A verb is a word that expresses

action, condition, or state of being.

The two main kinds of verbs are action

verbs and linking verbs.

Helping, or auxiliary, verbs are sometimes

used with them.
An action verb tells that something is happening,
has happened, or will happen. It may describe
physical or mental action.

*The word that tells what the subject does. *

For example:

I 
 about the answer. (mental action)

Juan  
  all his options. (mental action)
The storm  for several hours. (physical action)
I 
  the answer on the board. (physical action)
A verb that helps the main verb tell about an
action or make a statement.

Sometimes called a state-of-being verb, links

the subject with words in the predicate.

Examples:

Claude Monet 
a painter. (The linking verb was
links the subject Claude Monet to painter.)

The contestants appeared nervous. (The linking verb

appeared links the subject contestants to nervous.)
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  ! 
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#!       
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(1) Our house was gray, square, and a
very high peaked roof. (2) Under the roof
was an attic, and it  big and filled with
dust and dusty boxes and empty jars. (3) The
attic had no floor, only the ceiling below, and
I used to   up to its peacefulness and
sit just as quietly as the dust and  alone.
(4) It had one small dusty window where I
could  and  the road that ran in
front of our house. (5) It was old and gravel
and   nowhere. . . .
 uelping Verbs
ƥ A main verbƜeither action or linkingƜ
sometimes has one or more helping
verbs, also called auxiliary verbs.
Examples:
ƥ The tree will 
 fuller every year.
ƥ Their dog has been 
 all night.
ƥ The most common helping verbs are forms of
be, have, and do. Several other verbs can also
be used as helping verbs.

Common uelping Verbs:

Be is, am, are, was, were, be, been, being

uave has, have, had
Do does, do, did

can will shall may must

could would should might

 
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ƥ The main verb and one or more helping verbs
make up a 

 .

uelping Verb(s) + Main Verb = Verb Phrase

am laughing am laughing
had thought had thought
did consider did consider
will be a applauding will be applauding
ƥ Sometimes the helping verb and the main
verb are separated. The words that come
between them are not part of the verb
phrase.

Examples:
ue Ú
nƞt   Ú 
 in that area.
 the press secretary Ú ?
ƥ The forms of  ,  , and 
can also
be used as main verbs.

Main Verb uelping Verb

Samantha was busy. Samantha was preparing lunch.
Jill has a project. Jill has finished her sculpture.
We did the puzzle. Did you complete the puzzle?
 Practice
1. The Austrian compose Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart (1756-1791) has often been cited as
the perfect example of a child prodigy.

2. By age five, the remarkably gifted child had

composed his first music for piano.

3. The young Mozart could create entire musical

scores in his head.
4. Then he would write the notes on paper
without hesitation.

5. The people around him, however, must

have found him remarkably difficult at
times!

6. Outspoken and self-possessed, he was

constantly insulting them.
7. Even as an adult, Mozart did not behave
according to other peopleƞs expectations.

8. ue simply would not please his wealthy

patrons with their favorite kinds of music.

9. Did he, perhaps, sense the applause of

future generations?

10. Could this have been a reason for such

unbounded confidence?