Search results for “verb”

We use auxiliary verbs—also known as helping or modal verbs—all of the time in American English. Even if you aren't familiar with the definition of an auxiliary verb, there's a great likelihood you've used many today before reading this. In this discussion we'll review what an auxiliary verb is. We'll also provide you with examples …

Most fluent writers and speakers of American English have little trouble distinguishing past tense from present tense verbs. For example: I practice my grammar daily implies something’s happening right now. I practiced my grammar every day indicates the action has already taken place. But what if you want to write about something that’s going to …

A verb conjugation in English is a list of all of a verb’s forms in written and spoken expression. Those forms represent a verb’s person, tense, number, voice, and mood. To illustrate verb conjugation, we will focus on the verb to touch, which is the infinitive of the verb. The principal parts of to touch …

A phrasal verb, also known as a verb with a particle, is a verb that combines with another word to describe an action. The particles within phrasal verbs will typically be prepositions, adverbs, or both: e.g., in, up, up with, off, on, down, over, and out. Examples It's getting dark out, so I think I'll …

An adverb is a part of speech that modifies other sentence elements such as verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. It may also describe infinitives, gerunds, participles, phrases, clauses, or even the rest of the sentence in which it appears. Adverbs address information such as when (she is leaving now), where (she stops here), how (she …

You may have heard of helping verbs, which are also referred to as modal and auxiliary verbs. In this discussion, we'll review what a helping verb is and how it works with another verb. What Is a Helping Verb? A helping verb is a verb that combines with a main verb to form a verb …

Most people understand what a sentence verb is: a word that expresses an action performed by a subject. English verbs are further categorized into transitive and intransitive verbs. In this discussion, we'll review what a transitive verb is and how it functions in a sentence. A transitive verb is one that expresses an action that …

A linking verb is a verb that requires a complement that refers to the subject and completes its meaning. Linking verbs “link” the subject to descriptive information that follows. That subject complement can be an adjective, a noun, a pronoun, or a possessive. The verb be is perhaps the most common linking verb. A few …

English includes several hundred irregular verbs with an estimated 180 of them in regular use. While many users have likely grasped most of the common irregular conjugations, several of the verbs remain elusive and trip even those who are fluent. We have visited this subject multiple times in the past (see the links at the …

Many of us probably use conjunctive adverbs without being aware we’re doing so. Further understanding their role aids our precision with their inclusion in our writing. Conjunctive adverbs are adverbs that connect related main (independent) clauses. They provide a transition between sentences, typically by comparing and contrasting statements or demonstrating cause and effect. They include …