What are English verbs? Verbs in English - types and types

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. Choosing words to express your thoughts on 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, and 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:

1. Semantic verbs.
2. Phrasal verbs.
3. Modal verbs.
4. 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 for the formation of different times:

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 the 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.

Auxiliary verb in English language not alone. 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.

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 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 acquainted with each 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 that will help you understand the intricacies 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!

While studying something grammar rule, you are dating in different parts speech. The verb in the English language occupies one of the leading positions in terms of diversity of forms, cases of use, exceptions, and, well, use. And so that when analyzing tense or mood, you do not rummage through the manual to find out what transitive or intransitive verbs, semantic or connectives are, in this article you will find succinctly presented material on this part of speech.

How to find a verb in a sentence? Look for that part of speech that conveys an action, a state and answers the question what to do?/what to do? or describes what is being done or happening to a person or thing. But in every expression they use different shapes, species that are important to know and distinguish from other members. What do you need to learn?

English verbs by structure

If we visually look at this part of speech, we can see its composition. Some of them resemble other words, such as nouns or adjectives, which means they are formed from other morphological units. So, according to their formation and composition, verbs in English are divided into groups.

• Simple we call those that have only a stem without suffixes and prefixes: to do, to run, to take, to get.
• Derivatives- these are those that are formed from other parts of speech, and have suffixes or prefixes, and sometimes both: to dis charge, to short en. to sign fy.
• Composite or phrasal. We include stable combinations of a verb and a preposition (or adverb) in this group: to get up, to give up, to look forward with.
• Complex not very many in English, but they do occur. This group includes those that consist of two words: to broadcast, to whitewash.

Forming verbs in English is not an entirely simple matter. Sometimes you can trace some pattern, and sometimes you just have to remember. Let's look at the most characteristic prefixes and suffixes of this part of speech.

1. —en: to widen, to strengthen - expand, strengthen
2. —fy: to simplify, to signify - to simplify, to mean
3. —size: mobilize, to organize - mobilize, organize
4. —ate: to demonstrate, to separate - to demonstrate, to separate
5. re-: to resell, to reconstruct - resell, rebuild
6. dis-: to disarm, to disappear - to disarm, disappear
7. un-: to unload, to untie - to unload, untie

English verbs by meaning and role in a sentence

Each word in a sentence has not only a semantic meaning, but also grammatical meaning. Without verbs, no statement can exist. But be careful, each of them has its own role.

• Notional verbs used in a sentence as a predicate. In other words, they perform an action.

He speaks 3 foreign languages. — He speaks three foreign languages.

They returned from their holidays yeasterday. — They returned from vacation yesterday.

• Auxiliary or Auxiliary verbs do not have their own semantic meaning. They're like faithful helpers- they bark, but do not bite, being only part of a compound predicate. Each of the verbs of this type its place in the sentence: is, am, are, do, does, will, have, has, did, had, been, be. How to choose the right one? Study the times and then you will not have problems with education.

She is reading my new book now. — She is now reading my new book.

I do don't know her address. - I don't know her address.

We will go there next summer. — We will go there next summer.

• So called Link verbs. What do they have in common? There is such a compound-nominal predicate when the verb connects the subject and the object. The main representatives of this group are: to be, to become, to get, to turn (in the meaning of becoming), to look.

He is my first teacher. - He is my first teacher.

The car was red. — The car was red.

He became a teacher. -She became a teacher.

She looks well. - She looks good.

• Modal verbs ( Modal verbs) also cannot exist separately, but only in combination with the infinitive. Each phrase must have a semantic verb, and the modal conveys only the attitude to the action: can, must, must, should ( can, may, must, should, have to, to be to, will, would, shall, need ought).

I can read books in the original. — I can read books in the original.

I must do it immediately. “I must do this immediately.”

You needn't buy bread - You don't need to buy bread.

English verbs by form

To begin with, let us immediately note that all representatives of this group can be divided into correct and incorrect. The former form the past tense using ed, while the latter need to be memorized, the so-called exception verbs in English. They can be found in the table. So, there are the following forms:

1st form- infinitive - the way the word is presented in the dictionary - V 1

2nd form- past indefinite form— Past Indefinite — V 2

3rd form- past participle - Past Participle - V 3

4th form- present participle - Present Participle - V ing

We looked at the first division, but in turn, there is another classification on this basis: personal and non-personal forms. The first have all the main features of a verb, and the second (gerund, infinitive, participles) only some of them.

More detailed information this can be found in the article “English Verb Forms”.

What else needs to be learned?

Not all verbs have the properties listed below, but most still change according to them.

1. Temporary changes (Tenses). The verb is the main indicator of the tense in which the situation is expressed. Based on its composition, one can draw a conclusion about the present, past or future.
2. Conjugation. This part of speech is conjugated by persons that change by numbers (plural/singular), depending on which different endings or the corresponding auxiliary verb are used.
3. Voice (Active/Passive Voice). Each sentence is either in the active voice or the passive voice. This means that the subject performs an action or is performed on it.
4. Mood . The emotional coloring of statements is characteristic not only of Russians, but also of the British. That is why they distinguish the indicative, subjunctive and imperative moods.
5. Transitivity. Some representatives of this group require an addition after themselves, and some do not. In accordance with this, transitive verbs and intransitive verbs are distinguished.

This is all the basic information about the verb. But reading this article does not mean that you have learned everything. It can serve as a blueprint for what is important to learn and understand. But each form, category and type must be mastered separately, in more detail.

Verbs in English are parts of speech that express 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

By its structure English verbs there are four types:

1. 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.
2. Derivatives. If to simple verb add a suffix and/or preposition, it becomes derivative. For example: rebuild (restore), dislike (dislike).
3. Complex. These are verbs that consist of two words combined into one. For example: underline (emphasize), backbite (slander), etc.
4. 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

Discuss this topic with a personal teacher in a free online lesson at Skyeng school

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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:

Verb in English- this is a part of speech that denotes the action or state of an object or person, and it is also the most terrifying part of speech. When they talk about the difficulties of the English language, they most often mean the terrible one, in which there are (at times) as many as 20 of them.

In fact, everything is much simpler, here 3 facts about the English verb that will cheer you up:

1. The English verb has 3 tenses, not 20: past, present, future.
2. The English verb compares favorably with its French, Spanish, and Russian counterparts in that it has almost no different endings, mandatory for memorization.
3. Having dealt with the verb, you will solve 80% of the “English Grammar” problem for yourself, because speech is based on the verb.

Classification of English verbs

Verbs in English are divided according to structure and meaning.

Classification of verbs

Classification of verbs by structure:

• Simple– consist of a base without prefixes and suffixes: to bake (oven), to leave (leave).
• Derivatives- are formed using prefixes and suffixes (see): to mislead (to mislead), to recharge (recharge).
• Complex- consist of two basics: to proofread (read, check).
• Phrasal– consist of a verb + adverb\preposition: to turn out (to appear), to look up (to find in the dictionary).

ABOUT phrasal verbs There are separate articles:

Classification of verbs by meaning:

• Semantic verbs– independent verbs that have eigenvalue, denote an action, a state. The vast majority of verbs in English are semantic.
• Function verbs– non-independent verbs, do not have their own meaning, serve to form various grammatical forms. These include:
  • Linking verbs– used in the formation of complex forms: (to be), to become (to become), etc.
  • Auxiliary verbs– are used when constructing a compound predicate: (to be), (to do), (to have), (used when constructing the future tense), etc.
  • Modal verbs– denote not the action itself, but the speaker’s attitude to the action: can (to be able), should (should), etc. Read more about modal verbs In this article: .

Note: Some service verbs can be used as semantic verbs, for example to be, to do, to have.

Three main verb forms

The English verb has three main forms. There are some discrepancies in the names of these forms; they are often simply called first, second and third.

• First form: initial form verb, this is exactly how you see the verb in the dictionary: go, sleep, work, love, etc. Other synonymous names: infinitive form of the verb, dictionary form (meaning the infinitive without the particle to).
• Second form: past indefinite tense. Regular verbs are formed using the ending -ed: start ed, hand ed, notic ed. In the wrong ones it is formed in a special way. Other synonymous names: Past Indefinite, past tense form, simple past.
• Third form: past participle. In regular verbs, it is formed using the ending -ed and does not differ in appearance from the Past Simple form. Another synonym name: .

Regular and irregular verbs

Verbs forming the second and third forms according to general rule(using ending -ed), are called correct. Verbs that form these forms in a special way are called wrong– their second and third forms need to be taught separately.

The Russian verb has a lot of endings, foreigners have to learn them all, for example: playing, playing, playing, playing, playing, playing, playing, playing, playing and so on.

The fact is that in Russian, endings show person, number, tense and gender of the verb. Taking the word “played”, we can easily understand that it is 3rd person, singular, feminine, past tense (she played).

It's different in English. The endings of verbs do not have such broad functions; number, person and tense are indicated partly by their endings, but mainly by other signs. And there is practically no category of gender in English; it only applies to pronouns.

Let's take the example of the regular verb to dance- dance.

U correct verb there may be such endings:

1. Dance (no ending) - this can be either an indefinite form or an imperative form, as well as almost all persons and tenses.
2. Dance ed– past simple tense or Past Simple.
3. Dance ed– past participle or Past Participle (regular verbs have forms 2 and 3 the same, irregular verbs may differ).
4. Dance ing– an action taking place at a certain moment (present participle).
5. Dance s – 3rd person singular form (“She\she\it is dancing”).

There are no other options.

The endings of a regular verb, an irregular one, will have other forms instead of -ed.

Person and number of English verb

An English verb, like a Russian one, can have one of three singular or plural forms:

The peculiarity of the English verb, when compared with Russian, is that it is not conjugated, that is, it does not change in persons and numbers; in all forms it has the same ending (or rather, the absence of any ending). The only exception is the 3rd person singular form, where the ending is added -s\es .