Gabriel Cattani, Paulina

Echague & Valentina Trivel

Parts of
speech: VERBS
 What are verbs?

Verbs are words that express an action, condition or

experience. They can be identified in two different ways:
If a word can have should in front of it and the
phrase sounds complete, the word is a verb.
If a word can have to in front of it and the phrase
sounds complete, it's a verb.
 Determine the verb

Activity
time
 Word Cloud in the
whiteboard

Activity time
 Classification of verbs
transitive
the verb base and
intransitive

main modal and semi-

verbs modal verbs

linking verbs auxiliary verbs phrasal verbs

The verb base
(Also known as infinitive form)

Verbs change their form sometimes.

So, how can we know that a given
word is a verb?
To determine whether a word is a verb, one has to examine how it
functions in a sentence and its characteristis such as tense markers like
“-ed” or -”ing”. There are forms, however, that do not use these markers.
One such form is called the base form or infinitive form.

The term infinitive is used to refer either to the base form by itself (i.e.
breathe) or to the “to + base form” (to breathe).
 Infinitive (with to)

Is used:
to express purpose
after some adjectives
after the verb to be, to give orders or to express an
arrangement
after would hate/love/like/prefer, with or without a subject
 Examples

She went to the store to buy groceries.

He was too tired to continue working.
The meeting is to take place in the conference room at
2:00 PM.
She would hate to miss the concert.
 Bare infinitive (without to)

Is used:
after modal verbs
after the following verbs: had better/ had help/ had let/ had make/ would
rather/sooner

Examples:
She can swim
You had better
hurry
 Gerund

Is used:
as the subject, object or complement of a clause or
sentence
after prepositions
after certain verbs expressing likes and dislikes and others
such as: admit , avoid, consider,etc.
 Examples

Her favorite activity is swimming.

He's good at playing the guitar
She admitted cheating on the test
 Main verbs:
States, actions & events

This are the things a verb can refer to

 These are generally used in a simple
States tense rather than a continuous tense.

feelings like, love, hate, want, prefer, need

thoughts know, believe, remember, forget,

and opinions understand, think, feel, consider

states be, have (possess), exist, seem, apper, belong

senses taste, sound, look, feel, hear, smell

 Action and
Events

We can use the simple or continuous form of

action and event verbs:
“I cleaned the room as quickly as possible”.
“She’s watching television at the moment”.
 Some facts about them

Some verbs can be used to talk about both

states and actions, but with different
meanings: state (usually simple form) action
(simple or continuous).
be
care ful
 Linking verbs
Verbs which
do not As indicated in ´Understanding the basics´,
indicate this types of verbs express a relationship
actions between the noun or pronoun that comes
before the linking verb and whatever
follows it.
 The most common linking Followed or modified by
verb is the verb be, often adjectives
called the copula. She is sad

The forms of this irregular verb

are: am, is, are, was, were, be,
been, being.
 Identifying linking verbs

Equal sign (=) Substitute a form of Substitute a form of

“be” and leave the word “seem” and
You are bored - You basically the same leave the same
= bored meaning
meaning
Ana seems happy -
Ana = happy Jane seems interested in He remains handsome
you - Jane is interested in He seems handsome
you
The house became dirty -
The house was dirty
 Quick reminder:
There are some verbs that can be used as either an action verb or
a linking verb, depending on the sentence that it´s in.

1) Mary felt tired

2) Mary felt the softness of the material
 Auxiliary verbs:
be, do and have
These are used before a main verb to show
time and continuity.
BE and HAVE are the primary auxiliaries and
they are used to construct compound tenses.
 While most verbs are single words,
Phrasal some are phrasal because they
contain two words.
verb

They are used to show possibility, intent, ability, or

necessity. Because they’re a type of auxiliary verb, they’re
used alongside the infinitive form of the main verb of a
sentence.
According to Evelyn P. Altenberg and Robert M. Vago

In phrasal verbs, the first word is a verb and

morphology
the second word is called a particle.

The meaning is a phrasal verb is often similar

to the meaning of a single verb Verb
point out-identify look up-research
look into
It is still a phrasal verb even if the two parts Particle
are separated
According to Types of phrasal
Jeremy Harmer verbs
Intransitive Transitive and inseparable
Does not take a direct object Take an object and cannot be
calm down - sit down separated
I am looking for my keys.

Transitive and separable Transitive 2+ particles, inseparable

Take an object and it can come There is more than one particle and
between the verb and the particle the object must come at the end.
take off your shoes - take your shoes off I'm really looking forward to it.
She has broken up with her boyfriend
Modal verbs
and semi-
modal verbs
 Can, be able to, might, may,
Modal verbs
must and could

might, could, may and can are used to express present, future and past
possibility.
might and may can be used to express privilege or suggest.
can and may (more formal) can be used to give or refuse permission and
make offers.
can and could can be used to make request or to ask for permission.
can and be able to are used to express possibility, ability or inability and
criticism.
could can be used to espress ability or inability in the past.
must and have to are used to express certainty, obligation and give orders
or strong advice.
 Will, shall, should and would

Will and would can be used to express:

Present and past habits, not possible with stative verbs.
Typical annoying behaviour
Willingness to do something, including request.
Refusal to do something in the present and the past
Shall can be used to:
Make a request for advice or instructions
To make an offer or a suggestion
We use should for advice or expectations
 Semi-modal verbs

According to the Collins dictionary Several verbs act as modals

sometimes and as full main verbs at other times. These are
called semi-modal verbs.
Dare, need, ought to and used to are often called semi-
modal because in some ways they are formed like modal
verbs and in some ways they are like other main verbs.
Transitive and
intransitive
verbs
 Activity
time
Can you answer this questions?
What did you write?
What did you take?
What did you throw?
These are perfectly fine questions to
answer
Those verbs do act on something, they make total
sense.
Those action verbs that act upon something are called

Transitive verbs
Determine if it is a transitive verb
If a verb (in one of its forms)
can be put in one of these slots.

a) What did you_________?

a) He__________something
b) He____________someone b) Who did you_________?
 According to Evelyn P. Altenberg
and Robert M. Vago

VERBS that do not

act upon something
and do not have a Intransitive
direct object, are
called intransitive
verbs
verbs
Intransitive verbs convey a complete action or How to determine
state on their own. They don't need an object to if a verb is
make sense.
instransitive

Example of an intransitive
verb: He sleeps. (The verb
"sleeps" conveys a complete
action without needing an
object.)
Identify the Intransitive on each page

They purchased a new TV. Noel brought a bottle of

wine for dinner.
It was raining until a few hours
back. All of them danced at my
wedding party.
Verb tenses
Past, present and future
 We use the simple past for: Past
1. Completed or repeated actions and
events in the past.
2. Permanent or long-term situations in
tenses
the past.

We use the past continuous:

1. To talk about a particular moment in the
past.
2. For an activity beginning before a past
action (usually in the past simple) and
continuing until or after it.
3. For two things happening at the same time.
 We use the past perfect simple:
1. To refer to an earlier time when we are Past
already talking about the past, often with
time expressions like when, after, by the time, tenses
as soon as.
2. With adverbs like just, already, before, ever
and never.

We use the past perfect continuous:

1. When we want to emphazise the activity
rather than the result: “ I’ve been
reading this book for weeks”.
2. Often with since or for
 I eat a donut
The Present Tense
Daniel doesn’t want to be
here
Emily is singing in the shower
It is what is happening right
All of these sentences now, in the present.
are taking place in the
present
 Present simple
To be Verbs
Form S + am/is/are S + verb
S + am/is/are +not S + don´t/ doesn´t + verb
am/is/are + S ? Do/does + S + verb ?

We use the present simple for:

habits or repeated actions facts and generalisations scheduled future events

Past Present Future Past Present Future Past Present Future

I usually play football at The water boils at 100 Next Saturday is my

the weekend degrees Celsius wedding!

I walk to my work. Montevideo is the capital The plane lands in

of Uruguay. Bangkok at 3.30 pm
I am studying
English Present Continuous

Past Present Future

We use the present continuous
1. To talk about the present moment: Go away, I’m
S + am/is/are + V-ing watching TV.
S + am/is/are + not + V-ing 2. For a temporary action or event: I´m staying with
my cousin for a couple of days.
Am/is/are + S + V-ing ?] 3. For changing or developing situations: The world is
getting warmer.
 Present Perfect
We use the present perfect for:
An action that happened at an unstated
I have studied English
time in the past.
An action which started in the past and
Past Present Future continues up to the present
A recently completed action
S + have/has + PP Personal experiences or changes
S + have/has + not + PP
Have/has + S + PP ?

PP=Past Participle
 Present Perfect Continuous

I have been studying English We use the present perfect continuous for:
Have they been studying English?
to put emphasis on the duration of an action which
started in the past and continues up to the present.
Past Present Future for an action which started in the past and lasted
for some time. It may still be continuing or has
S + have/has + been + V-ing
Form S + have/has + not + been + V-ing
finished already, with the result visible in the
Have/has + S + been + V-ing ? present.
for repeated actions in the past continuing to the
present.
 Present tenses with a future meaning
Present tenses can be used to describe future events or actions in
certain situations.

We use the simple present for scheduled events with a future

meaning.

We use the present continuous to talk about something that people

have arranged to do in the future.
 Examples

The bus leaves at 8:15 on Saturday.

We’re playing football on Wednesday.

 Future tenses

We use will
1. For decisions made at the moment of speaking
2. For anything which is uncertain, especially with probably, maybe, I think, I hope
and I expect
3. For predictions (as they are not definite)

We use be going to for future plans

 Examples

will
The phone’s ringing, I’ll answer it.
I probably won’t finish this project today.
The number of people on the planet will grow to nine billion by 2050.

going to
I’m going to ring my friend in a minute.
It’s going to rain (I can see the clouds)
 Future tenses
Future Continuous
We use the future continous to talk about actions that will be in progress at a
certain time in the future.

We often use the future continuous with the expressions in/at and this time...

Future Perfect
We use the future perfect to talk about actions that will be comleted at a certain
time in the future. We often introduce time expressions with by.
 Examples
Future Continuous
In 2025, we’ll be using driverless cars.

At 1:30, they’ll be having lunch.

This time next week, I’ll be travelling to New York City

Future Perfect
By four o’clock, I’ll have finished this essay.

By the year 3000, we’ll have discovered life on another planet

 Future Expressions
Future tenses aren’t the only way that we can talk about the future. There are also
different expressions that we can use.

be (just) about to (+base form)

I’m just about to go to bed. I’ll call you tomorrow.

be likely to (+ base form)

It’s likely to be drizzly tomorrow.

Be due to (+base form)

We’re due to fly to the U.S. soon, and I’ve lost my passport.
 Thank
You!
Parts of speech: Verbs
Gabriel Cattani
Paulina Echagüe
Valentina Trivel