Verbs

Verbs

There are more than ten different types of verbs that are grouped by function.

·      Compound Verbs

·      Finite and Non-finite Verbs

·      Auxiliary Verbs

·      Stative Verbs

·      Modal Verbs

·      Participles, Gerunds & Infinitives

·      Regular and Irregular Verbs

Compound Verbs

A compound verb is a verb that consists of more than one word. There are several types of compound verbs including: prepositional verbs, phrasal verbs, verbs with auxiliaries, and compound single-word verbs. Let's find out about each of these types of verbs.

There are four types of compound verbs:

Prepositional verb

·         Mr. DeJulius asked for sources to be cited on our research paper.

·         Michael argues with Robert about politics.

Phrasal verb

·         Tammy ran away from home.

·         Patrick looked up the phone numbers of all the members.

Verb with auxiliaries

·         Mrs. Behrens was helping another student, so she could not answer my question.

·         Tiffany is washing her car.

Compound single-word verb

·         Jaimie daydreams during class.

·         Darlene sight-reads sheet music.

Finite and Non-finite Verbs

Finite verb forms show tense, person and number.

·         She was waiting in the room before he came in.

·         Does your brother know my brother?

Non-finite verb forms do not show tense, person or number.

·         She tiptoed round the house so as not to wake anyone.

·         You need to paint the whole cupboard, starting from the bottom.

Auxiliary Verbs

An auxiliary verb is a verb that adds functional or grammatical meaning to the clause in which it appears, such as to express tense, aspect, modality, voice, emphasis, ... Auxiliary verbs usually accompany a main verb.

·         Do you want tea?

·         He has given his all.

Modal Auxiliary Verbs

Stative Verbs

A stative verb is one that describes a state of being, in contrast to a dynamic verb, which describes an action.

·         Paul feels rotten today. He has a bad cold.

·         Our client appreciated all the work we did for him.

Modal Verbs

A modal verb is a type of verb that is used to indicate modality – that is: likelihood, ability, permission and obligation. Examples include the English verbs can/could, may/might, must, will/would and shall/should.

·         Tom can write poetry very well.

·         You may not wear sandals to work.

·         Shall we go for a walk?

Participles, Gerunds & Infinitives

The three verbals— gerunds, infinitives, and participles—are formed from verbs, but are never used alone as action words in sentences. Instead, verbals function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. These verbals are important in phrases.

The gerund ends in -ing and functions as a noun.

·         Jumping is fun.

The infinitive is the base form of a verb with to.

·         She had a suggestion to offer.

A participle is a verb that ends in -ing or -ed, -d, -t, -en, -n.

·         The dancing parrots entertained the crowd.

·         The wrecked sailboat washed up on shore.

Regular and Irregular Verbs

A regular verb is any verb whose conjugation follows the typical pattern, or one of the typical patterns, of the language to which it belongs. 

A verb whose conjugation follows a different pattern is called an irregular verb.

·         I walked for several miles as part of my morning work-out.

·         I bend my hand while removing the box from the loft.

Modal verb	Usage	Example
can	ability	I can do several things at the same time.
	when something is possible	Miracles can happen.
	permission	You can go now.
	informal requests	Can you come here for a minute?
could	past form of "can"	She said she could pay for us as well.
	polite requests	Could you move your bag, please?
	possibility	It could be that he missed the train.
may	possibility	It may rain tomorrow.
	ask for or give permission (formal)	May I speak?
might	past form of "may"	He said he might change his mind.
	possibility	This might fail.
must	you have to do it	You must obey the law.
	it's very logical or very likely to happen	They left so early, they must be home by now.
must not/ mustn't	you are not allowed to do it	You mustn't smoke in here.
shall	future for "I" and "we"	I shall see him tomorrow.
	questions and suggestions for "I" and "we"	Let's continue, shall we?
should	the right thing to do	She should call the police.
	advice	- What should I do? - You should stop thinking about it.
	what is likely or expected to happen	We should be back by midnight.
will	future action or states (not plans)	Prices will go up next summer.
	promises and intentions	It's alright, I'll pick it up.
would	past form of "will"	He told me he would come.
	imagined situations	What would you do if you were him?
	for polite requests, offers and invitations	- Would you please sit down? - Would you like some tea? - We are meeting with Sarah next Saturday, would you like to come along?
	to say what you want to do or have	I would like a piece of cake.
ought to	the right thing to do	You ought to apologize.

English Modal Verbs – Situations Table

Situation	Modal Verb	Example
requests (formal)	may	May I sit down?
requests (informal)	can	Can I sit down?
requests (polite)	could	Could I sit down?
requests (polite)	would	Would you mind if I sit down?
permission (formal)	may	You may sit down.
permission (informal)	can	You can sit down.
obligation (full)	must	You must tell the police the truth.
obligation (partial)	should	You should tell your friends the truth.
obligation (partial) (less common)	ought to	You ought to tell your friends the truth.
logical conclusions  (stronger than "should")	must	He left an hour ago, so he must be there already.
logical conclusions  (weaker than "must")	should	He left half an hour ago, I believe he should be there already.
possibility (general)	can	It can rain sometimes.
possibility (weaker than "may" and "might")	could	It could rain, but it is not very common in this part of the country.
possibility (weaker than "may")	might	It's not very cloudy yet, but it might rain.
possibility (stronger than "might")	may	It's starting to get cloudy – it may rain soon.
futureactions/states/intentions	will	Look at the sky! It will rain soon.

Auxiliary Verb Examples

Here are some examples of auxiliary verbs and verb phrases. In the examples below, the verb phrase is italicized and the auxiliary verb is in bold.

1.      Jessica is taking John to the airport.

2.      If he doesn’t arrive on time, he’ll have to take a later flight.

3.      Unfortunately, our dinner has been eaten by the dog.

4.      I have purchased a new pair of shoes to replace the ones that were lost in my luggage.

5.      We hope you don’t have an accident on your way to school.

6.      She was baking a pie for dessert.

7.      Dad has been working hard all day.

8.      The bed was made as soon as I got up.

9.      Sarah doesn’t ski or roller skate.

10.  Did Matthew bring coffee?

Auxiliary Verb Exercises

Fill in the blank with the correct auxiliary verb from the choices presented:

1.      What ________________ the kids doing when you last saw them? (was, were, are, did, been)

2.      Carla ________________ always wanted to try skydiving. (was, doesn’t, has, is, have)

3.      Where __________________ you go on your summer vacation? (were, been, are, did, does)

4.      Why do you think she __________ call you like she said she would? (didn’t, is, hasn’t, has been, have)

5.      Mary _____________ going to be upset when she hears what happened. (will, don’t, is, didn’t, has)

6.      Jeremy _____________ want to go to the movies; he wants to stay home instead. (doesn’t, isn’t, wasn’t, hasn’t, was not)

7.      I _________________ appreciate his jokes. They weren’t funny. (did, have, been, didn’t, haven’t)

8.      I really like fish but I _______________ care for meat. (weren’t, been, don’t, is, was)

9.      Where _____________ you going when I saw you last night? (were, was, is, do, did)

10.  Tara ________________ called yet; she’s late as usual. (are, were, has, hasn’t, wouldn’t)

Answers: 1 – were, 2 – has, 3 – did, 4 – didn’t, 5 – is, 6 – doesn’t, 7 – didn’t, 8 – don’t, 9 – were, 10 – hasn’t

Phrasal Verbs List

200 common phrasal verbs, with meanings and example sentences

phrasal verb	meaning	example sentence
asksomebodyout	invite on a date	Brian asked Judy out to dinner and a movie.
ask around	ask many people the same question	I asked around but nobody has seen my wallet.
add up tosomething	equal	Your purchases add up to$205.32.
backsomethingup	reverse	You'll have to back up your car so that I can get out.
backsomebodyup	support	My wife backed me up over my decision to quit my job.
blow up	explode	The racing car blew up after it crashed into the fence.
blowsomethingup	add air	We have to blow 50 balloons up for the party.
break down	stop functioning (vehicle, machine)	Our car broke down at the side of the highway in the snowstorm.
break down	get upset	The woman broke down when the police told her that her son had died.
breaksomethingdown	divide into smaller parts	Our teacher broke the final project down into three separate parts.
break in	force entry to a building	Somebody broke in last night and stole our stereo.
break intosomething	enter forcibly	The firemen had to break intothe room to rescue the children.
breaksomethingin	wear something a few times so that it doesn't look/feel new	I need to break these shoes inbefore we run next week.
break in	interrupt	The TV station broke in to report the news of the president's death.
break up	end a relationship	My boyfriend and I broke upbefore I moved to America.
break up	start laughing (informal)	The kids just broke up as soon as the clown started talking.
break out	escape	The prisoners broke out of jail when the guards weren't looking.
break out insomething	develop a skin condition	I broke out in a rash after our camping trip.
bringsomebodydown	make unhappy	This sad music is bringing me down.
bringsomebodyup	raise a child	My grandparents brought me up after my parents died.
bringsomethingup	start talking about a subject	My mother walks out of the room when my father brings up sports.
bringsomethingup	vomit	He drank so much that he brought his dinner up in the toilet.
call around	phone many different places/people	We called around but we weren't able to find the car part we needed.
callsomebodyback	return a phone call	I called the company back but the offices were closed for the weekend.
callsomethingoff	cancel	Jason called the wedding offbecause he wasn't in love with his fiancé.
call onsomebody	ask for an answer or opinion	The professor called on me for question 1.
call onsomebody	visit somebody	We called on you last night but you weren't home.
callsomebodyup	phone	Give me your phone number and I will call you up when we are in town.
calm down	relax after being angry	You are still mad. You need to calm down before you drive the car.
not care forsomebody/ something	not like (formal)	I don't care for his behaviour.
catch up	get to the same point as somebody else	You'll have to run faster than that if you want to catch upwith Marty.
check in	arrive and register at a hotel or airport	We will get the hotel keys when we check in.
check out	leave a hotel	You have to check out of the hotel before 11:00 AM.
checksomebody/ somethingout	look at carefully, investigate	The company checks out all new employees.
check outsomebody/ something	look at (informal)	Check out the crazy hair on that guy!
cheer up	become happier	She cheered up when she heard the good news.
cheersomebodyup	make happier	I brought you some flowers to cheer you up.
chip in	help	If everyone chips in we can get the kitchen painted by noon.
cleansomethingup	tidy, clean	Please clean up your bedroom before you go outside.
come acrosssomething	find unexpectedly	I came across these old photos when I was tidying the closet.
come apart	separate	The top and bottom come apart if you pull hard enough.
come down withsomething	become sick	My nephew came down withchicken pox this weekend.
come forward	volunteer for a task or to give evidence	The woman came forwardwith her husband's finger prints.
come fromsome place	originate in	The art of origami comes from Asia.
count onsomebody/ something	rely on	I am counting on you to make dinner while I am out.
crosssomethingout	draw a line through	Please cross out your old address and write your new one.
cut back onsomething	consume less	My doctor wants me to cut back on sweets and fatty foods.
cutsomethingdown	make something fall to the ground	We had to cut the old tree in our yard down after the storm.
cut in	interrupt	Your father cut in while I was dancing with your uncle.
cut in	pull in too closely in front of another vehicle	The bus driver got angry when that car cut in.
cut in	start operating (of an engine or electrical device)	The air conditioner cuts inwhen the temperature gets to 22°C.
cutsomethingoff	remove with something sharp	The doctors cut off his leg because it was severely injured.
cutsomethingoff	stop providing	The phone company cut offour phone because we didn't pay the bill.
cutsomebodyoff	take out of a will	My grandparents cut my father off when he remarried.
cutsomethingout	remove part of something (usually with scissors and paper)	I cut this ad out of the newspaper.
dosomebody/ somethingover	beat up, ransack (BrE, informal)	He's lucky to be alive. His shop was done over by a street gang.
dosomethingover	do again (AmE)	My teacher wants me to do my essay over because she doesn't like my topic.
do away withsomething	discard	It's time to do away with all of these old tax records.
dosomethingup	fasten, close	Do your coat up before you go outside. It's snowing!
dress up	wear nice clothing	It's a fancy restaurant so we have to dress up.
drop back	move back in a position/group	Andrea dropped back to third place when she fell off her bike.
drop in/ by/ over	come without an appointment	I might drop in/by/over for tea sometime this week.
dropsomebody/ somethingoff	take somebody/ something somewhere and leave them/it there	I have to drop my sister off at work before I come over.
drop out	quit a class, school etc	I dropped out of Science because it was too difficult.
eat out	eat at a restaurant	I don't feel like cooking tonight. Let's eat out.
end up	eventually reach/do/decide	We ended up renting a movie instead of going to the theatre.
fall apart	break into pieces	My new dress fell apart in the washing machine.
fall down	fall to the ground	The picture that you hung up last night fell down this morning.
fall out	separate from an interior	The money must have fallen out of my pocket.
fall out	(of hair, teeth) become loose and unattached	His hair started to fall outwhen he was only 35.
figuresomethingout	understand, find the answer	I need to figure out how to fit the piano and the bookshelf in this room.
fillsomethingin	to write information in blanks, as on a form (BrE)	Please fill in the form with your name, address, and phone number.
fillsomethingout	to write information in blanks, as on a form (AmE)	The form must be filled out in capital letters.
fillsomethingup	fill to the top	I always fill the water jug upwhen it is empty.
find out	discover	We don't know where he lives. How can we find out?
findsomethingout	discover	We tried to keep the time of the party a secret, but Samantha found it out.
getsomethingacross/ over	communicate, make understandable	I tried to get my point across/over to the judge but she wouldn't listen.
get along/on	like each other	I was surprised how well my new girlfriend and my sister got along/on.
get around	have mobility	My grandfather can get around fine in his new wheelchair.
get away	go on a vacation	We worked so hard this year that we had to get away for a week.
get away withsomething	do without being noticed or punished	Jason always gets away withcheating in his maths tests.
get back	return	We got back from our vacation last week.
getsomethingback	receive something you had before	Liz finally got her Science notes back from my room-mate.
get back atsomebody	retaliate, take revenge	My sister got back at me for stealing her shoes. She stole my favourite hat.
get back intosomething	become interested in something again	I finally got back into my novel and finished it.
get onsomething	step onto a vehicle	We're going to freeze out here if you don't let us get on the bus.
get oversomething	recover from an illness, loss, difficulty	I just got over the flu and now my sister has it.
get oversomething	overcome a problem	The company will have to close if it can't get over the new regulations.
get round tosomething	finally find time to do (AmE: get around tosomething)	I don't know when I am going to get round to writing the thank you cards.
get together	meet (usually for social reasons)	Let's get together for a BBQ this weekend.
get up	get out of bed	I got up early today to study for my exam.
get up	stand	You should get up and give the elderly man your seat.
givesomebodyaway	reveal hidden information about somebody	His wife gave him away to the police.
givesomebodyaway	take the bride to the altar	My father gave me away at my wedding.
givesomethingaway	ruin a secret	My little sister gave the surprise party away by accident.
givesomethingaway	give something to somebody for free	The library was giving awayold books on Friday.
givesomethingback	return a borrowed item	I have to give these skates back to Franz before his hockey game.
give in	reluctantly stop fighting or arguing	My boyfriend didn't want to go to the ballet, but he finally gave in.
givesomethingout	give to many people (usually at no cost)	They were giving out free perfume samples at the department store.
givesomethingup	quit a habit	I am giving up smoking as of January 1st.
give up	stop trying	My maths homework was too difficult so I gave up.
go aftersomebody	follow somebody	My brother tried to go afterthe thief in his car.
go aftersomething	try to achieve something	I went after my dream and now I am a published writer.
go againstsomebody	compete, oppose	We are going against the best soccer team in the city tonight.
go ahead	start, proceed	Please go ahead and eat before the food gets cold.
go back	return to a place	I have to go back home and get my lunch.
go out	leave home to go on a social event	We're going out for dinner tonight.
go out withsomebody	date	Jesse has been going out with Luke since they met last winter.
go oversomething	review	Please go over your answers before you submit your test.
go over	visit somebody nearby	I haven't seen Tina for a long time. I think I'll go over for an hour or two.
go withoutsomething	suffer lack or deprivation	When I was young, we went without winter boots.
grow apart	stop being friends over time	My best friend and I grew apart after she changed schools.
grow back	regrow	My roses grew back this summer.
grow intosomething	grow big enough to fit	This bike is too big for him now, but he should grow intoit by next year.
grow out ofsomething	get too big for	Elizabeth needs a new pair of shoes because she has grown out of her old ones.
grow up	become an adult	When Jack grows up he wants to be a fireman.
handsomethingdown	give something used to somebody else	I handed my old comic books down to my little cousin.
handsomethingin	submit	I have to hand in my essay by Friday.
handsomethingout	to distribute to a group of people	We will hand out the invitations at the door.
handsomethingover	give (usually unwillingly)	The police asked the man to hand over his wallet and his weapons.
hang in	stay positive (informal)	Hang in there. I'm sure you'll find a job very soon.
hang on	wait a short time (informal)	Hang on while I grab my coat and shoes!
hang out	spend time relaxing (informal)	Instead of going to the party we are just going to hang outat my place.
hang up	end a phone call	He didn't say goodbye before he hung up.
holdsomebody/ somethingback	prevent from doing/going	I had to hold my dog backbecause there was a cat in the park.
holdsomethingback	hide an emotion	Jamie held back his tears at his grandfather's funeral.
hold on	wait a short time	Please hold on while I transfer you to the Sales Department.
hold ontosomebody/ something	hold firmly using your hands or arms	Hold onto your hat because it's very windy outside.
holdsomebody/ somethingup	rob	A man in a black mask heldthe bank up this morning.
keep on doingsomething	continue doing	Keep on stirring until the liquid comes to a boil.
keepsomethingfromsomebody	not tell	We kept our relationship fromour parents for two years.
keepsomebody/ somethingout	stop from entering	Try to keep the wet dog out of the living room.
keepsomethingup	continue at the same rate	If you keep those results upyou will get into a great college.
letsomebodydown	fail to support or help, disappoint	I need you to be on time. Don't let me down this time.
letsomebodyin	allow to enter	Can you let the cat in before you go to school?
log in (or on)	sign in (to a website, database etc)	I can't log in to Facebook because I've forgotten my password.
log out (or off)	sign out (of a website, database etc)	If you don't log off somebody could get into your account.
look aftersomebody/ something	take care of	I have to look after my sick grandmother.
look down onsomebody	think less of, consider inferior	Ever since we stole that chocolate bar your dad has looked down on me.
look forsomebody/ something	try to find	I'm looking for a red dress for the wedding.
look forward tosomething	be excited about the future	I'm looking forward to the Christmas break.
look intosomething	investigate	We are going to look into the price of snowboards today.
look out	be careful, vigilant, and take notice	Look out! That car's going to hit you!
look out forsomebody/ something	be especially vigilant for	Don't forget to look out forsnakes on the hiking trail.
looksomethingover	check, examine	Can you look over my essay for spelling mistakes?
looksomethingup	search and find information in a reference book or database	We can look her phone number up on the Internet.
look up tosomebody	have a lot of respect for	My little sister has always looked up to me.
makesomethingup	invent, lie about something	Josie made up a story about why we were late.
make up	forgive each other	We were angry last night, but we made up at breakfast.
makesomebodyup	apply cosmetics to	My sisters made me up for my graduation party.
mixsomethingup	confuse two or more things	I mixed up the twins' names again!
pass away	die	His uncle passed away last night after a long illness.
pass out	faint	It was so hot in the church that an elderly lady passed out.
passsomethingout	give the same thing to many people	The professor passed the textbooks out before class.
passsomethingup	decline (usually something good)	I passed up the job because I am afraid of change.
paysomebodyback	return owed money	Thanks for buying my ticket. I'll pay you back on Friday.
pay forsomething	be punished for doing something bad	That bully will pay for being mean to my little brother.
picksomethingout	choose	I picked out three sweaters for you to try on.
pointsomebody/ somethingout	indicate with your finger	I'll point my boyfriend outwhen he runs by.
putsomethingdown	put what you are holding on a surface or floor	You can put the groceries down on the kitchen counter.
putsomebodydown	insult, make somebody feel stupid	The students put the substitute teacher downbecause his pants were too short.
putsomethingoff	postpone	We are putting off our trip until January because of the hurricane.
putsomethingout	extinguish	The neighbours put the fire out before the firemen arrived.
putsomethingtogether	assemble	I have to put the crib together before the baby arrives.
put up withsomebody/ something	tolerate	I don't think I can put up withthree small children in the car.
putsomethingon	put clothing/ accessories on your body	Don't forget to put on your new earrings for the party.
run intosomebody/ something	meet unexpectedly	I ran into an old school-friend at the mall.
run oversomebody/ something	drive a vehicle over a person or thing	I accidentally ran over your bicycle in the driveway.
run over/ throughsomething	rehearse, review	Let's run over/through these lines one more time before the show.
run away	leave unexpectedly, escape	The child ran away from home and has been missing for three days.
run out	have none left	We ran out of shampoo so I had to wash my hair with soap.
sendsomethingback	return (usually by mail)	My letter got sent back to me because I used the wrong stamp.
setsomethingup	arrange, organize	Our boss set a meeting upwith the president of the company.
setsomebodyup	trick, trap	The police set up the car thief by using a hidden camera.
shop around	compare prices	I want to shop around a little before I decide on these boots.
show off	act extra special for people watching (usually boastfully)	He always shows off on his skateboard
sleep over	stay somewhere for the night (informal)	You should sleep over tonight if the weather is too bad to drive home.
sortsomethingout	organize, resolve a problem	We need to sort the bills outbefore the first of the month.
stick tosomething	continue doing something, limit yourself to one particular thing	You will lose weight if you stick to the diet.
switchsomethingoff	stop the energy flow, turn off	The light's too bright. Could you switch it off.
switchsomethingon	start the energy flow, turn on	We heard the news as soon as we switched on the car radio.
take aftersomebody	resemble a family member	I take after my mother. We are both impatient.
takesomethingapart	purposely break into pieces	He took the car brakes apartand found the problem.
takesomethingback	return an item	I have to take our new TV back because it doesn't work.
take off	start to fly	My plane takes off in five minutes.
takesomethingoff	remove something (usually clothing)	Take off your socks and shoes and come in the lake!
takesomethingout	remove from a place or thing	Can you take the garbage outto the street for me?
takesomebodyout	pay for somebody to go somewhere with you	My grandparents took us outfor dinner and a movie.
tearsomethingup	rip into pieces	I tore up my ex-boyfriend's letters and gave them back to him.
think back	remember (often + to, sometimes + on)	When I think back on my youth, I wish I had studied harder.
thinksomethingover	consider	I'll have to think this job offer over before I make my final decision.
throwsomethingaway	dispose of	We threw our old furniture away when we won the lottery.
turnsomethingdown	decrease the volume or strength (heat, light etc)	Please turn the TV down while the guests are here.
turnsomethingdown	refuse	I turned the job downbecause I don't want to move.
turnsomethingoff	stop the energy flow, switch off	Your mother wants you to turnthe TV off and come for dinner.
turnsomethingon	start the energy, switch on	It's too dark in here. Let's turnsome lights on.
turnsomethingup	increase the volume or strength (heat, light etc)	Can you turn the music up? This is my favourite song.
turn up	appear suddenly	Our cat turned up after we put posters up all over the neighbourhood.
trysomethingon	sample clothing	I'm going to try these jeans on, but I don't think they will fit.
trysomethingout	test	I am going to try this new brand of detergent out.
usesomethingup	finish the supply	The kids used all of the toothpaste up so we need to buy some more.
wake up	stop sleeping	We have to wake up early for work on Monday.
warmsomebody/ somethingup	increase the temperature	You can warm your feet up in front of the fireplace.
warm up	prepare body for exercise	I always warm up by doing sit-ups before I go for a run.
wear off	fade away	Most of my make-up wore offbefore I got to the party.
work out	exercise	I work out at the gym three times a week.
work out	be successful	Our plan worked out fine.
worksomethingout	make a calculation	We have to work out the total cost before we buy the house.