Types of Verbs with Examples - Learning Academy

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Types of Verbs with Examples in details

A verb is one of the most essential parts of speech in the English language. It indicates an action, an occurrence, or a state of being. Every complete sentence must contain at least one verb to express what the subject does or what happens to the subject. This article will focus on the types of verbs with examples in details.

Definition of Verb:

A verb is a word used for saying something about some person or thing.
A verb is a word that tells or asserts something about a person or thing.
A verb is a word that denotes being, having or doing something.

A verb may tell us –

What a person or thing is:

He is a teacher.

The cow is a domestic animal.

The earth is round.

What a person or thing has:

He has a cricket bat.

They have a nice car.

A chair has four legs.

What a person or thing does:

He reads newspaper daily.

The sun rises in the east.

The bell rings at 4 pm.

Types of Verbs with Examples:

Verbs are classified in five different ways:

What is State Verb:

Verb that denotes a state or condition lasting over a period and does not have any definite beginning or end, is called state verb.

Classification of State Verb:

Examples of State Verb:

The little prince is happy.
I believe him innocent.
I know the boy.
I feel ill today.
He possesses a great sense of humour.

What is Event Verb or Action Verb:

Verb that denotes an action of single occurence and has a beginning or an end is called event verb or action verb.

Examples of Event Verb or Action Verb:

He went to Delhi in the last month.
She is writing a travelogue.
The boys play cricket.
My mother is cooking.

Comparison between State Verb and Event Verb:

State Verb	Event Verb
i. It suggests a state which may not be visible.	i. It indicates some action which are visible.
ii. It involves no physical activity.	ii. It involves physical activity.
iii. Continuous tense can not be used.	iii. Continuous tense is used.
iv. Have no definite beginning or end.	iv. Have definite beginning or end.

What is Transitive Verb:

A verb is transitive if the action does not stop with the agent, but passes from the agent to something else.
A verb that takes object to complete its sense is called transitive verb.

Examples of Transitive Verb:

My sister is drawing a picture.
He helped you.
I planted the tree yesterday.
Mr. Sen invited me at dinner.
My sister will buy a nice dress.

In the above sentences, the noun and pronoun such as – picture, you, tree, me, dress are making the complete sense of the verbs – drawing, helped, planted, invited, buy. So, these verbs are called Transitive Verbs.

Types of Transitive Verb:

What is Intransitive Verb:

A verb is Intransitive when the action stops with the agent and does not pass from the agent to something else.
A verb that makes a complete sense by itself and does not require object to complete its sense is called Intransitive Verb.

Examples of Intransitive Verb:

The boys are swimming in the river.
The players were running in the field.
The man is smiling.
The baby is bathing now.
The mango tastes sweet.

In the above sentences, the verbs such as – swimming, running, smiling, bathing, tastes are completing their sense without any noun or pronoun as objects. So, such verbs are called Intransitive Verbs.

Principal Verb or Main Verb:

A verb that has its own meaning and plays the principal role in a sentence, is called Principal Verb or Main Verb.

Auxiliary Verb or Helping Verb:

A verb that helps the Principal Verb in expressing its meaning according to the tense and mood is called the Auxiliary Verb.

Examples of Principal Verb and Auxiliary Verb:

The boys are playing cricket in the field.
She has written a letter.
He can speak English fluently.
My sister did not finish her homework.

In the above sentences, there are two types of verb. The verbs written in bold letters, such as – playing, written, speak, finish have their own meaning and plays the principal role in the sentences. So, these verbs are called Principal Verbs.

But the verbs written Italic form such – are, has, can, did only helping the Principal Verbs in expressing their meaning according to the tense and mood of the sentences. So, these verbs are called Auxiliary Verbs or Helping Verbs.

What are the types of Auxiliary Verb:

Uses of Primary Auxiliaries:

I am reading a story book.
The cat is sleeping under the table.
He was watching TV.
I have kept my promise.
Letter is being written by me.
The sum has been solved by me.
The work will be done by her.

Common Uses of Modal Auxiliaries:

Uses of Can/Could

When Used	Examples
Ability	He can speak French fluently.
Request	Can you lend me your pen? Could you tell me the way to bank?
Permission	Can I speak now?
Desire	I wish I could fly like a bird.

Uses of May/Might

When Used	Examples
Possibility	The result may come out in this week. Your answer might be wrong
Permission	May I come in?
Prayer or Wish	May God bless you. May you live long.

Uses of Should

When Used	Examples
Duty	You should look after your parents. We should help the helpless.
Advice	You should take regular exercise. You should respect your elders.
Suggestion	You should use a good dictionary.

Uses of Would

When Used	Examples
Past Habit	My father would take me to the temple.
Polite Request	Would you allow me a little space here?
Past Futurity	He said that he would not go to school the next day.

Uses of Must

When Used	Examples
Obligation	Every student must take part in the school payer.
Determination	I must keep my word.
Certainty	Man must die one day.

Uses of Used to

When Used	Examples
Regular habit of past	My father used to bathe early in the morning.

Uses of Ought to

When Used	Examples
Moral duty	You ought to help the poor.

Uses of Shall/Will

When Used	Examples
Future Tense	I shall visit my grandmother tomorrow.
To emphasize, will is placed after first person and shall is for second and third person	I will know the truth. You shall do it. They shall not miss the chance.

Semi-modals: Need and dare are semi-modals because they are used as principal verb as well as auxiliary verb.

Uses of Need

When Used	Examples
Necessity	As Auxiliary – You need not worry about that. As Principal – He needs our help,

Uses of Dare

When Used	Examples
Dare	As Auxiliary – How dare you read my diary? As Principal – I dared him to tell the truth.

What is Regular Verb:

Verb that forms its past and past participle form by adding -d and -ed to the present form, is called Regular Verb.

Examples of Regular Verb:

By adding -d and -ed to the present form of verbs:

Present Form	Past Form	Past Participle Form
Add	Added	Added
Appear	Appeared	Appeared
Ask	Asked	Asked
Love	Loved	Loved
Move	Moved	Moved

What is Irregular Verb:

Verb that forms its past and past participle form either by changing some inside vowel or by adding -n, -en, -ne to the present form is called Irregular Verb.

Examples of Irregular Verb:

Present Form	Past Form	Past Participle Form
Break	Broke	Broken
Go	Went	Gone
Take	Took	Taken
See	Saw	Seen
Buy	Bought	Bought

What is Finite Verb:

A Finite Verb is limited by person and number of the subject and changes its forms according to tenses.
Verb that agrees with the subject in person and number and changes its forms according to the tense, is called Finite Verb.

What is Non-finite Verb:

A Non-finite verb is not limited by person and number as a verb that has a subject and is, therefore, called the verb Infinite.
Verb that does not agree with the subject in person and number and does not change its form according to the tense, is called Non-finite Verb.

Examples of Finite and Non-finite Verb:

I go to London to visit my grandmother.
He goes to London to visit his grandmother.
He went to London to visit his grandmother.
He is going to London to visit his grandmother.
I see a flying bird.
I saw a flying bird,
I have seen a flying bird.

In the above sentences, there are two verbs in each sentence. The verb ‘go’ and ‘see’ are changing as ‘goes’, ‘went’, ‘going’ ‘saw’, ‘seen’ according to person, number and tense. So, these verbs are Finite Verb. But the verb such as ‘visit’ and ‘flying’ are not changing according to person, number or tense. So, these verbs are called Non-finite verb.

Types of Non-finite Verb:

Non-finite verbs are three types –

What is Participle:

A participle is a kind of non-finite verb that in spite of being primarily a verb, functions as an adjective in the sentence. Thus a participle is partly acts as an adjective or partly a verb.

Types of Participle:

Present Participle

Present Participle is formed by adding ‘-ing’ and acts as partly adjective or a partly verb.

Examples of Present Participle:

Seeing the police, the thief ran away.
Being poor, he could not buy the book.
Hearing the news, he was much delighted.

Past Participle:

Past Participle is formed by adding ‘-ed’, ‘-en’ to the verb and acts as adjective.

Examples of Past Participle:

He have found a broken chair.
A wounded tiger is more ferocious.
A burnt child dreads fire.

Perfect Participle:

Perfect Participle is formed by using ‘Having’ before the third form of verb.

Examples of Perfect Participle:

Having completed his homework, he went to sleep.
Having seen the tiger, he fled away.

What is Gerund:

Gerund is a kind of non-finite verb which ends with ‘-ing’ and has the force of a noun in the sentence. Thus, a gerund is partly a verb and partly a noun.

Examples of Gerund:

Uses or Functions	Examples
As a subject of the verb	Swimming is a good exercise. Reading is my favorite pass-time. Seeing is believing.
As object of the verb	She likes painting. I have given up smoking. Do you know swimming.
As complement of verb	My passion is acting. My hobby is gardening.
As object of the preposition	I am tired of listening ghost stories. He is afraid of singing.

What is Infinitive:

Infinitive is that form of verb which takes ‘to’ before it and has no change according to person, number, mood or tense. An Infinitive generally has the force of booth verb and noun.

Types of Infinitive:

Infinitives are mainly six types. They are as follow –

1. Simple Infinitive:

When Infinitive is used as noun in a sentence, it is called Simple Infinitive.

Examples of Simple Infinitive:

To err is human.
To serve man is to serve God.

2. Gerundial Infinitive:

When the Infinitive functions as an adverb or adjective, it is called Gerundial Infinitive.

Examples of Gerundial Infinitive:

We eat to live.
There is a house to let.

3. Bare Infinitive:

An Infinitive without ‘to’ is called Bare Infinitive. Normally, ‘to’ remains silent in such case.

Examples of Bare Infinitive:

Let her do it.
They made him confess.

4. Split Infinitive:

When a word, specially adverb comes between ‘to’ and the following verb of an Infinitive, it is called Split Infinitive.

Examples of Split Infinitive:

The teachers advised us to never talk there loudly.
They are forced to quickly go there.

5. Continuous Infinitives:

In Continuous Infinitives ‘to’ is followed by ‘be’ and the present participle form of a verb.

Examples of Continuous Infinitives:

It seems to be raining now.
He is expected to be standing there.

6. Perfect Infinitive:

In Perfect Infinitive ‘to’ is followed by have and the past participle form of a verb.

Examples of Perfect Participle:

He seems to have committed the crime.
He is believed to have left the country.

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