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Verbs

Posted By Manjusha in English Grammar

A verb is a word which tells us what a person or a thing is doing.

  • He ran fast.
  • The birds flew away.
  • John opened the can.

Here the verbs ran, flew and opened tell us what the nouns he, birds and John do. A verb is the most important word in a sentence.

Now read the following sentences.

  • She is a good girl.
  • There are fifty students in the class.

Here the verbs is and are tell us not about an action, but about a state of being or existence.

Now look at the following sentences.

  • They have a house in the city.
  • She has two children.

Here the verbs have and has indicate possession.

Thus we find that a verb is a word that tells us about an action, a state of being or existence, or possession.

More Basic English Grammar Lessons
Transitive and intransitive verbs
Verbs of incomplete predication

 

 

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