A verb is usually defined as a word or combination of words that either expresses an action or says something about the existence or condition of a noun or pronoun. This article will tease out characteristics, examples, and types of verbs and, more importantly, the communicative functions. In the following sentences, the underlined words are verbs:
1. The rescue team found the baby beneath the debris.
2. Uchechi and Daniel wanted very badly to win.
3. The rain stopped sometime after noon.
4. For the rest of the afternoon, my baby just slept.
Note that some verbs (drink, throw, walk, sleep, etc.) express actions that can be seen, heard, felt, or otherwise experienced with the senses. Other verbs (know, hear, think, love, etc.) express actions that cannot be seen because the action or the experience is internal. See the contrast in the following example:
1. Dr. Oji bought a new car.
2. Dr. Oji liked her new car.
In the first sentence, ‘bought’ expresses an action that not only could be seen but that resulted in a change of situation for Dr. Oji. In the second sentence, ‘liked’ expresses an experience Dr. Oji had but that others could not see, and this did not necessarily result in any outward change. Regardless of whether there is external action or internal experience, however, verbs of this type are still regarded as action verbs.
Transitive and intransitive verbs
Speaking of action verbs, they are often divided into two kinds. When a verb expresses an action done to someone or something named in the sentence, the verb is a transitive verb. To illustrate:
1. Temi sings Christian original songs very well.
2. Vicky bought some foodstuff and took them along with her to the village.
In sentence 1, something was done to the Christian original songs: it was sung. In sentence 2, something was done to some foodstuff: they were bought and taken to the village. Words like ‘songs’, ‘foodstuff’, and ‘them’ in these sentences are said to receive the action of the verb; each is called the receiver of the action.
When a verb expresses an action in which no receiver is named, the verb is an intransitive verb. To illustrate:
1. Temi laughed heartily for several seconds. [laughed]
2. After the thunderstorm, the sky cleared. [cleared]
In examples 1 and 2, no objects are mentioned, so we regard the verbs as used in those sentences as intransitive. The same verb, however, can function transitively or intransitively, depending upon the sentence. The key is to determine whether a receiver of the action is named. For example:
1. Uchechukwu paid cash for his new coat. [Transitive – paid]
2. Johnson paid dearly for his mistake. [Intransitive – paid]
3. Ihechi reads her Bible every day. [Transitive – reads]
4. Ihechi reads on the bus every day. [Intransitive – reads]
In sentence 1, Uchechukwu paid something. What is it? He paid ‘cash’. That the verb ‘paid’ has an object that goes with it shows that the verb is a transitive verb. But notice again that when the same verb is used in another context, it changes from being a transitive verb to an intransitive one. Therefore, context is important in determining what a word or expression is doing in the sentence. In sentence 2, we are not told what Johnson paid, so no object is attached; thus we regard this verb as an intransitive verb.
Linking verbs
There is a category of verbs that are always intransitive because they do not express actions. See the following examples:
1. Our favourite class is Communication in English. [is]
2. Tochukwu seems best at spelling words. [seems]
3. Writing and speaking are the easiest for me. [are]
4. Soon enough, the class becomes competitive for everyone. [becomes]
Did you note that each of the verbs [in parentheses] in these sentences is called a linking verb because it expresses a relationship, or link, between the noun or pronoun and the words that follow the verb – words that describe or identify the noun or pronoun? In the example sentences, ‘Communication in English’ identifies which ‘class’ is ‘our favourite’, and ‘Tochukwu’ is described as the best. Likewise, ‘writing’ and ‘speaking’ are described as ‘easiest’.
The most common linking verbs are ‘be’ and all its various forms, including ‘am’, ‘is’, ‘are’, ‘was’, and ‘were’. There are many others too. However, note that the relationships these verbs express depend upon their use in a sentence. Like I always note, context is pertinent.
Helping verbs
Both action verbs and linking verbs are often combined with one or more helping verbs, sometimes known as auxiliaries. Together, a main verb and its helping verbs constitute a ‘verb phrase’ VP. Examples:
1. I am waiting to take the train from Antwerp to Brussels. [VP: am waiting]
2. Temi should have cut the grass in the compound. [VP: should have cut]
3. The women have been cooking since 5 a.m. [VP: have been cooking]
The most common helping verbs are the following:
Am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been, have, has, had, do, does, did, shall, should, will, would, can, could, may, might, must.
Most of these forms can be either helping verbs or main verbs, depending on their function in a particular sentence. See the following examples:
1. You were laughing so hard you didn’t hear the next time. [‘were’ is a helping verb]
2. I have found my missing rib. [‘have’ is a helping verb; the main verb here is ‘found’]
3. I have my keys. [‘have’ is the main verb]
In verb phrases, the main verb comes last. Sometimes the helping verb or verbs are separated from the main verb. Even then they are all still part of the same phrase. For example:
1. Why did he talk like that? [‘did’ is separated from ‘talk’]
2. I will never agree with her. [‘will’ is separated from ‘agree’]
Helping verbs in contractions
When two or more words are run together in a contraction, it may be helpful to eliminate the contraction so that you can recognise the separate words involved and, in some cases, deal with them separately:
1. Didn’t John say he’d go with us?
2. Did not John say he would go with us?