Verbs

toc =Action Verbs =
 * Physical action (Examples: run, kick, hike, tumble, dance)
 * Mental action (Examples: study, comprehend, believe, worry, dream)

= Linking Verbs = Linking verbs link or connect the subject to a word in the predicate that either //** renames **// or //** modifies **// the subject.

The Linking Verb Song Taste, feel, smell, sound, look, appear, become, Seem, grow, remain, stay, turn; Am, is, are, was, were, be, been-- These are the linking verbs!

Here are some sentences using linking verbs: (The linking verb is in **//bold italics//**, and the words that are being linked are in red .)
 * Ethan **//looks//** great in his new baseball uniform. (The verb, **//looks//**, links the subject, //Ethan//, to a word in the predicate, //great// , which describes the subject, //Ethan//.
 * The girl in the picture **//is//** my best <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">friend . (The verb, //**is,**// links the subject, //girl// //,// to a word in the predicate, // friend, // which renames the subject, //girl// .)
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">My favorite <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">flavors of ice cream **//are//** <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">vanilla and <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">strawberry . (The verb, **//are,//** links the subject, <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">flavors, to two words in the predicate, <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">vanilla <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 90%;">and strawberry , which rename the subject, //<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">flavors. //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 90%;">)
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">His voice on the telephone sounded frighten<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">ed.<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 90%;"> The verb, ** //sounded// **, links the subject, //voice//, to a word in the predicate that describes the subject, //frightened//.

Example: My keys are in the car. In this example, the keys are in a state of being in the car. The verb //are,// in this sentence, is called a state of being verb. There is no word in the predicate that is being linked to the subject.
 * Sometimes linking verbs do not link. They are showing a state of being instead.

=Verb Phrases= A verb phrase consists of at least one //**helping verb**// + one //**main verb**//.

<span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%; text-align: center;">The Helping Verb Song <span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 90%; text-align: center;">(to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb") <span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%; text-align: center;">Mary had some helping verbs, <span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%; text-align: center;">And these are all of them: <span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%; text-align: center;">Am, is, are, was, were, be, been, <span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%; text-align: center;">Have, has, had, do, does, did, <span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%; text-align: center;">Can, could, shall, should, <span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%; text-align: center;">Will, would, may, might, must. <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: left;">Here are some sentences using verb phrases. Can you find them?
 * <span style="color: #991414; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">Almost all of the marathon runners have completed the race.
 * <span style="color: #991414; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">The guest speaker has left the stage.
 * <span style="color: #991414; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">On the field trip the class will study various types of plant life.

//**<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">Sometimes verb phrases are interrupted by other parts of speech. **//<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">Look at the following sentences. All of them are **questions**. What do you notice about the verb phrases in these questions? <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%; text-align: left;">In all of the sentences above, the **subject** interrupted the verb phrase. To make the phrase come together, change the question to a statement. <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%; text-align: left;">Look at the following sentences. All of these verb phrases are interrupted by adverbs. Can you find the verb phrases without including any adverbs? It can be tricky, so be careful! The only words in a verb phrase are the main verb (at the end) and one or more helping verbs. So don't forget "The Helping Verb Song."
 * <span style="color: #991414; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%; text-align: left;">Has the bus left the parking lot yet?
 * <span style="color: #991414; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">Did you carry all of those packages by yourself?
 * <span style="color: #991414; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">Was the soccer game played on our home field?
 * <span style="color: #991414; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%; text-align: left;">The bus **has left** the parking lot.
 * <span style="color: #991414; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">You **did carry** all of those packages by yourself.
 * <span style="color: #991414; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">The soccer game **was played** on our home field.

>
 * <span style="color: #991414; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">Evergreen trees do not lose their leaves in the fall.
 * <span style="color: #991414; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">The students will surely enjoy their field trip to the Botanical Gardens.
 * <span style="color: #991414; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">The elephants have suddenly abandoned their watering hole.
 * <span style="color: #991414; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">A jack-o-lantern was happily sitting on the front porch.