Verbs Groups

 Verbs and Verb Groups

 

What is a verb?

 

A verb is already a type of word, a component of a sentence whose purpose is to express the actions, conditions or states of the subject within the same sentence.

You should know that the verb can be modified to give meaning to the action performed by the subject, this modification process is known as conjugation.

There are several types of verbs in English, in this blog we will focus on the 8 most important types.

NOTE: A verb can be in 2 or more of the following categories. For example, have can be a transitive verb AND an auxiliary verb.
 

What are the English verb groups?

1. What are Stative verbs?: This type of verb is linked to the state or being of the subject. What does this mean? Static verbs are used for the emotions, beliefs and existential states of the subject, i.e. its qualities. These CANNOT be used in continuous verb form, so they are not used to describe actions.

Look at the following examples:

·         I like rainy days.

·          Ana loves the sea.

2. What are Action verbs: Action verbs, as opposed to static verbs, express the action that the subject performs within the sentence, they can refer to both physical and mental actions and this may confuse you but you will understand it better with these examples:

·         Kelly ignored me for the whole party./Kelly ignored me for the whole party (This is a mental action).

·         My husband and I run every morning (This is a physical action).

·         If you want to learn about the 54 most common irregular verbs in English, visit this page.

 

3. What are Transitive verbs: Transitive verbs are a type of verb that requires the presence of a direct object that complements the action expressed by it, this direct object is also known as direct complement, and this quality of dependence is characteristic of transitive verbs.

With the following examples you will be able to see how they work:

·          Michael showed me his new apartment (me=direct object).

·         Yesterday I bought Chinese food for dinner (Chinese food-direct object).

 

 

4. What are Intransitive verbs: Contrary to transitive verbs, in the case of intransitive verbs we do not observe the presence of a direct complement to the verb, this is because, basically, the action cannot be performed on something or someone, that is, the action does not affect something or someone apart from the subject, who is the one who performs the action.

Look at the examples:

- Vanessa woke up after sleeping 12 hours straight.

- The thief fled the place.

 

5. What are Linking verbs: Linking verbs have a special function within the sentence, they are in charge of linking the subject with the complement of the sentence. Particularly these verbs do not express an action, they only connect the subject with the additional information provided about it in the predicate, as shown in these examples:

·          Alice felt bad and left school early.

·         Peter got very upset by his girlfriend's attitude.

NOTE: If you are wondering the difference between linking verbs and stative verbs, this is a good question. Static verbs only show the state of the subject. The state is temporary. Linking verbs show a more permanent quality or the role something plays in the world (nurse, businessman).

 

6. What are Modal verbs: In English, modal verbs are the ones in charge of providing a better meaning. Thanks to their function, this type of verb allows expressing what is known as modality (the possibility of something happening) and can be used to give advice/soft orders.

·          All students should be on time to class (soft command).

·         Mike could eat healthier if he stopped shopping for burgers (possibility).

 

 

7. What are Helping verbs: Helping verbs have the function of providing more grammatical information (what tense is the sentence: future, continuous and perfect) and to complement the verb they are helping (questions, negative), the latter being in charge of providing semantic value to the whole sentence.

The following are some examples where auxiliary verbs are used:

·         Will you go to Spain this year?/¿Irás a España este año? (indicating the future).

·         Did you come to the college yesterday (indicates a question)?

 

 

8. What are Phrasal verbs: Phrasal verbs have a different meaning than the original verb. This is because they are basically composed of two particles, namely verb and adjective or verb and preposition, whose function is oriented to express specific states or actions.

Look at the following examples where some compound verbs are used:

·         I broke up with my boyfriend last Saturday.

·         M83's music album is called "Hurry up, we're dreaming".

 

Finally, let's look at regular and irregular verbs.

 

Regular and irregular verbs: To use regular and irregular verb tenses in English, you need to know the past forms. All verbs have a basic form or "infinitive" (e.g., look, make, play). Most verbs, called "regular verbs," follow the same pattern and create the past simple and past participle using the same word ending, -ed.

However, there are verbs that have different endings and are called "irregular verbs." Here is an overview of each type, with examples and also some tips on how to remember them.

 

Regular verbs: regular verbs in English create the past simple and past participle by adding -ed to the base form of the verb. For example:

 

·         If the verb ends in the consonant -y, we change -y to -i and add -ed. For example

 

·         If a verb ends in -e we simply add -d, For example:

 

·         There are three ways of pronouncing -ed, depending on the last letter of the verb

 

 

Irregular verbs: There are about 200 irregular verbs in English. We can divide them into four groups:

·         Group 1: verbs that have the same base form, the same simple past and past participle.

·         Group 2: verbs that have the same past simple and the same past participle.

·         Group 3: verbs that have the same base form and the same past participle.

·         Group 4: verbs that have different base form, simple past and past participle.

Tip: A good way to learn irregular verbs is to study them in these groups because, being similar, they are easier to remember.

These are the most common irregular verbs in these groups.

 

Group 1: Verbs that have the same basic form, the same past simple and past participle.

For example:

- Our car costs a lot of money but always breaks down.

- Pasha got injured in a soccer game last weekend.

- My parents let me stay out late tonight.

- They put on their jackets because it was so cold."

 

Group 2: Verbs that have the same past simple and the same past participle

 

For example:

- On Monday they had lunch at a Thai restaurant.

- Have you heard the news about the train strike?

- Tim sent an email to all the suppliers.

- Who won the game?" - "The Giants."

 

Group 3: Verbs that have the same basic form and the same past participle.

For example:

- Saturday she came home at 4 am.

- Suzi has become General Manager.

- The dog ran out into the yard after Lee opened the door.

- Is Mrs. O'Connor back from lunch yet?

 

Group 4: Verbs that have a different base form, past simple and past participle

 

For example:

- The children ate a lot of cakes at the party.

- They went to the airport and left the car there.

- Have you already taken out the tickets?

- I have written a letter of application for the position of director.

 

 

Tips for learning regular and irregular verbs

- Pay attention when you see a new verb.

- Make your own examples for each new verb you find.

- Place them on pieces of paper in visible places.

- Keep a journal in English and write down some things you did the day before.

- Books are full of past tense verbs, so reading is a really useful way to practice and review.

- Concentrate on learning a few irregular verbs at a time.