Verbs in English Grammar: Easy Notes with Examples
Definition
A verb is a word that expresses:
فعل وہ لفظ ہے جو ظاہر کرتا ہے
- Action → عمل
- State → حالت
- Possession → ملکیت
- Occurrence → وقوعہ / پیش آمد
It is the most important part of a sentence because a sentence cannot be complete without a verb.
Examples:
- Action: run, eat, write, play
- State: is, am, are, seem, remain
- Possession: have, owns, belongs
- Occurrence: happen, occur, appear
Types of Verbs
1. Action (Dynamic) Verbs
These show physical or mental action.
✔ Examples:
- Physical: run, jump, write, wash
- Mental: think, guess, remember, decide
Sentences:
- She runs every morning.
- I remember the answer.
2. Linking (Stative) Verbs
These verbs link the subject to information about it. They do not show action.
Common linking verbs: is, am, are, was, were, seem, appear, become, feel, taste, smell
Examples:
- She is happy.
- The soup smells delicious.
3. Helping (Auxiliary) Verbs
These verbs help the main verb and express tense, mood, or voice.
Primary Auxiliaries: be (is, am, are, was, were), have (has, have, had), do (do, does, did)
Modal Auxiliaries: can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would, ought to
Examples:
- She is eating.
- They will come later.
- You must obey rules.
4. Transitive Verbs
These verbs need an object to complete their meaning.
✔ Examples:
- She wrote a letter.
- He bought a car.
(What did she write? A letter — object required.)
5. Intransitive Verbs
These verbs do not require an object.
✔ Examples:
- The baby laughed.
- They arrived.
6. Regular Verbs
These form the past and past participle by adding -ed or -d.
✔ Examples: walk → walked → walked,
play → played → played
7. Irregular Verbs
These do not follow a fixed pattern.
✔ Examples:
- go → went → gone
- eat → ate → eaten
- write → wrote → written
8. Finite Verbs
These change form according to tense and subject.
Examples:
- He plays cricket.
- They play cricket.
9. Non-Finite Verbs
These do not change with the subject or tense.
Types: Infinitive, Gerund, Participle
| Type | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | to + verb | I like to read. |
| Gerund | verb + ing (used as noun) | Reading is fun. |
| Participle | verb + ing/ed/en (adjective form) | The broken cup is on the table. |
Forms of Verbs (Base → Past → Past Participle)
| Base | Past | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| go | went | gone |
| write | wrote | written |
| call | called | called |
| come | came | come |
Tenses and Verb Use
Verbs change form to show time:
- Present: play / plays
- Past: played
- Future: will play
✔ Example:
- I play football every day.
- I played yesterday.
- I will play tomorrow.
Subject–Verb Agreement
The verb must agree with the subject in number and person.
✔ Correct Examples:
- She goes to school.
- They go to school.
- A cat is on the roof.
- Cats are on the roof.
Important Notes for Exams
- Verbs are essential for forming sentences.
- They indicate tense, action, state, or condition.
- Modal verbs always take the base form of the verb (e.g., can go, must study).
- Linking verbs are followed by adjectives, NOT adverbs.
✔ Example:
❌ She looks happily.
✔ She looks happy.
Practice Examples
Identify the verbs:
- He is playing football.
- Birds fly in the sky.
- She has finished her homework.
- The food tastes good.
