The Verb
Recognize a verb when you see one.
Verbs
are a necessary component of all sentences. Verbs have two important functions:
Some verbs put stalled subjects into motion while other verbs help to clarify
the subjects in meaningful ways. Look at the examples below:
My grumpy old English teacher smiled
at the plate of cold meatloaf.
My grumpy old English teacher = stalled subject; smiled = verb.
The daredevil cockroach splashed
into Sara's soup.
The daredevil cockroach = stalled subject; splashed = verb.
Theo's overworked computer exploded
in a spray of sparks.
Theo's overworked computer = stalled subject; exploded = verb.
The curious toddler popped a
grasshopper into her mouth.
The curious toddler = stalled subject; popped =
verb.
Francisco's comic book collection is
worth $20,000.00.
Francisco's comic book collection = stalled subject; is = verb.
The
important thing to remember is that every subject
in a sentence must have a verb. Otherwise, you will have written a fragment,
a major writing error.
Consider word function when you are looking for a verb.
Many
words in English have more than one function. Sometimes a word is a noun, sometimes a verb, sometimes a modifier.
As a result, you must often analyze the job a word is doing in the sentence.
Look at these two examples:
Potato chips crunch too loudly to
eat during an exam.
The crunch of the potato chips drew
the angry glance of Professor Orsini to our corner of the room.
Crunch is something that we can do. We can crunch cockroaches under our shoes. We can crunch popcorn during a movie. We can crunch numbers for a math class. In the first sentence,
then, crunch is what the potato chips do,
so we can call it a verb.
Even
though crunch is often a verb, it can also be a
noun. The crunch of the potato chips, for example,
is a thing, a sound that we can hear. You therefore need to analyze the
function that a word provides in a sentence before you determine what
grammatical name to give that word.
Know an action verb when you see
one.
Dance! Sing! Paint!
Giggle! Chew! What
are these words doing? They are expressing action, something that a person,
animal, force of nature, or thing can do. As a result, words like
these are called action verbs. Look at the examples below:
Clyde sneezes with the force of a
tornado.
Sneezing is something that Clyde can do.
Because of the spoiled mayonnaise, Ricky vomited
potato salad all day.
Vomiting is something that Ricky can do—although he might not
enjoy it.
Sylvia always winks at cute guys
driving hot cars.
Winking is something that Sylvia can do.
The telephone rang with shrill,
annoying cries.
Ringing is something that the telephone can do.
Thunder boomed in the distance,
sending my poor dog scrambling under the bed.
Booming is something that thunder can do.
If
you are unsure whether a sentence contains an action verb or not, look at every
word in the sentence and ask yourself, "Is this something that a person or
thing can do?" Take this sentence, for example:
During the summer, my poodle constantly pants and drools.
Can
you during? Is during
something you can do? Can you the?
Is there someone theing outside the window right
now? Can you summer? Do your obnoxious neighbors
keep you up until 2 a.m. because they are summering?
Can you my? What does a person do when she's mying? Can you poodle? Show
me what poodling is. Can you pant? Bingo! Sure you can! Run five miles and you'll be
panting. Can you and? Of course not! But can you drool? You bet—although we don't need a demonstration of
this ability. In the sentence above, therefore, there are two action verbs: pant and drool.
Know a linking verb when you see
one.
Linking
verbs, on the other hand, do not express action. Instead, they
connect the subject of a verb to additional information
about the subject. Look at the examples below:
Mario is a computer hacker.
Ising isn't something that Mario can do. Is
connects the subject, Mario, to additional
information about him, that he will soon have the FBI on his trail.
During bad storms, trailer parks are
often magnets for tornadoes.
Areing isn't something that trailer parks can do. Are is simply connecting the subject, trailer parks, to something said about them, that they
tend to attract tornadoes.
After receiving another failing grade in algebra, Jose became depressed.
Became connects the subject, Jose, to something
said about him, that he wasn't happy.
A three-mile run seems like a
marathon during a hot, humid July afternoon.
Seems connects the subject, a three-mile run,
with additional information, that it's more arduous depending on the day and
time.
At restaurants, Rami always feels
angry after waiting an hour for a poor meal.
Feels connects the subject, Rami, to his
state of being, anger.
The
following verbs are true linking verbs: any form of the verb be [am, were, has been, are being, might have been,
etc.], become, and seem.
These true linking verbs are always linking verbs.
Then
you have a list of verbs with multiple personalities: appear,
feel, grow, look, prove, remain, smell, sound, taste, and turn. Sometimes these verbs are linking verbs; sometimes
they are action verbs. Their function in a sentence decides what you should
call them.
How
do you tell when they are action verbs and when they are linking verbs? If you
can substitute am, is,
or are for the verb and the sentence still sounds
logical, you have a linking verb on your hands. But if, after the substitution,
the sentence makes no sense, you are dealing with an action verb. Here are some
examples:
Chris tasted the crunchy,
honey-roasted grasshopper.
Chris
is the grasshopper? I don't think so! In this
sentence then, tasted is an action verb.
The crunchy, honey-roasted grasshopper tasted
good.
The
grasshopper is good? You bet. Roast your own!
I smell the delicious aroma of the
grilled octopus.
I am the delicious aroma? Not the last time I checked. Smell, in this sentence, is an action verb.
The aroma of the grilled octopus smells
appetizing.
The
aroma is appetizing? Definitely! Come take a
whiff!
The students looked at the equation
until their brains hurt.
The
students are the equation? Of course not! Here, looked is an action verb.
The equation looked hopelessly
confusing.
The
equation is confusing? Without a doubt! You try
it.
This
substitution will not work for appear. With appear, you have to analyze the function of the verb.
Godzilla appeared in the doorway,
spooking me badly.
Appear is something Godzilla can do—whether you want him to
or not.
Godzilla appeared happy to see me.
Here,
appeared is connecting the subject, Godzilla, to his state of mind, happiness.
Realize that a verb can have more than one part.
You
must remember that verbs can have more than one part. In fact, a verb can have
as many as four parts. A multi-part verb has a base or main
part as well as additional helping or auxiliary verbs with it. Check out the
examples below:
Harvey spilled chocolate milkshake
on Leslie's new dress.
Because Harvey is a klutz, he is
always spilling something.
Harvey might have spilled the
chocolate milkshake because the short dress distracted him.
Harvey should have been spilling
the chocolate milkshake down his throat.
