Verbs Flashcards
Name the 5 KEY FEATURES of verbs
person, number, tense, mood, regular/irregular
Verbs convey two things. What are they?
actions (dance, sing, eat) and states of being (is, become, seem)
To CONJUGATE is to…
list the inflected forms of a verb according to person, number, and tense
What do STATE OF BEING verbs do?
LINK the subject to the rest of the sentence.
STATE OF BEING verbs sometimes perform what other function?
serve as HELPING VERBS for action verbs
- She WAS DANCING (past progressive tense of “to dance”)
What is another term for STATE OF BEING verbs?
LINKING VERBS
What do linking verbs connect?
They connect of SUBJECT of a sentence with words that either (1) DESCRIBE it (adjectives), or (2) words that RENAME it (nouns).
- She is pretty
- She is a doctor
The SUBJECT of a sentence must match the VERB in…
person and number
What is an INFINITIVE?
the uninflected (unconjugated) for of a verb
to be
to go
Define verb tense
the time of the action
What does a VERB TENSE tell us
- when, i.e., whether the action takes place in the PAST, PRESENT, or FUTURE
- whether the actions is ONGOING or a ONE-TIME EVENT
Which conjugation should copy editors be most on guard for in regular verbs?
third person singular
I dance, you dance, HE DANCES, etc.
What tense do you use to express an action that is ONGOING in the PRESENT?
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
The present progressive express an action that is IN PROGRESS
He IS DANCING
How is the PRESENT PROGRESSIVE tense formed
by combining the appropriate form of the verb “to be” with the PRESENT PARTICIPLE
the verb is made up of the combined two words
Fred and Ginger ARE DANCING on the ship
How is the present participle formed?
by attaching -ING to a verb’s unconjugated form
goING
beING
What is the difference between a PARTICIPLE and a GERUND. Give an example of each using the verb “to dance.”
Participles function as VERBS. Gerunds function as NOUNS
She is DANCING (present participle)
Dancing is good exercise (gerund)
How is the SIMPLE PAST formed?
By adding -ed to regular verbs
I danced
Identify the verb tense in the sentence “He was dancing.”
PAST PROGRESSIVE
How is the PAST PROGRESSIVE tense formed?
with the appropriate past tense form of the verb “to be” plus the PRESENT PARTICIPLE
He was dancing.
What is the difference between the SIMPLE PAST (I danced) and the PAST PROGRESSIVE (I was dancing)?
The simple past is a broader statement, while the past progressive describes the action IN PROGRESS at some particular time or time period in the past.
In general, the difference between simple and progressive tense comes down to the GENERAL vs the SPECIFIC.
“Will” is an example of what type of word?
a MODEL AUXILIARY
What is a MODEL AUXILIARY?
A class of words that work with other verbs to express certain qualities, for instance
WILL (used to express probability or likelihood)
What does the FUTURE PROGRESSIVE tense express?
action that is ONGOING IN THE FUTURE
He WILL BE DANCING.
How is the FUTURE PERFECT formed?
auxiliary verb “will” or “shall” + have + past participle
He will have danced.
The conditional tense is used in what circumstances?
When something is dependent on something else–a condition.
Frequenly used in a sentence with an “if” clause, e.g…
If I won the lottery, I WOULD buy you a new car.
Name the MODEL AUXILIARY required by the conditional tense?
WOULD
Name 5 MODEL AUXILIARIES, and identify the purpose they serve.
may, might, could, should, must
they all modify the sense of the verb to indicate things like permission, possibility, or obligation
How are all the PERFECT TENSES formed?
auxiliary/helping verb (to have) + past participle of the verb
How are past participles formed for regular verbs?
Add -ed
danced
What does the present perfect express?
An action that is complete as it is being discussed in the present.
It is used to discuss the past from the point of view of the present.
I have finished my homework
How is the present perfect formed?
present tense of “to have” + past participle
I have danced
What tense is used to express ongoing action in the past that continues now in the present?
the PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE tense
I have been dancing
How is the PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE tense formed?
present-tense auxiliary “to have” + past participle of auxiliary “to be” + present participle of verb
I have been dancing
How is the past perfect formed?
Past tense of the auxiliary verb “to have” + past participle of verb
I had danced
What does the PAST PERFECT tense express?
An action that was completed in the past as seen from the point of view of a later time in the past.
- By the time they got home, Cinderella’s coachmen had turned back into mice.
- I had hoped the work would be done on the house before winter.
How is the progressive form of the past perfect formed?
Past tense of auxiliary verb “to have” + past participle of aux verb “to be” + present participle of verb
I had been dancing
What does the past perfect progressive tense express?
An action that was ongoing and then completed at some point in the past.
- I had been wishing for a raise until I won the lottery. (The past point of view here is the time at which I hit the lottery; the wishing was ongoing until then. If only!)
- He had been walking for miles when a truck driver finally offered him a ride. (The past perspective here is when the trucker pulled over and said, “Hop in.” The walking was ongoing until that moment.)
What does the FUTURE PERFECT tense express?
An action that will have occurred before some future point.
He predicted that by 2050, the world will have collapsed into chaos
How is the future perfect tense formed?
model auxiliary “will” + “have” + past participle of verb
I will have danced
What does the future perfect progressive tense express?
an action that is in progress until some time in the future that is our viewpoint time
- As of next month, she will have been dancing with the New York City Ballet for three years.
How is the FUTURE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE tense formed?
“will” (future) plus “have” (perfect) plus “been” (past participle) plus the present participle (“dancing”
model aux “will” + aux “have” + past part. “to be” + pres. part. verb
I will have been dancing
How many MOODS are there in English verbs? What are they?
3 MOODS:
- INDICATIVE
- IMPERATIVE
- SUBJUNCTIVE
What is the indicative mood used for?
statements or questions – when you’re INDICATING something, or asking someone else to INDICATE something.
What is the IMPERATIVE MOOD used for?
giving INSTRUCTIONS, COMMANDS, ORDERS, DIRECTIONS
RUN for the hills!
ADD to cups of water and stir gently.
What MOOD is the sentence: “Please pass the salt.”
imperative mood
What do most imperative verbs omit?
The subject “you.” Imperative verbs are second person but the subject is usually unspoken
Go to the store!
What is the SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD used to express?
conditions contrary to fact, wishes, desires
Which is the only mood that affects the verb form?
the subjunctive mood
I wish I WERE a fish
Use the subjunctive mood to express a wish to be a fish…
I wish I WERE a fish
Use the Subjunctive Mood in a contrary-to-fact expressing a willingness to put up a fight.
If I were you, I would put up a fight (contrary to fact: I’m not you)
Deine ASPECT.
Aspect refers to how a verb extends over time
What are the two ASPECTS
(1) PERFECT (2) PROGRESSIVE
What does the PERFECT ASPECT convey
action completed by a certain point in time
What is the difference between a transitive and an intransitive verb?
- TRANSITIVE verbs take a DIRECT OBJECT
- INTRANSITIVE verbs do NOT take a DIRECT OBJECT; they stand alone
Many verbs have both transitive and intransitive forms, e.g.,
(I) I walked
(T) I walked the dog
Linking verbs are also known as…
copular verbs
Copular/Linking verbs are neither _\_nor _\_.
TRANSITIVE, INTRANSITIVE
Identify four states that linking (copular) verbs deal with.
- being
- becoming
- appearing
- the 5 senses
examples:
- Don acts crazy.
- I feel bad.
- The orange smells good.
- You seem upset.
What do LINKING VERBS do?
Connect the subject to a noun or adjective phrase in the predicate, such that the predicate refers back to the subject.
- broccoli is a vegetable
What is a verbal phrase (aka verbal)?
A verb form in which the verb acts as a different part of speech, such as an adverb, adjective, or noun.
What 3 verb forms appear in verbal phrases? What purpose does each one serve?
- Participles > adjectives | SHAKING WITH FEAR, she ran from the store
- Gerunds > nouns | HIKING IN THE MOUNTAINS is good for your health
- Infinitives > nouns, adjectives, or adverbs | We have a lot of homework TO DO. (adj) | TO LEAVE NOW would be a mistake. (noun) | She struggled TO OVERCOME her fears. (adverb)
Verb phrases break down into what two categories?
finite and nonfinite
What is a finite verb (phrase)?
A verb conjugated to work with a subject.
Troy studies
[finite verb studies is inflected in number and person for the subject Troy]
What is a nonfinite verb [phrase]?
Nonfinite verbs are not inflected to work with a subject and form a clause.
Instead, they take other forms—participles, gerunds, infinitives—that modify the main clause or serve other functions in a sentence.
Studying, Troy learned about ancient Rome.
What type of verb is studying?
How is it functioning in the sentence?
nonfinite
because, as a participle, it is not inflected for the subject
the participle does not form a main clause, but modifies it, or functions
adverbially
To study, Troy needs complete silence.
Name the verb type and function of “to study.”
nonfinite infinitive phrase (because not inflected for the subject)
does not form main clause, but modifies it, or functions
adverbially
What is VOICE?
Voice shows whether the subject of a verb acts or is acted upon.
There are two voices, ACTIVE and PASSIVE.
Only TRANSITIVE verbs can show voice.
What is the passive voice?
When the subject of the verb receives the action, the verb is in the passive voice.
The ball was hit by me.
Rewrite in the passive voice
I hit the ball.
The ball was hit by me.
The subject, the ball, receives the action, was hit.
How do you convert an active verb to a passive verb?
To convert an active verb to a passive verb, a form of to be is used with the past participle.
Rewrite in the passive voice
The storms damaged many homes.
Many homes were damaged by the storms.
To convert an active verb to a passive verb, a form of to be is used with the past participle.
Rewrite in the passive voice
Mary’s dog bit Christopher.
Christopher was bitten by Mary’s dog.
To convert an active verb to a passive verb, a form of to be is used with the past participle.
Copular/linking/state of being verbs are best thought of as…
equal signs
they connect the words on their left with the words on their right that either describe the subjects or serve as synonyms.
Rather than expressing an action, they simply affirm the “being” of their subjects and lead to words indicating the condition or quality of that being.
Subjunctive verbs differ from indicative verbs in which form?
third person singular
(except for the verb “to be”)
Decline “to go” in the present subjunctive mood.
I go
you go
he/she go
we go
they go
Decline “to be” in the present tense subjunctive.
I be
you be
he/she be
we be
they be
Decline “to be” in the past tense subjunctive.
I were (irregular)
you were
he/she were (irregular)
we were
they were
Use the subjunctive “were” to emphasize…
that a statement is
- contrary to fact, or
- hypothetical
Many small businesses would face bankruptcy if congress were to revise the taxt laws.
