VERBS Verbs show an action (e.g. to run). The tricky part is that sometimes the action can't be seen on the outside (like run) – it is done on the inside (e.g. to decide). Sometimes the action even has to do with just existing, in other words to be (e.g. is, was, are, were, am). Tenses The three basic tenses are past, present and future. Past – has already happened Present – is happening Future – will happen To change a word to the past tense, add "-ed" (e.g. walk → walked). ***Watch out for the words that don't follow this (or any) rule (e.g. swim → swam) *** To change a word to the future tense, add "will" before the word (e.g. walk → will walk BUT not will walks) Exercise 1 For each word, write down the correct tense in the appropriate space in the table below. Past Present Future dance will plant looked runs shone will lose put dig Spelling note: when "-ed" is added to a word ending in "y", the "y" becomes an "i" e.g. try → tried These are the basic tenses. You can break present tense up into simple present (e.g. walk), present perfect (e.g. has walked) and present continuous (e.g. is walking). Both past and future tenses can also be broken up into simple, perfect and continuous. You do not need to know these categories, but be aware that each tense can be found in different forms. Is it a verb? Can it be acted out? no yes Can it change It's a verb! tense? no yes It's NOT a It's a verb! verb! Exercise 2 In groups, decide which of the words your teacher gives you are verbs using the above diagram. Verbs Not verbs Exercise 3 Identify all the verbs in the following sentences. a) Jerry aimed and then threw the ball at the stumps. b) Lungile hates to go to the doctor. c) The Heart serves both food and treats. d) Reading the question carefully before answering it is very important. e) I struggled to take the washing off as it blew wildly in the wind. f) Preparing for the day the night before helps one to be well-organised. g) Health experts recommend going for a walk once a day. h) Phile is a doctor who smokes! i) To read is to succeed. j) Gigi jotted down her name on the piece of paper and then passed it to the policeman. Exercise 4 Identify all the verbs in the following sentences. a) The Eiffel Tower stands out as one of the best known tourist attractions. b) Roses grow best if one waters them regularly. c) Mowing the lawn gives the garden a neat appearance. d) Cars sped down the road and a siren blared in the distance. e) Cats live to eat and to sleep. f) Puzzles benefit the brain by forcing us to use our spatial awareness. g) Walking down the street, the old woman kept her hand bag tightly against her side. h) Herbert tried hard to stop himself from coughing but instead burst out in explosive fits. i) The light shone down, hurting Flavio’s eyes. j) Talking to someone is a good way to gain some perspective. Auxiliary verbs A common way of describing auxiliary verbs is as “helping” verbs. They are not the main verb, which shows the action. Auxiliary verbs help by giving the main verb number (one or many i.e. singular or plural) and tense (past, present or future). e.g. Jenna and Pedro are working together on the project. / Julian is working alone. e.g. He will be helping out tomorrow night. / He was helping out that night. The auxiliary verb with the main verb together form the finite verb. Finite verb = auxiliary verb(s) + main verb e.g. Jenna and Pedro are working together on the project. / Julian is working alone. e.g. He will be helping out tomorrow night. / He was helping out that night. Exercise 5 The finite verbs in the following sentences have been highlighted. Write down the auxiliary verbs. a) It felt as if they had been standing in the queue forever. b) Barbara is studying to be a registered nurse. c) Lily was born on Christmas Day. d) By the time we arrive, Grandma will have been waiting for 30 minutes! e) Theresé had never seen a dassie before. f) If we do not stop poachers, rhinos will be extinct in the next ten to twenty years. g) It could have been much worse, but Kyle did not think so at the time. h) The group of friends were planning on seeing a movie. i) The couriers should have delivered the parcel an hour ago. j) I shall not put up with this type of behaviour! k) Fred and Sandi are preparing their poster for their project. Finite versus non-finite verbs Finite verbs are the verbs in a sentence that have subjects (AKA “do-ers”) e.g. Mrs Petzer likes chocolate. (Ask yourself, is there someone “liking” in this sentence?) Non-finite verbs are still verbs (action words) but there is no person or object doing that action in that particular sentence. e.g. Keenan enjoys playing soccer and watching series. (Again, is there someone “playing” and “watching” in this sentence?) Exercise 6 Say whether the verbs underlined in the following sentences are finite or non-finite. a) Wendy went to the post office to renew her vehicle licence. b) In Grade 1, the important skills to learn are reading and writing. c) Someone should tell Patricia that there is a Maths test tomorrow. d) The FBI agent was shooting to kill. e) The FBI agent was shooting to kill. f) Preparation is the key to succeeding. g) Her friends visited her in hospital to see how she was feeling. h) Joelle always procrastinated cleaning her room. i) The coach showed the boys how to play a forward defensive shot. j) Fay’s parents felt that she was too irresponsible to look after a dog. k) Dr Phelps asked her secretary to pass on a message to her husband. There are two types of non-finite verbs: infinitives and participles. Infinitives Infinitives are the most basic form of the verb and always appear in the following format: Infinitive = to + verb e.g. to walk, to decide, to be Exercise 7 Write down the infinitives found in each of the following sentences (there may be more than one per sentence). a) Supporters urged the long-distance runner to keep on running. b) The thief tried to pick the lock. c) Kaylee wanted to go to Paris to see the glass pyramid outside the Louvre. d) Anton and Philip played an intense game of squash to let off a little steam. e) It is bad manners to yawn when in conversation with someone. f) I can never remember to bring my own charger along when travelling. g) Denver is very nervous to find out what his mark for the test is. h) Ryan started to reach into the cupboard, but quickly snatched his hand away. i) Mrs Fitzpatrick picked up the chalk to write the definition on the board. j) The yogi demonstrated to the class how to get into the downward dog position. Participles Participles are forms of verbs that can do different jobs. Put an auxiliary verb in front of a participle (a non-finite verb) and you get a finite verb! e.g. The detectives were smoking outside the crime scene. e.g. The flowers had wilted because he had not given them enough water. Put a participle in front of a noun and you get an adjective! e.g. The smoking gun proved his guilt. e.g. The wilted flowers showed that the suspect had not been home for several days. Exercise 8 Say whether the participles underlined in the following sentences are part of a finite verb or acting as an adjective. a) The battered ship reached the harbor just as the storm abated. b) The grade head fixed the dishonest student with a probing look. c) Vincent had been trying to get an appointment at the ministry for weeks. d) Zoe had just replied to the message when her phone rang. e) Dried fruit is a quick and easy snack. f) The contents of the pot were boiling over the edge. g) Add the potatoes to the boiling water. h) Mrs Broad scolded the children for tracking mud onto her newly washed floors. i) Kurt was realising just how far he still had to go. j) Running water is a privilege not many of us appreciate. k) The librarian glared at the sniggering children. A present participle can even act as a noun – then it is known as a gerund. e.g. Dr Quanson will never get away with murdering his wife. e.g. Killing her was a big mistake. *** A test to see if a participle is a gerund is to put the phrase “the activity of” in front of the gerund. If the sentence still works, it is a gerund. *** e.g. Dr Quanson will never get away with the activity of murdering his wife. e.g. The activity of killing her was a big mistake. Exercise 9 Say whether the participles underline in the following sentences are gerunds or not. a) Gardening is a good hobby to relieve stress. b) Steaming vegetables is better than boiling them. c) Real estate agents are very skilled at making dumps sound like palaces.