English: English Grammar Verb

Verb

A verb denotes an action, a condition, or a position. (doing, being, having)

Ex:  The teacher teaches English.

        The clown laughs.

        The patient has been advised to stay in bed.

        The bird is chirping loudly.

There are two kinds of verbs. They are 

Transitive verb: A verb which has an object after it is a transitive verb.

Note: The object of a verb is known by putting the question ‘what’ or ‘whom’ to the verb

Ex: The sun gives us light.

      Columbus discovered America.

      The head master punished the boys.

      The students felicitated the principal.

Intransitive Verb: The verb which does not an object is an intransitive verb.

Ex: My brother went to Delhi last week.

      The old man is walking along the road.

Strong verb & Week verb: When the vowel of the present form of the verb is changed in its past form or past participle form, the verb is called a strong verb.

Ex:       

give	Gave	Give
Take	Took	Taken
Write	Wrote	Written
Know	Knew	Knew
Sing	Sang	Sung
Tell	Told	Told

When d, t or ed to add to the present form or past participle form, the verb is a week verb.

Ex:

Like	Liked	Liked
Hope	Hoped	Hoped
Request	Requested	Requested
Order	Ordered	Ordered
Deal	Dealt	Dealt
Learn	Learnt	Learnt

Infinitive: The base form of the verb is called an infinitive. It is also called a base infinitive.

Ex:  go, meet, work, play.

                to + base form of the verb is called a to infinitive.

Ex: to go, to meet, to play, to write.

 A to infinitive denotes the purpose of an action.

Ex: I went to my village to attend my cousin’s marriage

      Children go to school to learn

Gerund: The base form of the verb + ing form is a gerund.

Ex: paint + ing        =painting

      Swim + ing        =swimming

      Teach + ing       =teaching

      Compose + ing =composing

      Work + ing        =working

Note: A gerund is verbal noun. A gerund functions both as noun and as verb.

Ex: Swimming a canal for a half an hour daily keeps one in good health.

      Smoking is injurious to health.

      Walking early in the morning is a good exercise.

      Children enjoy playing

      My sister loves painting.

Participles: There are 3 participles in English. They are

1. Present Participle

2. Part Participle

3. Perfect Participles

Present Participle: Base form of the verb + ing, is called a present participle

Ex: walk + ing  = waling

      work + ing = working

      read + ing = reading

Note 1: A present participle is used to denote the simultaneous action done by the doer

Ex: Reading the headlines in the newspaper

       I usually have my break fast

       Listening to songs on the CD player

       Reading a magazine

       She usually goes to sleep.

Note 2: A present participle used after an object denotes the continues action done by the object.

Ex: I saw him waiting outside one hour ago.

      The principal noticed the student copying in the examination hall

      We heard a tiger roaring.

Note 3: A present participle used before a noun adds something to its meaning in the active sense.

Ex: The rising sun

      The flying birds

      The flowing water

      The growing trees

Past Participle: The 3^rd form of the verb is called a past participle.

Ex: written, injured, painted

Note: A past participle is used before a noun adds something to its meaning in the passive sence.

Ex: The painted wall, an injured passenger, the woven saree, a retired employee

Perfect Participle: 'having' is called perfect participle. The perfect participle having always takes the combination of a past participle.

Ex: having known, having seen having written, having drunk

Note: The combination of the perfect participle ‘having’ a past participle denotes the action done immediately after another action.

Ex: Having known the details of the course I joined it.

       Having made all the items, mother served them to guests.

       Having cleaned the room, the maid went home