This post examines the key aspects of verb usage. Verbs are a class of word that expresses an action.
There are various aspects of verb usage that students of English need to learn, and these include sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, tense, voice and grammatical mood.
Sentence structure
A subject. Every sentence needs a subject, which is usually a noun or pronoun that performs the action or is being described. For example, ‘she’, ‘the dog’ or ‘my friend’.
A verb. A sentence also requires a verb, which expresses the action or state of being. Verbs can be in different tenses (past, present or future) and forms (regular or irregular). For example, ‘runs’, ‘is eating’ or ‘will write’.
An object. Many sentences include an object, which is a noun or noun phrase that receives the action of the verb. Objects can be direct or indirect. For example, in the sentence ‘He read the book’, the book is the direct object. In the sentence, ‘He gave her a book’, ‘her’ is the indirect object: an additional object, a third noun or noun phrase, a someone or something that is affected by the action of the verb but is not the primary object, while ‘the book’ itself is being read or given as the primary or direct object.
Complements. Some sentences may have complements which provide additional information about the subject or object. Complements can be nouns, adjectives or other parts of speech. In the sentence ‘She is a doctor’, ‘doctor’ is a complement.
For more detail on the ‘parts of speech’ please see the relevant article.
Agreement
The fundamental rules of subject-verb agreement depend on whether the subject is singular or plural. When the subject of a sentence is singular, the verb must also be singular:
- The cat is sleeping.
Conversely, when the subject is plural, the verb should be plural as well:
- The dogs are barking.
In sentences with compound subjects (two or more subjects joined by ‘and’) a plural verb should be used:
- Tom and Harry are good friends.
Collective nouns, such as ‘team’, ‘family’ or ‘group’, can take a singular or plural verb depending on whether the emphasis is on the unity of the group or the individuals within it:
- The team is practising.
- The team are arguing.
But, common practice is that collective nouns be taken to be one singular entity and take a singular verb:
- The family is celebrating Christmas.
Collective nouns can take a singular verb when the group is considered as a single entity:
- The family has decided to go on holiday.
When the emphasis is on the individuals within the group, use a plural verb:
- The family are discussing their plans.
Some plural nouns are mistaken to be collective nouns, such as ‘people’, which is simply the plural of a person:
- The person is happy.
- The people are happy.
Sometimes, the subject and verb appear far apart from each other. An example is if they have been divided by an additional clause:
- English language users, both native speakers and students of English as a foreign language, can encounter uncertainties.
- The book, as well as the magazine, is on the table.
For more on subject verb agreement, please visit the relevant post.
Tense
English tenses indicate the time of an action or state. The basic tenses are Past, Present and Future, and each tense has simple, continuous, perfect and perfect continuous forms:
- Past simple is used for completed actions in the past.
- Past continuous describes ongoing actions in the past.
- Past perfect indicates completed or past actions before another past event.
- Past perfect continuous describes ongoing actions that started and continued in the past.
- Present simple is used for habits and general truths.
- Present continuous describes ongoing actions.
- Present perfect indicates completed or past actions with relevance to the present.
- Present perfect continuous describes ongoing actions that started in the past and continue.
- Future simple is used for future actions.
- Future continuous describes ongoing actions in the future.
- Future perfect indicates completed actions or past actions in the future before another future event.
- Future perfect continuous describes ongoing actions that will be in progress or continuing before and after a specific future time.
For more detailed information, please visit this post on English tenses.
Voice
English sentences can be structured in either an active or a passive voice.
In the active voice, the subject performs the action, resulting in clear and direct sentences:
- Bobby built the house.
On the other hand, the passive voice emphasises the receiver of the action, making the sentence less direct:
- The house was built by Bobby.
Passive constructions often use a form of the verb ‘to be’ along with the past participle of the main verb.
For a more detailed exploration of the active and passive voice, please read this post.
Mood
Grammatical mood in English refers to the way verbs express the speaker’s attitude towards the action or state of being.
English verbs have three primary moods: indicative, imperative and subjunctive.
The indicative mood states facts or opinions, or asks questions.
The imperative mood gives commands or requests.
The subjunctive mood expresses hypothetical or unreal situations, wishes or suggestions.
Grammatical moods are categorised according to how they convey not just what is said but also the speaker’s intention.
For examples and a more detailed exploration of the English grammatical mood, please visit this post.
Conclusion
This post summarises the essential uses of verbs in English grammar, such as sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, tense, voice and grammatical mood.
For a more in-depth exploration of each component, feel free to explore the dedicated posts linked throughout this guide.
The following link also looks at the different uses and appearances of English verbs:
https://ukgrammar.com/how-to-conjugate-verbs-in-english/
If you have any questions or comments, please do enter them below.
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https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/