English Grammar Notes #7:
VERBS
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| DEFINITION "Verb" is the sentence element used to express the action or the state of a noun. The verb is the most difficult sentence element in English grammar. In order to understand the English verb correctly, Logically Structured English Grammar book is strongly recommended. The minimal structure employed to present the verb in this page is: 1. Categories of Verbs 2. Tenses Chart 3. Verb Forms: Common Aspect, Active Voice 4. Verb Forms: Common Aspect, Passive Voice 5. Verb Forms: Continuous Aspect, Active Voice 6. Verb Forms: Continuous Aspect, Passive Voice 7. Auxiliary and Modal Defective Verbs 8. Confusing Verbs 9. Forming verbs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ATTENTION These Grammar Notes are not sufficient to understand the topics presented. For accurate and detailed information we recommend LOGICALLY STRUCTURED ENGLISH GRAMMAR. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 A. First of all, verbs are categorized as being transitive or intransitive. Being
transitive or intransitive is important, because transitive verbs allow passive voice forms. In addition,
impersonal verbs are intransitive. However, there are instances when the same verb may be used either transitively
or intransitively, depending on the sentence structure.B. The aspect of the verb is related to the "temporal character" of the action/state described by the verb. Again, different aspects result in the verb taking particular forms for moods and tenses. The aspect of the verb can be: 1. common 2. continuous C. The third type of classification/analysis performed on the verb is according to its voice. Depending on their voice, the verbs are categorized as belonging to: 1. active voice (grammatical subject executes the action/state of the verb/predicate; possibly, a direct object may suffer the action); 2. passive voice (grammatical subject suffers the action/state of the verb/predicate, and a direct object is the logic subject executing the action). Each voice requires a particular set of forms to express its moods and tenses. Both previously presented categories may have forms in active and passive voices. D. In order to express its number, the verb takes two types of forms: 1. singular forms, when one author executes the action/state of the verb/predicate; 2. plural forms, when many authors execute the action/state of the verb/predicate. E. The category of person is exactly the same one presented for nouns and pronouns. Therefore, there are three persons: 1. the first person is/are the speaker(s): (I; we.); 2. the second person is/are the listener(s): (you); 3. the third person is/are the person(s) referred: (he; she; it; they.). F. The English verbs have few moods (grammatical modes) needed to express the manner in which their action/state is performed. There are four personal moods and they form a set of tenses named the finite forms of the verbs: 1. indicative 2. conditional 3. subjunctive 4. imperative In addition, there are three impersonal moods and they form a set of tenses named the non-finite forms of the verbs: 1. infinitive 2. participle 3. gerund G. The action/state described by the verb is related to a particular moment in time, or to a definite period of time, named grammatically a "tense". There are many tenses and they are dependant on the mood of the verb. In addition, the same moods (and the same tenses) are different for active or passive voice, or for common or continuous aspect. In order to understand the notions of aspect, voice, the moods and tenses, the charts and tables containing the complete verb's conjugations in LSEG need to be thoroughly studied. One verb could suffers four sets of conjugations, as follows: 1. common aspect, active voice 2. common aspect, passive voice 3. continuous aspect, active voice 4. continuous aspect passive voice H. Depending on their type, verbs are categorized as being: 1. principal 2. auxiliary 3. modal defective I. Lastly, verbs could be: 1. regular, if they add (+ed), to form their tenses Example: to ask - asked - asked; to call - called - called. 2. irregular, if they take particular forms for tenses. Example: to put - put - put; to be - was - been. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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