{"id":162,"date":"2014-04-06T01:10:38","date_gmt":"2014-04-06T01:10:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/patrickcarpen.com\/english-language\/?page_id=162"},"modified":"2025-06-12T22:13:17","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T22:13:17","slug":"verb","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/patrickcarpen.com\/english\/parts-speech\/the-basics\/verb\/","title":{"rendered":"The Verb"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This page was first published on the 6th of April, 2014 and last updated on the 28th November, 2016 by Patrick Carpen.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Photo
Photo Thanks To:
http:\/\/www.freeimages.com\/photo\/runners-1438373<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

At Primary School, you may have learned that verbs are “action words” such as run, jump, and swim. This is true, but not all verbs are action words. Some verbs are “linking” or “state of being” verbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boy is<\/em> fat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the sentence above, the word “is” is a linking verb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While not all verbs are action verbs, you can think of verbs as the “legs” of a sentence. They make the sentence “go.” Imagine what the sentence above would read like without the linking verb “is.” We would have no idea of knowing if the boy is fat now, was fat one year ago, or will be fat next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regular and Irregular Verbs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Regular verbs follow a fixed pattern during conjugation. For example, the verb “walk” is a regular verb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I walk to school every morning. (present simple)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I walked to school yesterday. (past tense)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below are some more regular verbs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Play<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intend<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Love<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Print<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talk<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduce<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imitate<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smile<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Irregular verbs<\/strong> on the other hand do not follow any fix patterns. They can either: have no ending, have a changed vowel or be something completely different. Examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I buy cane juice every morning (present simple tense)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I bought cane juice yesterday (past tense).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some more examples of irregular verbs include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Go, buy, eat, drink, think, sink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some more examples of irregular verbs are listed in the table below.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Begin<\/td>Began<\/td>Begun<\/td><\/tr>
Give<\/td>Gave<\/td>Given<\/td><\/tr>
Buy<\/td>Bought<\/td>Bought<\/td><\/tr>
Choose<\/td>Chose<\/td>Chosen<\/td><\/tr>
Cut<\/td>Cut<\/td>Cut<\/td><\/tr>
Drink<\/td>Drank<\/td>Drunk<\/td><\/tr>
Eat<\/td>Ate<\/td>Eaten<\/td><\/tr>
Feed<\/td>Fed<\/td>Fed<\/td><\/tr>
Go<\/td>Went<\/td>Gone<\/td><\/tr>
Fly<\/td>Flew<\/td>Flown<\/td><\/tr>
<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Irregular verbs in the past simple tense.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Jack began<\/strong> every day with a healthy breakfast.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Alicja\u2019s dog gave<\/strong> a nasty bite when provoked.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Anne and Alicja bought<\/strong> all their vegetables at the Farmers’ market.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Ollie chose<\/strong> his friends carefully.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Anne cut<\/strong> her hair regularly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Jack drank<\/strong> beer occasionally with friends.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Anne and her friend ate<\/strong> out at least once a week.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Alicja fed<\/strong> her dog the best quality dog food.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Ollie went<\/strong> to visit his parents regularly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Alicja flew<\/strong> to Poland every year.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Transitive and Intransitive Verbs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    A transitive verb is a verb that transfers its action to an object. An intransitive verb is a verb where the action performed by the subject is not transferred to an object.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Transitive verbs<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    The word \u201ctransitive\u201d might seem complex, but it really refers to movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Transitive verbs are followed by a direct object (a thing or a person that is affected by the action of the verb).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Look at the following sentences, where we\u2019ve highlighted the transitive verb for you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n