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Verb Study Guide
Action Verbs tell what the subject is doing and action is involved.
Linking Verbs link the subject to a noun or adjective in the
predicate part of the sentence. A linking verb says
that the subject is something. The subject is not
doing action.
Some common linking verbs are:
Is, are, am, was, were, being, been, smell, look, taste,
feel, appear, remain, sound, seem, become, grow, stand
Helping Verbs come before the main verb and give the verb a
more specific meaning and help establish the
tense of the verb.
Some common helping verbs are:
Has, have, had, shall, will, should, could, would, must, can, may, do, did, does
The forms of the verb be may also be helping verbs:
Is, are, was, were, am, being, been.
Verb Tenses: The tense of a verb tells when the action takes
Place.
The simple tenses are Present, Past and Future tense.
Simple Present Tense:I like football. We practice every day.
Simple Past Tense: Bob kicked the football. Sean was the
quarterback until he was injured.
Simple Future Tense: I will like football forever. I will go to
practice every day.
Perfect Tense Verbs: Perfect tense is expressed with
certain helping verbs.
Present Perfect Tense: The present perfect tense states an
an action that is still going on. Add has or have before the past
tense or past participle of the main verb.
Bob has swum for two hours so far.
Past Perfect Tense: The past perfect tense states an action
that began and ended in the past. Add had before the past
tense.
Bob had swum for three hours before he finally quit.
Future Perfect Tense: The future perfect tense states an
Action that will begin in the future and end at a specific time.
Add will have before the past participle form of the main verb.
Bob will have swum for five hours by noon tomorrow.
Irregular Verbs:
The past participle is used with the helping verb had, has or have.
Present TensePast TenseFuture Tense
am, is, arewas, werebeen
beginbeganbegun
bitebitbitten
blowblewblown
breakbrokebroken
bringbroughtbrought
catchcaughtcaught
comecamecome
divedived, dovedived
dodiddone
drawdrewdrawn
drinkdrankdrunk
drivedrovedriven
eatateeaten
fallfellfallen
fightfoughtfought
flyflewflown
freezefrozefrozen
getgotgotten
givegavegiven
gowentgone
Present TensePast TenseFuture Tense
growgrewgrown
hanghunghung
hidehidhidden, hid
holdheldheld
keepkeptkept
knowknewknown
lay (place)laidlaid
lLeaveleftleft
lie (recline)laylain
makemademade
rideroderidden
ringrangrung
riseroserisen
runranrun
seesawseen
shakeshookshaken
shineshoneshone
shrinkshrankshrunk
singsang, sungsung
sinksank, sunksunk
sitsatsat
sleepsleptslept
speakspokespoken
springsprang, sprungsprung
standstoodstood
stealstolestolen
swearsworesworn
swimswamswum
swingswungswung
take tooktaken
Present TensePast TenseFuture Tense
teachtaughttaught
teartoretorn
throwthrewthrown
wakewokewoken
wearworeworn
weavewovewoven
writewrotewritten
Spelling Rules Review:
When making verbs past tense, you need to remember your spelling rules.
For example, to make carry past tense you need to remember the following rule:
When a regular verb ends in a consonant followed by a “y” change the “y” to “i” and add “ed”
CARRIED
When making stop past tense, you need to remember the following rule:
When a regular verb ends in a single vowel followed by a single consonant, double the final consonant and add “ed”