A verb forms the part of speech that describes a state of being or an action. It is also referred to, in a less formal sense, as an action word. It is often the core of any statement, and each sentence must contain a verb. Recognizing what the verb is in any statement is an integral part of comprehending the intended meaning of a statement. Take this sentence, for example: The straitjacket restricts most upper body movement. “Restricts” is the word that indicates action in the sentence. Even when the action does not indicate much in terms of activity, “restricts” is the sentence’s action word or verb. Following is another example: They were in a state of shock. In this last example, there is no action, although the verb shows a state of being. In addition, the word “be” is dissimilar to other typical verbs via definition, however it is still a verb. Verbs are also different from most parts of speech because they change form. Endings are sometimes affixed to the verb, wherein the word “yearn” becomes “yearned” to reflect the past tense, the word “catch” becomes “caught” for the same purpose. Different verb types have different meanings, when related to concepts such as past, present, and future tenses; first, second, and third-person points of view; singular and plural forms for number; and active and passive voices. Modals such as would, could, may, and might; and auxiliaries like have, will and do can accompany verbs for different meanings! As stated above with verb tenses, a verb’s bond to time is very significant. Verbs can state whether something already occurred earlier, is taking place now, or will occur in the future. Events that are currently unfolding will use a verb’s present tense. Events that have already happened will use a verb’s past tense. Events that will unfold in the future will use a verb’s future tense! Verbs that have been changed to create the verb’s past tense form with “d” or “ed” are regular verbs. Irregular verbs are ones that don’t follow the formula for regular verbs when changing onto the past tense. The spelling of the various irregular verbs may be difficult for a person not well-versed in the language. In these instances, Exposure to the written English language in order to gain familiarity is recommended. The simple tenses of verbs are typically used to teach people who are beginning to learn the language. Many recognize that there are a number of more complex verb tenses, for instance present progressive tense, past perfect tense, and etcetera. Progressive verb forms, for example, show the subject’s action over a duration of time. The perfect tense, another type of verb form, shows the action’s completion. Finally, when relating to the subject, verbs and subjects must agree. A singular verb needs to be accompanied by a singular subject, and a plural subject needs to have a plural verb. This is called subject-verb agreement. For online English writing resources and information on English grammar software please visit EnglishGrammarSoft.com.

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