VerbsNotes

Action VerbsNotes

Action Verbs

• A word that names an action.• It may contain more than one word.

Notice the action verbs in the following paragraph:

• Sports experts write about the football player Jim Thorpe even today. Thorpe blocked like a tank. He tackled like a tornado. In every game, Thorpe attacked his opponents with all his might. He caught the ball skillfully and charged ahead fearlessly. Experts still remember and honor Thorpe’s greatness.

Action Verbs can be divided into two categories:

Physical Mental

write, block, tackle, attack, catch, charge

remember, honor

Note:

• Have, has, and had are often used before other verbs. • They can also be used as action verbs when they name what the

subject owns or holds.

PracticeDirections: Draw two lines under each action verb. Then, write physical or mental in the blank to indicate whether the verb expresses physical or mental action.

1. Many athletes successfully represented the US in the modern Olympics.2. Owens attended the Ohio state University.3. At a 1935 event in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Owens broke three world records.4. Many people consider Owens the greatest track-and-field athlete ever.5. Owens won four gold medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany.6. Owens’s strong performance angered Adolf Hitler.7. Owens wore the victor’s oak leaf crown during the presentation ceremony.8. Owens later gave many speeches about values and moral principals.9. Another African American athlete captured the world’s attention in the 1960 Italy games.10. African America Jesse Owens broke world records in track and field events.

Practice- Key!

1. Many athletes successfully represented the US in the modern Olympics. P2. Owens attended the Ohio state University. P3. At a 1935 event in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Owens broke three world records. P4. Many people consider Owens the greatest track-and-field athlete ever. M5. Owens won four gold medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. P6. Owens’s strong performance angered Adolf Hitler. M7. Owens wore the victor’s oak leaf crown during the presentation ceremony. P8. Owens later gave many speeches about values and moral principals. P9. Another African American athlete captured the world’s attention in the 1960 Italy games. M10. African America Jesse Owens broke world records in track and field events. P

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

TRANSITIVE AND INTRANSITIVE VERBS

Every sentence has a subject and a predicate. In some sentences, the subject consists only of an action verb.

Ex: The punter kicks.

TRANSITIVE AND INTRANSITIVE VERBS

Usually sentences provide more information.

The predicate often names who or what received the action of the verb.

TRANSITIVE AND INTRANSITIVE VERBS

The punter kicks the football.

Direct Object

DIRECT OBJECT

The punter kicks the football.

Direct Object

Receives the action of a verb. It answers the question whom? or what? After an action verb.

~A verb can also have a compound direct object. That is, it can have more than one direct object.

Ex: The team carried gloves and bats into the stadium.

~Sometimes the action verb does not have a direct object.

Ex: The team played well.

Transitive Verbs

Verbs that have a direct object.

Intransitive Verbs

Verbs that don’t have a direct object.

Practice–

Underline each verb in the following sentences, and indicate whether the verb is transitive or intransitive. If the verb is transitive, circle the direct object.

1. Phillis Wheatley dedicated many poems to friends.

2. Joshua worked hard on the lawn.

3. The basketball player threw the ball and scored two points.

4. Scott Joplin composed ragtime music.

5. Linda Morabito examined computer images of Io, a moon of Jupiter, and discovered volcanoes.

6. Miriam painted during the summer.

KEY!

1. Phillis Wheatley dedicated many poems to friends.transitive

2. Joshua worked hard on the lawn.intransitive

3. The basketball player threw the ball and scored two points.Transitive; transitive

4. Scott Joplin composed ragtime music.transitive

5. Linda Morabito examined computer images of Io, a moon of Jupiter, and discovered volcanoes.Transitive; transitive

6. Miriam painted during the summer.intransitive

Linking Verbs and Predicate Words

Verbs• Action verbs tell what the subject of a

sentence does.

Linking Verbs

• Other verbs tell what the subject is or is like. These verbs are called linking verbs.

Leonardo DiCaprio is an actor.

Linking Verb

Predicate Noun• Noun that follows a linking verb. It tells what the

subject is.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a soccer player.

Predicate Adjective

• An adjective that follows a linking verb. It describes the subject by telling what it is like.

The soccer players are talented.

Common Linking Verbs• Be• Become• Seem• Appear• Look• Grow• Turn• Taste• Feel• Smell• Sound

Many of these verbs can be used as action verbs or linking verbs.• Chandra turned thirteen. Linking Verb

• The car turned the corner. Action Verb

Practice: Underline each linking verb once. Underline the noun or adjective following the verb twice and write whether it is a predicate noun or predicate adjective. If the verb is not a linking verb, write action

verb.

1. The crowd seemed restless.2. Coach Rowell was a fair coach.3. All of the coaches were fair.4. This food tastes wonderful.5. The dogs smelled the meat.6. The chicken smelled delicious.7. Larry felt his gloves.8. The gloves felt soft.9. The audience grew sleepy.10.My aunt became a baker.

KEY!

1. The crowd seemed restless.2. Coach Rowell was a fair coach. 3. All of the coaches were fair.4. This food tastes wonderful.5. The dogs smelled the meat. ACTOON6. The chicken smelled delicious.7. Larry felt his gloves. ACTION8. The gloves felt soft.9. The audience grew sleepy.10.My aunt became a baker.

PRESENT, PAST & FUTURE TENSES

Notes

Present, Past, and Future Tenses

• A verb changes its form to show tense and to agree with its subject.

• The tense of a verb tells when an action takes place.

Present Tense

• Names an action that is happening now or that happens regularly.

• Can also express a general truth.

Present Tense

• The base form of a verb is used with all subjects except singular nouns and the

words: he, she, and it.• -s is usually added to the verb.

Singular Plural

I race. We race.

You race. You race.

He, she, or it races. They race.

Past Tense• Names an action that already happened.• Formed by adding –ed to the base form of

the verb.

Ex: The runner trained hard.Ex: I slapped the buzzer.

Future Tense

• An action that will take place in the future.

Singular Plural

I will (shall) go. We will (shall) go.

You will go. You will go.

He, she, or it will go.

They will go.

Main Verbs and Helping Verbs

Main Verbs and Helping Verbs

• Verbs have four principal parts that are used to form all tenses.

Base Form Present Participle

Past Form Past Participle

Jump Jumping Jumped Jumped

Helping Verb & Verb Phrase• Helping Verb: Verb that completes the meaning

of the main verb.

• Verb Phrase: Consists of one or more helping verbs followed by a main verb.

Example of Helping Verb + Verb Phrase

• The pig was jumping on the trampoline.

Most Common Helping Verbs~Be, Am, Is, Are~Have, Has, Had

~Do

-Practice-Choose the correct helping verb from the parentheses. Underline the verb phrase

once, and draw a second line under the participle. Then write whether it is a present or past participle.

1. Her concentration (is, has) improved greatly.2. Last year archery (had, was) taking up most of

her free time.3. The best archers (have, are) devoted countless

hours to their sport.4. Some archers (are, have) bringing new arrows.5. Tomorrow’s champion (is, has) profited from old

mistakes.

-Practice-Choose the correct helping verb from the parentheses. Underline the verb phrase

once, and draw a second line under the participle. Then write whether it is a present or past participle.

1. Her concentration (has) improved greatly. Past2. Last year archery (was) taking up most of her

free time. Present3. The best archers (have) devoted countless hours

to their sport. Past4. Some archers (are) bringing new arrows. Present5. Tomorrow’s champion (has) profited from old

mistakes. Past

PERFECT MAN TENSESCommunication Skills

Present Perfect Tense• Names an action that happened at an indefinite

time in the past.• It also tells about an action that happened in the

past and is still happening now.

Present Perfect Tense Ex:

My family has attended many sports events. We have watched baseball games for years.

Present Perfect Tense• Consists of the helping verb have or has and the

past participle of the main verb.

Singular Plural

I have watched. We have watched.

You have watched. You have watched

He, she, or it has watched.

They have watched.

Past Perfect Tense• Names an action that happened before another

action or even in the past.

Past Perfect Tense• The past perfect tense is often used in sentences

that contain a past tense verb in another part of the sentence.

• Ex: By the time we found our seats, the game had already started.

Ex: I had never seen a baseball game before.

Past Perfect Tense• The past perfect tense of a verb consists of the

helping verb had and the past participle of the main verb.

Singular Plural

I had studied.

We had studied.

You had studied.

You had studied.

He, she, or it had stayed.

They had studied.

Practice 1• Write each sentence, using the present perfect

tense of the verb in parentheses.

1. They (arrive) at school early for more practice. 2. Some (practice) for three hours. 3. Others (promise) weekend practice. 4. The students (hope) for a victory. 5. They (work) very hard for it.

Answers• Write each sentence, using the present perfect

tense of the verb in parentheses.

1. They have arrived at school early for more practice. 2. Some have practiced for three hours. 3. Others have promised weekend practice. 4. The have hoped for a victory. 5. They have worked very hard for it.

**Note: has is also present perfect. It did not apply here.

Practice 2• Write each sentence, using the past perfect tense

of the verb in parentheses.

1. They (wish) her the best of luck. 2. The spectators (notice) the new skater.

3. Her skating (improve)4. They were pleased that she (earn) a place

on the team. 5. They (celebrate) her first victory.

Practice 2• Write each sentence, using the past perfect tense

of the verb in parentheses.

1. They had wished her the best of luck. 2. The spectators had noticed the new skater.

3. Her skating had improved.4. They were pleased that she had earned a

place on the team. 5. They had celebrated her first victory.