Working With Verbs

Question 1

Give the definition of a verb.

Answer 1

A verb is a word that shows action or being.

Question 2

What are the two classes of verbs?

Answer 2

Action verbs and forms of be.

Question 3

What are the forms of be verbs?

Answer 3

Am, is, are, was, were, be been, being.

Question 4

Name the two classes of action verbs, and give examples.

Answer 4

physical and mental. jump, fly; think, remember

Question 5

In which class of verbs does ‘have’ belong?

Answer 5

action verbs; also, helping verbs. Depends on usage.

Question 6

What is a verb phrase?

Answer 6

a main verb and one or more helping verbs.

Question 7

List the helping verbs in groups,

Answer 7

Am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being;  
Have, has, had
Do, does, did
May, might, must
Can-could;  shall-should; will-would.

Question 8

What are the three main forms of verbs?

Give two names for each.

Answer 8

First principal part-present form,
Second principal part-past form,
Third principal part-past participle

Question 9

What part of speech is a word like ‘not’, ‘never’, ‘always’, and ‘surely’?

Answer 9

They are adverbs.

Question 10

What is an irregular verb?

Answer 10

A verb whose second and third principal parts are not formed by adding ‘ed’.

Question 11

What is a noun? What is a verb?

Answer 11

A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing or idea.

A verb is a word that shows action or being.

Question 12

Name the part of speech described:

a. It takes the place of a noun.
b. It tells how, when, or where.
c. It tells which, whose, how many, or what kind of.
d. It modifies a verb.
e. It modifies a noun or pronoun.

Answer 12

a. Pronoun
b. Adverb
c. Adjective
d. Adverb
e. Adjective

Question 13

What is a topic sentence?

Answer 13

A sentence that tells what a paragraph is about.

Question 14

List several ways to develop a paragraph.

Answer 14

By using details.
By using examples and illustrations.
By using comparison and contrast.

Question 15

What should the details of a paragraph do?

Answer 15

Show that the topic sentence is true.

Question 16

What does ‘tense’ mean?

Answer 16

Time.

Question 17

Name the three simple tenses.

Answer 17

Present tense, past tense, future tense.

Question 18

When should the helping verb ‘shall’ be used?

Answer 18

with ‘I’ or ‘we’ in formal writing.

Question 19

Give the present, past, and future tense of these verbs:

a. bring
b. count
c. ask

Answer 19

a. bring, brought, will bring.
b. count, counted, will count.
c. ask, asked, will ask.

Question 20

Using the verb “see”, give three sentences that can help you remember the three principal parts of a verb.

Answer 20

Today I see.
Yesterday I saw.
Every day I have seen.

Question 21

What helping verbs are always used in the perfect tenses?

Answer 21

have, has, had

Question 22

What helping verb is always used in the present perfect tense?

Answer 22

have or has

Question 23

Give the present perfect tense of the following verbs:

a. carry
b. lift
c. go
d. write
e. grow

Answer 23

a. have (or has) carried
b. have (or has) lifted
c. have (or has) gone
d. have (or has) written
e. have (or has) grown

Question 24

What is a possessive noun?

Answer 24

a noun that shows ownership or relationship

Question 25

A possessive noun is often used as what part of speech?

Answer 25

adjective

Question 26

How is the possessive form of a word such as “Moses” and “Jesus” formed?

Answer 26

Add only an apostrophe because the last syllable ends with the ‘zus’ sound.