Verb is the most important word in a sentence. If tells us what a person or thing does, what is done to a person or thing and what a person or thing is. It actually consists of more than one word often.
They are cleaning now.
She has been helped by them.
I spoke to him about this.
There is a mistake in this answer.
The verb is called a transitive verb when the action passes over from
the subject to the object and it is called an intransitive verb when the action
expresses a state of being or existence and does not pass over to an object.
He is singing a film song. (transitive verb)
She laughs loudly. (intransitive verb)
They cleaned the room (transitive verb)
I sat in a chair (intransitive verb)
Some transitive verbs like give, tell, ask, promise and offer take two
objects after them - a direct object and an indirect object.
His father gave him (indirect object) a
bike (Direct object)
She told me (indirect) a secret (Direct object)
Majority of the verbs are actually used as both
transitively and intransitively.
Transitively used Intransitively
used
John, ring the bell. The
bell rang loudly.
She has cleaned the room. The
room has just been cleaned.
He stopped the car. The
train stopped suddenly.
She spoke the truth. She
spoke boldly.
He walks the horse. The
horse walks.
The boys fly their kites. The
kites fly.
He broke the glass. The
glass broke.
Verbs of
incomplete predication and complement of the verbs
John sleeps.
Mary seems happy.
When ‘John sleeps’ make a
complete sense, ‘Mary seems’ needs ‘happy’ to have a complete sense. So the verb ‘seems’ is called a verb of
incomplete predication. At the same time ‘happy’ that helps the
verb to make a complete sense is called the complement of the verb.
Is, appears, tastes, became, looked, smell are also the verbs of
incomplete predication.
Tom is a cat.
He looked tired.
Roses smell sweet.
Sugar tastes sweet.
The sky grew dark.
Mary appears pleased.
The complements of the
verb may be a noun, an adjective, an infinitive,
an adverb, a participle, a perfect infinitive or an adverbial phrase.
John has become a
doctor. (noun)
Mary is beautiful. (adjective)
I saw him sleeping on the floor. (present
participle)
They will get him soon arrested.
He tried to escape. (infinitive)
She seems to have disappointed. (perfect
infinitive)
The baby has fallen asleep. (adverb)
The situation held him in great distress. (adverbial
phrase)
MOODS
The manner in which a verb is used, is called its mood.
John likes coffee. (a fact)
Where did you go yesterday? (a question)
Make a call to him. (a command)
If I were you, I would
not hesitate to help him. (a supposition)
There are three moods in
English – Indicative, Imperative and
Subjunctive.
When a verb is used to state a
fact or ask a question,
it is said to be in the indicative mood.
He is painting the wall.
If it rains the match will be cancelled. (Supposition
assumed as a fact)
When a verb is used to give a command, a piece of advice or suggestion, it is said to be in imperative mood.
Drive slowly. (You
omitted)
Close the door.
Speak the truth, whatever happens.
Take care of your health.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Second person is mainly
used in imperative sentences. But the
auxiliary verb ‘let’ is used
with first and third persons.
Let them do, Let us go, let him speak, Let me ask.
When a verb is used to
express a wish, a desire, a purpose,
a possibility, a supposition contrary to fact, it is said to be in subjunctive mood.
God be with you.
I wish he were dead.
I wish they would help
us.
We eat that we may live.
Work hard that you may
succeed.
If you could do this, we
should be so greatful.
If I were you, I shouldn’t let him go.
He talks as if he were Almighty.
Were it possible, I would do it. (if omitted)
He walks as though he were drunk.
It is time we started.
I would rather you went by air. (prefer you to go by air)
TENSES
As verbs refer either an action or a condition and as they are related
to time, they have tenses. They are
broadly divided as present, past and future tenses. As there are stillness, completeness and
continuity in all these three tenses, they are further divided into four
categories as simple or infinite, continuous, perfect and perfect
continuous. Thus we have twelve tenses
in English language.
1. Simple Present
Tense:- It tells what actually
happens at the time of speaking. It is
also used to express a habitual action, general or universal truth and also an
incidental that will take place in future.
He helps her always.
Cows eat grass.
Heat expands bodies.
The Prime Minister visits our State next month.
2.
Present Continuous Tense:- is used to denote an action that is going on at the
time of speaking. It is also used to
indicate a future action.
It is raining. (now)
She is leaving for Chennai tomorrow.
3. Present Perfect
tense:- is used to express an
action just completed and when a definite time is not mentioned
Just he has finished his breakfast.
I haven’t seen him before.
4.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense:- is used to denote an action that began at sometime in
the past and is still continuing.
He has been helping
her for the past five years.
They have been playing since 4 o’ clock.
5.
Simple Past Tense:- is used to denote a past action or event and also a habitual action in
the past.
He received his salary last week.
She always carried an umbrella (used to carry)
6.
Past Continuous Tense:- is used to denote an action that was going on for
sometime in the past.
When I saw him he was making a call.
It was raining when we went out.
7.
Past Perfect Tense:- is used to denote an action completed before a certain moment in the
past. (in the past tense of the past)
I had finished my work before he came to my house
I reached the
railway station after the train had left.
8.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense:- is used to denote an action that began before a
certain point in the past and continued up to a certain period of time.
Since 1995 I had been teaching English at
CFDVHS school for 23 years.
When John came to
that flat in 2005, Jim had already
been staying there for years.
9.
Simple future Tense:- is used to denote an action that has still to take place.
He will definitely pass the test.
We shall meet him tomorrow.
10.
Future
Continuous Tense:- is used to denote an action that will be going on
for sometime in the future.
When I get home, my
children will be watching
T.V.
They will be assembling
at the club this evening.
11.
Future
perfect tense:- is used to denote the completion of an action by a
certain future time.
Before you go
to see him, he will have left
the place.
They will have finished the work before monsoon.
12.
Future
Perfect Continuous Tense:- is used to denote an action that will be going
on for a certain period of time in the future.
By next July we shall have been living
here for five years.
Since 2030 (now 2022) he will have been working in this institution (he has to complete his studies)
தமிழில்
---Thulasidharan V