What is a Verb?

• Verb

Definition: Verbs are a class of words used to show the performance of an action (do, throw, run), existence (be), possession (have), or state (know, love) of a subject. In easy words: a verb shows what something or someone does.

For example:

·         Paul rides a bicycle.

·         We buy some books to learn English verbs.

The verb tense shows the time of the action or state. Aspect shows whether the action or state is completed or not. Voice is used to show relationships between the action and the people affected by it. Mood shows the attitude of the speaker about the verb, whether it is a declaration or an order. Verbs can be affected by person and number to show agreement with the subject.

• Auxiliary verb

Definition: Auxiliary verbs are used together with a main verb to give grammatical information and therefore add extra meaning to a sentence, which is not given by the main verb.

Be, Do and Have are auxiliary verbs, they are irregular verbs and can be used as main verbs.

Modal verbs are also auxiliary verbs, but will be treated separately, these are can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, and would.

• Modal verb

Definition: Modal verbs are also called helping verbs, they are not complete verbs, and they can only be used with a verb.

Some basic characteristics of modals

a) Modals are always followed by the base form of the verb, e.g.:

She can speak German.

I might play tennis tomorrow.

b) Modals never have –ing or –ed forms, and do not take –s in the third person singular present.

Louise can read very well now.

 Louise couldn’t read when she was three.

c) Negatives are formed by putting not immediately after the modal, except in the case of ought to, where the negative form is ought not to (which is sometimes abbreviated to oughtn’t to). The negative of can is often written as one word cannot. Shall not and will not are usually abbreviated to shan’t and won’t respectively. Could not and would not usually appear as couldn’t and wouldn’t, e.g.:

I might not play tennis tomorrow.

You ought not to tell her.

She can’t come.

We won’t be ready until five.

d) Modals do not use do and did to form questions. Questions are formed by placing the modal before the subject. In the case of ought to, ought is placed before the subject and to after it, e.g.:

Can she speak Spanish?

Ought you to tell her?

Wouldn’t he help you?

When will and would are used after a pronoun, they are often shortened to the contracted forms ’ll and ’d and joined to the pronoun, e.g.:

I’ll help, if you want.

I’m sure she’ll agree.