Verbs

Introduction to Verbs

These are the words which describe an action, event or state of being in a sentence. It is derived from the Latin ‘verbum’ which means ‘a word’. If it is proper to compare different parts of speech according to their relative importance, then verbs can be considered as the most important part of speech. You can form a sentence without any of the other parts of speech, but you cannot make a sentence without a verb.

For example: Run! Jump! Fight! Eat! Drink! Sing!

All these can be regarded as sentences as they contain the most important part of a sentence—verb. However, the following don’t:

This not a sentence. Why this not a sentence?

In both these cases, the verbs are absent. Hence, they cannot be called sentences. Let us study verbs in detail.

Properties of verbs

As mentioned before, verbs are used for describing an action, event or state of being. The same verb can be used differently in different sentences. Let us study the properties of a verb that undergo changes. These properties are as follows:

1. Person and Number

2. Tense

3. Voice

4. Mood

These are the words which describe an action, event or state of being in a sentence. It is derived from the Latin ‘verbum’ which means ‘a word’. If it is proper to compare different parts of speech according to their relative importance, then verbs can be considered as the most important part of speech. You can form a sentence without any of the other parts of speech, but you cannot make a sentence without a verb.

For example: Run! Jump! Fight! Eat! Drink! Sing!

All these can be regarded as sentences as they contain the most important part of a sentence—verb. However, the following don’t:

This not a sentence. Why this not a sentence?

In both these cases, the verbs are absent. Hence, they cannot be called sentences. Let us study verbs in detail.

Properties of verbs

As mentioned before, verbs are used for describing an action, event or state of being. The same verb can be used differently in different sentences. Let us study the properties of a verb that undergo changes. These properties are as follows:

1. Person and Number

2. Tense

3. Voice

4. Mood

A verb changes according to the number and the person of its subject.

Singular and plural are the two numbers. Singular means one, while plural means more than one.

The persons in English language are classified as first person, second person and third person. The first person refers to the person or persons speaking. The second person refers to the person or persons being spoken to. The third person refers to the person or persons being spoken of.

The following table lists the singular and plural forms of the persons:

	First Person	Second Person	Third Person
Singular	I	You	He, She, Noun, It
Plural	We	You	They

Using the verb ‘do’, let us see how a verb changes its form according to the number and person of it subject.

	Present	Past	Future
First Person Singular (I)	do am doing have done have been doing	did was doing had done had been doing	will do will be doing will have done will have been doing
First Person Plural (We)	do are doing have done have been doing	did were doing had done had been doing	will do will be doing will have done will have been doing
Second Person Singular (You)	do are doing have done have been doing	did were doing had done had been doing	will do will be doing will have done will have been doing
Second Person Plural (You)	do are doing have done have been doing	did were doing had done had been doing	will do will be doing will have done will have been doing
Third Person Singular (He/She/Noun/It)	does is doing has done has been doing	did was doing had done had been doing	will do will be doing will have done will have been doing
Third Person Plural (They)	do are doing have done have been doing	did were doing had done had been doing	will do will be doing will have done will have been doing

A verb changes according to the number and the person of its subject.

Singular and plural are the two numbers. Singular means one, while plural means more than one.

The persons in English language are classified as first person, second person and third person. The first person refers to the person or persons speaking. The second person refers to the person or persons being spoken to. The third person refers to the person or persons being spoken of.

The following table lists the singular and plural forms of the persons:

	First Person	Second Person	Third Person
Singular	I	You	He, She, Noun, It
Plural	We	You	They

Using the verb ‘do’, let us see how a verb changes its form according to the number and person of it subject.

…

	Present	Past	Future
First Person Singular (I)	do am doing have done have been doing	did was doing had done had been doing	will do will be doing will have done will have been doing
First Person Plural (We)	do are doing have done have been doing	did were doing had done had been doing	will do will be doing will have done will have been doing
Second Person Singular (You)	do are doing have done have been doing	did were doing had done had been doing	will do will be doing will have done will have been doing
Second Person Plural (You)	do are doing have done have been doing	did were doing had done had been doing	will do will be doing will have done will have been doing
Third Person Singular (He/She/Noun/It)	does is doing has done has been doing	did was doing had done had been doing	will do will be doing will have done will have been doing