Verbs

1. Verbs Like the sun, verbs are the energy of the sentence. They are often, but not always found at the center of the sentence. A sentence cannot exist without them.

2. Here are three kinds of verbs you should know: Action Verbs Linking Verbs Helping verbs

3. Action Verbs vs. Linking Verbs An action verb expresses either physical or mental action: • The audience cheered the lead actors. • The children hoped for sunshine. A linking verbconnects the subject to a word or word group that identifies or describes the subject. • The answer is correct. • The winners are happy.

4. Sentence structures AV HV+ Adv. AV HV LV

5. Linking Verbs: • The most commonly used linking verbs are forms of the verb to be: be shall be should be being will be would be am has been can be is have been could be are had been should have been was shall have been would have been were will have been could have been

7. Other frequently used linking verbs: appear grow seem stay get run become look smell taste go come feel remain sound turn (out) fall prove make keep continue stand sit lie Linking or action? • The wet dog smelled horrible. • The dog smelled the baked bread. • The chef tasted the casserole. • The casserole tasted strange.

8. Three kinds of linking verbs. be, seem, appear feel, look, sound, taste, smell become, grow, get, turn, come, make, prove, turn out, go,run remain, keep, continue, stay, rest, stand, sit, lie

9. bad, wrong, blind, mad, dead, sour, red, green true, easy, (all) right, natural, cheap, alive, open, loose, undone cold, green, sour fine, clear true, interesting, a success a good actor, a fine soldier ill /sick, asleep, dark, silent low, wild, high, short

11. Practice Replace the underlined words with other linking verbs. 1. Both speakers were very calm throughout the debate. 2. The snow was thick on the ground. 3. He was still against the wall, not knowing what to say. 4. In his forties, he was still single. 5. Whatever I said to him, he was stubborn.

12. How to identify linking verbs? • Grapes grow well in warm and dry climates. • She has grown some grapes in the garden. • She has grown rich by selling grapes.

13. Read the following sentences and determine if the verb is action or linking • Our world is becoming smaller and smaller. • The old man is getting weaker. • The child is growing thinner. China will become a major power in the future. The teacher grew unhappy when the students told her lies.

14. Completing the following passage, using linking verbs. Last Sunday our class went to the park for a picnic. It ____ a fine day. The air _______ fresh. The trees _______ green and the grass ______ thick on the ground. We talked and played. All of us applauded for Li Ming’s English song “ I have never had a dream ______ true.” How relaxed we all _______ after a week’s hard work! We cooked our lunch on the open fire. Soon the food ______ great! The meat _______ delicious. The vegetables and fruit _______ inviting. While eating someone suggested another picnic on May Day. It ________ a good idea. Everyone agreed.

15. more practice… Even be is not always a linking verb. Sometimes be expresses a state of being and is followed only by an adverb. • I was there. To be a linking verb, the verb must be followed by a subject complement—a noun or a pronoun that names the subject or an adjective that describes the subject.

16. Subject Complements…(wouldn’t exist without linking verbs) • She is my cousin. • This chocolate smells wonderful. • This tadpole will become a frog. • The captain could be she. • Is she talented? • The players looked tired and dirty. • Alvin has grown very tall.