Summary
Verbs are words that express actions, occurrences or states of being. They are essential components of a sentence, indicating what the subject does, what happens or what or how the subject is.
In-depth Explanation
Some key features of verbs include:
- Verbs are conjugated in different moods and tenses and according to the subject of the verb.
- There are regular verbs that follow certain conjugation patterns and irregular verbs that do not.
- There are also various types of verbs including auxiliary verbs, modal verbs, phrasal verbs and more.
We can classify verbs generally based on what they signify: actions, experiences or feelings and states and conditions. Here are some examples of verbs in each of these categories.
Verbs Referring to an Action
These verbs describe physical or mental activities that someone or something is doing. For example:
| Verb | Example |
| run | She runs every morning. |
| write | He writes a letter. |
| speak | They speak English fluently. |
Verbs Referring to Experiences or Feelings
These verbs describe what someone feels or experiences emotionally or mentally. They relate to internal states rather than physical actions. For example:
| Verb | Example |
| love | We love chocolate. |
| hate | She hates waking up early. |
| need | I need a cup of chocolate. |
Verbs Referring to a State or Condition
These verbs describe a state of being or condition. They do not show actions, but rather tell us how something is or what condition it is in. For example:
| Verb | Example |
| be | He is a teacher. |
| seem | The weather seems nice today. |
| appear | She appears tired. |