Vivacious, Vexatious Verbs

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

The video explains that the subject of the sentence is the who or what, and the predicate tells what the subject is doing or has already done.

The predicate must be a verb, and there are three types of verbs:

Action Verbs: show action, what someone or something is, can do, is doing, did, or will do

• Visible Actions:
  • jumps, is writing, ran, will play

• Mental Actions:
  • fears, is remembering, thought, will believe

Linking Verbs: connect, or link, the subject to a word or group of words that describes the subject

• Forms of the verb "to be":
  • am, is, are, be, been, being, was, and were

Example: My drama teacher is dramatic.

• Verbs relating to the senses but not describing an action:
  • appear, feel, become, grow, look, remain, seem, smell, sound, stay, taste, and turn

Example: These carrots taste funny.

Helping Verbs: help the main verb, either an action or a linking verb, express action or a state of being; these are also called auxiliary verbs; a sentence may contain up to three helping verbs

• Complete list of helping verbs:
  • be, am, is, are, was, were, been, has, have, had, do, does, did, can, could, shall, should, will, would, may, might, must, being

Example: My tangerine has remained flavorful after sitting outside all day.
"Has" is not the main verb but is helping the linking verb "remained"

Example. The dog must have been chasing the cat.
"Must have been" are not the main verbs of the sentence but work together to help the action verb "chasing"

Example: I have never been to Spain.
"Have" is not the main verb of the sentence but is helping the linking verb "been"

TRICK: Think about the relationship between the helping verb and the main verb like a boy and a raft.

The boy (main verb) could float in the water by himself, but the raft (helping verb) makes it easier for him.