Confusion about the Verb in a
Sentence
In my
previous blog, I explained that the verb
may
be of more than one word. Then I explained as to how the students may find out the verb in Simple, Complex & Compound Sentences.
be of more than one word. Then I explained as to how the students may find out the verb in Simple, Complex & Compound Sentences.
Today, I am
going to explain something more about
the verb.Sometimes students ask me about the helping or auxiliary verb.
the verb.Sometimes students ask me about the helping or auxiliary verb.
They have
confusion about the main verb (usually
the non-finite verb) and the auxiliary or helping verb (always the finite form of the verb)in a sentence.
the non-finite verb) and the auxiliary or helping verb (always the finite form of the verb)in a sentence.
A.
The
main verb does an important function in a sentence. It shows the action done by
the subject. It may come alone and in that case it expresses full meaning of
its own.
In the following examples, the main
verb needs
no helping verb to explain its meaning.
no helping verb to explain its meaning.
- · He always completes his work on time.
- · He is never in a sad mood.
- · I have something to tell you.
(The underlined words are the main verbs.)
2. The main verb in a sentence may need a
helping verb to complete its meaning.
helping verb to complete its meaning.
- · It is raining very heavily now.
- · What are they doing at this time?
- · I have finished my assignment just now.
The
underlined words ‘is, are & have’
are helping or
auxiliary verbs in the above sentences and ‘raining, doing & finished’ are the main verbs.
auxiliary verbs in the above sentences and ‘raining, doing & finished’ are the main verbs.
The
auxiliary verbs in the above sentences do not
express any important meaning.
express any important meaning.
These tell
us about the tense, number or the
person of the subject. Only these verbs are affected by the change in the
person of the subject. Only these verbs are affected by the change in the
tense of the verb, the number and the person of the subject in the sentence.
On this
basis, these helping verbs are called the
FINITE VERBS and the main verbs the NON-FINITE VERBS.
FINITE VERBS and the main verbs the NON-FINITE VERBS.
We may make
the following categories of the verbs
used in sentences:
used in sentences:
(I) Primary/main Verbs (when they need no helping verb with
them):
Sometimes we
use only one verb i. e. one-word verb.
It may be:
It may be:
(a) Be-type
verbs: (is/am/are; was/were)
(b) Have-type
verbs showing possession and compulsion (has, have and had)
(c) Do-type verb (do/does and did)
(c) Do-type verb (do/does and did)
(II)Action verbs like: catch, run, attack, come, go, etc (these are thousands in number)
(III) Modal Auxiliary Verbs: can, could, may, might, shall, will, should, would, ought (t), must, used (to), dare, need
We shall discuss them in the next blog.
(III) Modal Auxiliary Verbs: can, could, may, might, shall, will, should, would, ought (t), must, used (to), dare, need
We shall discuss them in the next blog.
…to be continued
