How is a verb indicated in English? Verb in English - general information
Verbs in English language(verbs) is a part of speech that expresses action, possession or state. Simply put, a verb shows that some object does or is something. Verbs in English, as in Russian, have and.
Structure of English verbs
According to their structure, English verbs are of four types:
- Simple. These are verbs that consist only of a stem, unencumbered by prefixes and suffixes. These include: make (to do), love (to love), cry (to cry), live (to live), etc.
- Derivatives. If you add a suffix and/or preposition to a simple verb, it becomes a derivative. For example: rebuild (restore), dislike (dislike).
- Complex. These are verbs that consist of two words combined into one. For example: underline (emphasize), backbite (slander), etc.
- Phrasal. Phrasal verbs are used in conjunction with prepositions or adverbs: move in (enter), keep away (stay away), etc.
Types of verbs
In English, verbs are divided into many types, each of which has a specific function. Sometimes they cannot even be translated, as is the case with auxiliary verbs. In total, we have identified seven main types of verbs:
Action verbs
Action verbs are used to show or discuss someone's action:
Mary walked all day – Mary walked all day.
He loves English – He loves English.
Transitive verbs
Transitive verbs are used only in relation to any object:
The speaker discussed the whole plan– The speaker discussed the whole plan.
Donovan gave the gift to his sister – Donovan gave the gift to his sister.
Intransitive verbs
Intransitive verbs, as opposed to transitive ones, are used without a direct object:
Susan laughed– Susan laughed.
The book fell- The book fell.
Auxiliary verbs
Auxiliary verbs are used in conjunction with action verbs to form the required tense, negative or interrogative form:
Do do you like German language? – Do you like German?
Have did you eat the whole breakfast? -Have you eaten all your breakfast?
Stative verbs
Free lesson on the topic:
Irregular English verbs: table, rules and examples
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State verbs, as their name suggests, show the state of the subject. They usually express thoughts, emotions, feelings, relationships:
She believes in God - She believes in God.
I remember that guy - I remember that guy.
Modal verbs
The most common irregular verbs in English are:
20 most popular verbs in English
Video about verbs in English:
One can argue about the benefits or harms of English grammar for hours. These disputes arise because various techniques, then they strongly recommend studying the grammar of the language, then they say that it only harms, and that it is better not to pay attention to it at all. Whatever technique you choose, I believe that you need to know the basic grammar rules English language is necessary and I suggest starting with verbs. English verbs in pictures Verb (THE VERB)- this is one of the main parts of speech that denotes the state or actions of a person or object. In English, the sign of this part of speech in the infinitive (indefinite form) is the particle to: to draw (draw), to sing (sing), to stand (stand). It is the verb that most often serves as the basis for constructing sentences, so it has a large number of forms
According to their structure, verbs in English are divided into:
- Simple, which contain only one root: play (play), walk (go), eat (eat)
- Derivatives, consisting of a root and a suffix and/or prefix: replay (replay), unleash (untie)
- Complex consisting of two or three roots: whitewash (lime mortar), underline (underline)
- Compounds (phrasal) which consist of a verb and a preposition or adverb: stand up (to withstand), look out (to look out)
According to their meaning, verbs in English can be divided into independent (semantic) and auxiliary.
Semantic— denote a certain state or action and have their own dictionary meaning: I work at the zoo.
Service- do not have independent meaning and are used only to form a compound predicate or complex forms. With their help, time, number and person are expressed: I am going (I am going), Marry is going (Mary is going), people were going (people were going). Service verbs, in turn, are divided into:
Basic verb forms
There are only 4 simple verb forms in English, since complex forms are formed using auxiliaries. They need to be known because simple forms are used to form complex ones:
- Infinitive: to travel
- Past indefinite tense: traveled
- Past participle: traveled
- Present participle: traveling
To make it easier for you, I have created a table to help you understand how these shapes are formed: 
Basic forms of the verb Sometimes they are called the first, second, third and fourth forms, respectively. All these 4 forms are in turn divided into impersonal and personal.
Personal- in a sentence they perform the function of a predicate and are expressed in the following categories:
- Face: I, we - 1st, you - 2nd, he, she, it, they - 3rd
- Time: Present - present, Past - past, Future - future, Future in the Past - future in the past
- Number: singular and plural
- Type: Perfect - perfect, Perfect Continuous - perfect - long, Indefinite - indefinite, Continuous - long
- Mood: Indicative - indicative, Imperative - imperative, Subjunctive - subjunctive
- Voice: Passive - passive, Active - active
Non-personal verbs do not have the categories of tense, number, person and mood. Some of them may express voice and aspect. They are not used as a predicate in a sentence, but can be part of it, and can also act as other members of the sentence. Non-finite verbs include:
- Infinitive - infinitive
- Participle I and II - participles
- Gerund - gerund
Regular and irregular verbs
According to the methods of formation of the second form - Past Indefinite (Past of indefinite tense) and the third form Participle II (Past Participle), all verbs are divided into
- Correct- form Participle II and Past Indefinite by adding -ed to the infinitive
- Incorrect— form Participle II and Past Indefinite in special ways. Their number in the English language is small, but they are the most common and need to be memorized
In English, special attention must be paid to verbs. After all, the more verbs you learn, the easier you will be able to express your thoughts and opinions in English. Which is very important for communication. If you can replace any noun with a pronoun, then such a part of speech as a verb cannot be replaced with anything. 
Verbs of the English language in pictures are easier to remember. From this link you can download the most used 50 verbs of the English language
I understand that it is difficult, but extremely necessary. Therefore, gather all your will into a fist and start studying. Good luck!
With practice, your vocabulary increases, it is replete with a variety of not only grammatical structures, but also a huge amount words And at the same time, speech is transformed, acquiring expressiveness and liveliness. In this article we will look at the most commonly used verbs that will help construct any statement logically.
You probably already know what a verb is: a part of speech that expresses an action, a state and answers the question of what to do. In any phrase, it plays a very important role; without it, not a single sentence exists (remember the clear structure of the sentence). If you want to diversify your speech, you will have to learn more than a dozen English verbs with the translation.
Ways to make memorization easier
We will divide all these parts of speech according to the nature of the action, according to what they convey. It’s better to learn English verbs with translation, look at examples and memorize them. And the easiest way to do this is in groups.
1. Verbs of motion form a group of those that convey a change in the state, position of an object or person. Let's look at the table, which presents the main English verbs of this group.
Verb |
Translation |
| Varieties of movements | |
| go | walk |
| pass | follow, pass by |
| budge | move, move from place |
| stir | move, stir |
| travel | travel |
| move | move |
| proceed | move, follow |
| push | push, move |
| drive | drive |
| advance | move forward |
| stop | stop |
| stick | get stuck |
| stay | stand |
| pause | to have a break |
| roll | roll |
| revolve | spin around |
| turn | turn |
| rotate | rotate around an axis |
| slide | slide |
| glid | slide across the surface |
| slip | slip out |
| shake | shake |
| vibrate | vibrate |
| tremble | tremble |
| wave | wave your hand |
| bend | bend |
| swing | swing |
| swim | swim |
| skate | skate |
| ski | ski |
| Move up or down | |
| raise | lift up |
| rise | get up |
| lift | lift up |
| climb | climb |
| elevate | lift up |
| heave | lift with difficulty |
| ascend | ascend, rise |
| lower | let down |
| drop | fall |
| fall | fall |
| sink | go down |
| descend | to go down |
| Movement in water | |
| flow | flow |
| float | don't drown |
| swim | swim |
| sail | sail, sail on a ship, boat |
| dive | dive |
| plunge | dip |
| drown | drown |
| sink | dive |
| row | row |
| emerge | float up |
| Speed | |
| hurry | hurry |
| speed | racing in a car |
| race | run, rush |
| rush | rush |
| husten | hurry |
| dash | rush |
| run | run |
| fly | fly, rush |
| crawl | crawl |
| creep | crawl |
| tarry | hesitate |
| linger | linger |
| slow down | slow down |
| delay | delay, delay |
| loiter | hesitate |
| brake | to brake |
| Persecution
|
|
| chase | pursue, pursue |
| follow | follow |
| track | track down |
| hound | pursue, persecute |
| spy | spy |
| capture | catch |
| catch | catch |
| take | take, seize |
| arrest | arrest |
| kidnap | kidnap |
| escape | run away |
| flee | run for safety |
| disappear | disappear |
| avoid | avoid |
| evade | dodge |
| Arrivals/departures | |
| depart | send |
| go away | leave |
| leave | leave |
| withdraw | retire |
| abandon | leave |
| retire | retire |
| arrive | arrive |
| reach | achieve |
| come | come |
| attain | achieve |
| get | arrive |
2. State verbs
Not all verbs convey movement. Some, for example, describe feelings, perceptions, and mental activities. Their main feature is (unlike the previous group) that they cannot emphasize the process or duration of an action, but are used only in special cases, which you can learn about from the article “Verbs not used in the Continuous”.
| adore | adore |
| love | be in love |
| hate | hate |
| like | like |
| dislike | do not like |
| prefer | prefer |
| want | want |
| wish | want |
| hear | hear |
| listen | listen |
| understand | understand |
| believe | believe |
| remember | remember |
| agree | agree |
| appreciate | value |
| belong | belong |
| consists | consist |
| concern | cares |
| depend | depend |
| disagree | Disagree |
| doubt | doubt |
| equal | dress |
| fit | suit |
| impress | impress |
| involve | involve |
| include | include |
| know | know |
| matter | to mean |
| mind | mind |
| mean | mean |
| need | need |
| own | own |
| promise | promise |
| realize | realize |
| seem | seem |
| regognize | learn |
| sound | sound |
| suppose | believe |
| surprise | surprise |
As you can see, there are quite a few English verbs, and that’s not all, but just the main ones. But you shouldn’t memorize them all at once. This will only cause irritation and disgust. Some you already know, and some you will have to learn, 4-5 per week, and believe me, soon your vocabulary will quickly increase in size. This means that you will not only be able to understand more, but also speak.
Everyone who studies a foreign language needs to speak quickly and does not want to deal with theory and boring rules. And this is a common mistake that slows down progress in learning and creates a “language barrier.”
A proven fact: without understanding the basic theoretical foundations and elements of the language, learning English is much more difficult, especially if you do it on your own. When choosing words to express your thoughts in a foreign language, it is very important to know what part of speech you need, what properties it has, how you can change it, what its function is, what place in the sentence to put it.
We have already become acquainted with the parts of speech in English and the basic concepts that every student should know in the article. Now it's time to focus on each part of speech.
In English, as in any other language, the central element of a sentence is usually a verb. That is why it has so many forms and times, and special attention is paid to it.
Almost anyone who visited secondary school, must remember the rote definition of what a verb is. The simplest one is: A verb is a word that denotes an action and answers the question “What to do”?.
But in practice it turns out that not every verb answers this question, but still remains a verb. There are many classifications of verbs: by structure, by meaning, but, as I promised, we will not go into unnecessary theoretical details.
We will conditionally divide all the verbs that you will encounter in English into five categories:
- Semantic verbs.
- Phrasal verbs.
- Modal verbs.
- Auxiliary verbs.
1. Semantic verbs.
Semantic verbs - the most numerous category of verbs. These are exactly the words that answer the question: What to do?
All actions that we perform convey semantic verbs:
Semantic verbs cannot appear before the subject in an affirmative sentence; they can be used with modal verbs and auxiliary verbs to form different tenses:
I can work. - I can work. (modal + semantic)
He is sleeping. - He's sleeping. (auxiliary + semantic)
Semantic verbs cannot independently form negations and questions, so they always need auxiliary verbs, which are placed at the beginning of the sentence in questions and have a negative particle not in negations:
Do you read in English? - Do you read in English?
I do not read in English. - I don't read English.
Semantic verbs can add different endings. In it -s/es when talking about a third person (he reads, she sleeps, it works). The ending is added -ing(sitting, sleeping, working) . In the past tense (), (worked, looked) is added to regular semantic verbs, and irregular ones have three forms that need to be remembered (sit - sat - sat, write - wrote - written). By the way, if you still don’t know how to learn irregular verbs or are constantly confused by them, keep studying them.
2. Phrasal verbs.
Phrasal verbs differ from semantic ones in that they have two or three parts. First- an ordinary semantic verb, and rest: prepositions or adverbs that give a verb a different meaning.
For example:
Sit - sit
sit down - sit down
get - receive
get up - get out of bed
Often the meaning of a phrasal verb can be determined by a preposition in combination with the context, but in many cases the meaning of a phrasal verb cannot be guessed from these signs, since many phrasal verbs have more than one meaning.
At first, it seems that remembering phrasal verbs is simply unrealistic. But that's not true. Some phrasal verbs are used more often, some less frequently, and some have a narrow scope of use. Textbooks begin to introduce us to the most popular phrasal verbs from the level pre-intermediate. To level upper-intermediate there are many more of them. In colloquial speech it is difficult to do without phrasal verbs, so you will need to learn them one way or another.
If you are already faced with the problem of learning phrasal verbs, then I have something for you, from which you will learn several ways to determine the meaning of a phrasal verb. In addition, on the separate blog pages dedicated to phrasal verbs, you can find many articles in which phrasal verbs are divided into topics to make it easier for you to remember them.
3. Auxiliary verbs.
The essence and function of this linguistic phenomenon is already explained by its name. It serves for education various types statements. In English textbooks it is called auxiliary verb, and in my classes for convenience I use the name helping verb or assistant verb. These are not scientific terms, but you don’t need them, the main thing is to make it clear.
There is more than one auxiliary verb in English. There are three of them: do, be And have. And also their forms, of which there are many more. Verbs and forms vary depending on the tense in which you are speaking and the person you are speaking about. The verb do and its forms does And did- auxiliary in Simple group tenses, verb to be (am, is, are, was, were) used as an auxiliary in the Continuous tenses, and have (with forms has And had) is a required attribute of tenses of the Perfect group.
Below is a table of auxiliary verbs by tense and person.
| Present Simple | I, you, we, they | DO |
| he, she, it | DOES | |
| Past Simple | DID | |
| Future Simple | WILL | |
| Present Continuous | I | A.M. |
| he, she, it | IS | |
| we, you, they | ARE | |
| Past Continuous | I, he, she, it | W.A.S. |
| we, you, they | WERE | |
| Future Continuous | WILL BE | |
| Present Perfect | I, you, we, they | HAVE |
| he, she, it | HAS | |
| Past Perfect | HAD | |
| Future Perfect | WILL HAVE | |
Auxiliary verbs are not translated into Russian, but this does not free us from the need to remember and use them. It is with the help of auxiliary verbs that we show the time to which our statement refers.
In all tenses, without exception, negations and questions are formed using auxiliary verbs. In negatives, the particle not is added to the auxiliary verb, and in a question, it is the auxiliary verb that comes first in the sentence.
As for statements, auxiliary verbs are used in all tenses, with the exception of and.
It is important to note that in an English sentence the auxiliary verb has its place, and the place depends on. In an affirmative sentence the verb must be after the subject(actor):
I am reading a book. (Present Continuous)
We have done the task. (Present Perfect)
They will call you. (Future Simple)
She was sleeping. (Past Continuous)
In negation, all verbs are also found after the actor. The particle not is added to the auxiliary and modal verbs, followed by a semantic or phrasal verb:
I am not reading a book. (Present Continuous)
We have not done the task. (Present Perfect)
They will not call you. (Future Simple)
She was not sleeping. (Past Continuous)
In a question, the verb comes in front of the subject (auxiliary verb, modal verb, verb to be), and the semantic and phrasal verbs remain after the subject:
Am I reading a book? (Present Continuous)
Have we done the task? (Present Perfect)
Will they call you? (Future Simple)
Was she sleeping? (Past Continuous)
Auxiliaries are also used to form the passive voice and have shortened forms.
4. Verb to be.
This verb is so unique that I highlight it in separate category. It can be both semantic and auxiliary. By itself, it acts as a semantic one in the present, past and future tense, and means “to be, to appear, to be,” although it is not translated into Russian in the present tense:
I am happy. - I (am) happy.
I was happy. - I was happy.
I will be happy. - I will be happy.
In combination with the ing form of the semantic verb, the verb to be forms group times Continuous, and its future tense form will participates in the formation of all future tenses of the English language.
5. Modal verbs.
Modal verbs - This separate group verbs that are not used by themselves, but only in combination with semantic verbs. Modal verbs add some additional, modal meaning to the semantic verb: I can, I can, I will, I must do something. You probably know examples of modal verbs. Here they are: can, could, must, may, might, will, would, shall, should, ought. Often a modal verb cannot be translated without combining it with a semantic verb.
What do modal verbs have in common? They are all used with the infinitive without a particle to(Bare infinitive). There is one exception: verb ought to .
In addition, characteristic feature of modal verbs- the fact that they independently form interrogative and negative forms; they do not need auxiliary verbs.
The hardest part about learning modal verbs is understanding their meanings and functions. So that you can always accurately express your thought and the interlocutor understands you correctly, the choice of a modal verb plays a big role. Modal verbs usually have several meanings, and it would be very tedious to consider them all in one article, so I recommend that you get to know each one modal verb separately, which you can do on the pages of our blog Enginform.
If, after reading this material about verbs, you find gaps in your knowledge, then do not rush to bury yourself in textbooks; you do not need to cram all the rules that you find. It is enough to start classes, which will help you understand the intricacies of English grammar gradually, in parallel with practice. There is absolutely no need to go somewhere and waste your time. You can study comfortably at home or from the office whenever it suits you. If you want to try, leave it in Enginform.
In conclusion, I would like to remind you once again that the language you are learning is different from the one you are used to speaking, because each language is a unique and original system. Pay attention to the differences, do not forget about a minimum of theory and this will make your process of learning English easier!
Verbs in the English language are one of the most numerous parts of speech. For the Russian word “buy” there are several equivalents: to buy, to obtain, to purchase. State verbs in can be divided into several groups. Exist simple verbs and derivatives.
There are verb units that denote very complex concepts. Such, for example, is the non-equivalent unit “to bombinate”, meaning “to make buzzing and buzzing sounds.”
In contact with
Classification
There are several classifications of this part of speech in a foreign language. The most global of them divides all lexical units of a given group into semantic ones.
Semantic verb units- These are words that have a specific semantic meaning. They can perform a specific syntactic function in a sentence.
Auxiliary verbal units are auxiliary parts of speech and are often not conveyed in any way during translation, but serve only to form grammatical word forms. For example, to express states of perfection and duration, or the formation of the passive voice.
Characteristics of the English semantic verb
Most used verbs in English are semantic. They are independent part speech. Syntactic function This part of speech can play the role of the predicate and, in rare cases, the subject. This part of speech indicates an action performed by an object or an action, or performed on it.
Attention! English verb units lack the categories of case and gender.
Temporary forms
Let's look at common verbs in the English language. There are a total of 32 tense constructions using the semantic verb element: 16 active tenses and 16 passive tenses.
There are three verb forms in English, used in different tense constructions: the Infinitive, the First Past Form (Past Simple) and the Second Past Form (Past Participle II).
Distinguish right and wrong verb forms in English. This classification is applicable for conjugating verb units in Perfect tenses and for the formation of passive voice constructions.
For education times of the general group Regular verb units use their infinitive form without the particle to. At the same time, one of the endings is added to the word: -s(-es) – for the present tense, –ed (-d) – for the past. The ending is not added to the semantic part of speech when conjugating this part of speech in the future tense.
Regular verbs in English and examples of their use:
- He walked slowly into the room.
- She takes her babies to a kinder garden every day.
- I will tell our teacher about the mistakes in the test.
There is a group of irregular verb units, the formation of which occurs not by adding an ending to the stem, but changing the root of the word or vowels inside the root. The forms of such words must be looked for in a special table. For example, the word “to sleep” has three forms: sleep – slept – slept, and the word shake (shake) has the forms shake – shook – shaken.
Attention! Table irregular verbs English in different textbooks By foreign language may contain different quantity words depending on who this manual is intended for.
An example sentence with irregular verbs in English:
- I did my job yesterday.
- It was a really nice film.
- We saw a huge ball that Andrew threw into the window.
- Once I was in the house, she quickly went upstairs.
- She sat in the chair and turned the lights on.
Besides, irregular shapes necessary for the formation of temporary structures of the Perfect group.
Verb conjugation in English in Perfect tenses:
- I have done my job and can go home now.
- When she entered the house, he had already left.
- Before summer holidays start, I will have already done this project.
- She has not done a single exercise yet, and it is already half of the lesson!
- How many times have you been there before?
- Has she ever visited China or is it her first time?
Continuous forms
The marker of the continuous form is the ending –ing. It conveys the duration of the action. Used to form Continuous tenses.
This category denotes an action in a process that occurs at a specific point in time in the present (Present Continuous), past (Past Continuous) or future (Future Continuous).
For semantic verb conjugations in the long tense, an ending is added to its infinitive, and the auxiliary element “to be” is added to the semantic part in the required form. Auxiliary words am, is, are are used for the present continuous tense, was, were - for the past continuous tense, will be - for the future continuous tense.
Examples of sentences using continuous forms:
- I was taking a shower when you called me.
- We are now crossing the street, so it is not very comfortable to call me right now.
- At half past seven tomorrow I will be making my project. – Future Continuous
- Why were you screaming when I saw you that evening?
- That time you rang her up, she was baking a pie for us.
- How long are you going to visit us?
State verbs
There is a certain group of words that are not conjugated in the Continuous tenses. They belong to the category of sensory perception. For example, the units to think, to believe, to suppose, to consider, to love, to like, to dislike cannot be conjugated in a continuous form due to certain semantic features. Times of the group Continuous denote an action something that does not happen all the time, but only at a certain, current moment in time. In this case, the action continues in the process. Compare:
- I listen to classical music every evening just to relax. — I listen to classical music every evening to relax. (Right now, at the time of speech, the music is not playing, but in general I listen to it regularly).
- I don’t generally like to listen to classical music as it seems rather boring to me, but now, for some unknown reason, I am doing. – Usually I don’t listen to classical music, because it seems quite boring to me, but now for some reason I do it. (The action takes place right now, in this moment time).
The word "suppose" in translated as meaning“consider, believe” cannot be changed according to these categories. It is impossible to believe something only in the moment, while doing it in the process.
Important! Stative verbs in English are quite large group and are the most commonly used words.
The most common verb units
The verb unit in the English language system is the first most important independent part of speech, since not a single sentence can be formed without it. Linguists periodically provide a list of the most frequently used verbs. If you want to speak English fully, then these words are required to study.
The most common words in English are to be and to do, as well as all their forms. The words to go, to take, to give, to bring, to have are also found in the American vocabulary as often as possible.
The most common verbs in English can be found, for example, in the Oxford Dictionary or Macmillan reference books.
The 100 most frequently used English verbs according to the Corpus of Contemporary American English:
Advice! Such lists may vary slightly in word frequency, depending on the material used in the study.
Auxiliary verb elements
Despite the fact that the main verbs of the English language are semantic, auxiliary words are no less important. These are the simplest units language – to be and to do. Note that these words are both semantic and auxiliary, depending on their position in the sentence.
Thus, in the sentence “Can you be my wife?”, “be” is an independent part of speech and a semantic part of the compound verbal predicate.
But in the sentence “She is my wife”, “be” used in the third person singular form “is” is already an auxiliary particle as part of a complex nominal predicate. In this case, the auxiliary element is not reflected in the translation, and serves only to formalize the grammatical structure.
List of all auxiliary verbs
| Verb | Forms | Use |
| to be | am, is, are | Present Simple Active & Passive |
| to be | was, were | Past Simple Active & Passive |
| to be | will be | Future Simple Active & Passive |
| to do | do, does | Present Simple Active |
| to do | did | Past Simple Active |
| to have | have, has | Present Perfect Simple Active & Passive |
| to have | had | Past Perfect Simple Active & Passive |
| to do | will do | Future Simple Active |
| to be | been | Present Perfect Simple Passive, Past Perfect Simple Passive, Future Perfect Simple Passive |
| will (shall) | will (shall) | Future Simple Active, Future Simple Passive |
| will (shall) | would (should) | Future-in-the-Past Simple Active & Passive |
Learning verbs in English
Irregular verbs in English
Conclusion
For successful communication In English, first of all, you need to study verbs. To begin with, it is better to remember the most commonly used words of this part of speech. Next, you can begin to study the table of irregular verbs with translation, and all auxiliary verb units. This will increase the general vocabulary, as well as begin the process of mastering a foreign language. In particular, tense forms, constructions of active and passive voice.
The verb is one of the most difficult parts of speech to master, but without it it is impossible to compose even the simplest sentence.