - en to nouns as in haste – hasten, strength – strengthen
Ex. Please hasten your work. It’s getting late.
We have to strengthen our character nowadays.
2. Addition of – fy, ify, efy to nouns as in beauty – beautify; pure – purify
Ex. We should beautify our homes.
We must purify water to make it safe.
3. Addition of - ze, ise to nouns as standard – standardize, category- categorize.
Ex. They agreed that teaching should be standardized.
She categorizes us as her equals.
C. Position in the sentence
1. After a noun.
Ex. The women are knitting.
2. Before a noun
Ex. She knitted the blouse.
3. After words like please, kindly, never, etc.
Ex. Please thread the needle.
4. At the beginning of a sentence.
Ex. Pack your things right now.
, D. Auxiliaries
1. The following auxiliaries are followed by the present form of the verb can, could,
will, would, may, might, do, does, did, shall should.
Ex. He can sing.
He can sing again.
He could sing before he got sick.
2. The following are followed by the present participle form of the verb: am, is, are,
was, were.
Ex. I am getting old.
She is going to pay me back.
The men were coming fast.
3. The following are followed by the past participle form of the verb: am, is, are, was,
were, have, had, has.
Ex. Rice is measured by gantas.
They have gone home already.
The dresses were fitted suitably.
EXERCISES
A. Identify the verbs in the following sentences.
1. The accountant will come tomorrow to submit the report.
2. They announced that there wouldn’t be classes tomorrow.
3. It is agreed that everyone will report next week.
4. They need four carpenters.
5. She is going to introduce us.
6. Everybody seems to love her.
7. I appreciate your efforts very much.
8. The Dean will require him to present a clearance.
9. Good shoes are made in Marikina.
10. She couldn’t stand the motion of the ship.
Types of Verbs:
I. According to Usage
1. The transitive verb (TV) carries over the action from a doer to a receiver. It needs
a receiver of the action or direct object.
Ex. We learned several types of stitches.
She gave me a picture.
He likes girls.
2. The intransitive verb (IV) does not carry over any action from the doer to another
person or thing. It does not need an object to complete its meaning.
Ex. She works fast.
Verbs : Lecture and Practice Test
VERBS
Verbs indicate the central action or essential being of their subject. Their function is to state what
the subject does (Accountant compute taxes) or what its condition is ( The laborers are restless).
Verbs identified through any of the following signals:
A. Inflectional suffixes
1. Third person present tense marker – s as in cuts, labors.
Ex. The cook cuts the fish into two parts.
The woman labors hard.
2. Past tense marker – ed as in attacked, designed
Ex. The men attacked the enemy.
She designed the whole building
3. Present participle marker – ing as in outlining, dropping.
Ex. Her next job is outlining the story.
What the chickens need is dropping the bread bit by bit.
B. Derivational Suffixes
1. Addition of - en to nouns as in haste – hasten, strength – strengthen
Ex. Please hasten your work. It’s getting late.
We have to strengthen our character nowadays.
2. Addition of – fy, ify, efy to nouns as in beauty – beautify; pure – purify
Ex. We should beautify our homes.
We must purify water to make it safe.
3. Addition of - ze, ise to nouns as standard – standardize, category- categorize.
Ex. They agreed that teaching should be standardized.
She categorizes us as her equals.
C. Position in the sentence
1. After a noun.
Ex. The women are knitting.
2. Before a noun
Ex. She knitted the blouse.
3. After words like please, kindly, never, etc.
Ex. Please thread the needle.
4. At the beginning of a sentence.
Ex. Pack your things right now.
, D. Auxiliaries
1. The following auxiliaries are followed by the present form of the verb can, could,
will, would, may, might, do, does, did, shall should.
Ex. He can sing.
He can sing again.
He could sing before he got sick.
2. The following are followed by the present participle form of the verb: am, is, are,
was, were.
Ex. I am getting old.
She is going to pay me back.
The men were coming fast.
3. The following are followed by the past participle form of the verb: am, is, are, was,
were, have, had, has.
Ex. Rice is measured by gantas.
They have gone home already.
The dresses were fitted suitably.
EXERCISES
A. Identify the verbs in the following sentences.
1. The accountant will come tomorrow to submit the report.
2. They announced that there wouldn’t be classes tomorrow.
3. It is agreed that everyone will report next week.
4. They need four carpenters.
5. She is going to introduce us.
6. Everybody seems to love her.
7. I appreciate your efforts very much.
8. The Dean will require him to present a clearance.
9. Good shoes are made in Marikina.
10. She couldn’t stand the motion of the ship.
Types of Verbs:
I. According to Usage
1. The transitive verb (TV) carries over the action from a doer to a receiver. It needs
a receiver of the action or direct object.
Ex. We learned several types of stitches.
She gave me a picture.
He likes girls.
2. The intransitive verb (IV) does not carry over any action from the doer to another
person or thing. It does not need an object to complete its meaning.
Ex. She works fast.
