Assignment One: Circle the verbs in the following sentences. Put an LV above linking verbs, an IV above intransitive verbs, and a TV above transitive verbs. If the verb is linking, identify the type of predicate word; if the verb is transitive, identify the direct object(s).

  1. The boys looked longingly at the beautiful model.
  1. She looked baffled during the test.
  1. I found a beautiful rock in the cave.
  1. The river flowed unceasingly to the ocean.
  1. During the summer I saw seven or eight movies.

Assignment Two Directions: Circle the linking verbs and underline the predicate words in the following sentences. Identify the predicate words as predicate adjectives or predicate nominatives.

  1. That teacher looks weird.
  1. Your performance at work has been outstanding.
  1. One of the spectators in our row at the Mercury Games was the lucky winner.
  1. “Hello? This is she.”
  1. Over the summer you sure grew ugly.
  1. Love is a mysterious thing.
  1. The expectations of the professor have been consistent.
  1. The teacher recognized that the new student was a genius.
  1. Are you prepared for the test?
  1. “These dumplings taste delicious, mom,” Sally said.

Assignment Three Directions: Identify all of the action verbs in the following sentences. Then label each action verb as transitive or intransitive.

  1. We could have defeated the reigning champions, but we choked!
  1. I have really enjoyed your class this year!
  1. He fell off the chair and bumped his head.
  1. He will be swimming in next week’s state championship meet.
  1. They must have walked home from school together.
  1. They should have already taken that test.
  1. That teacher assigns way too much homework.
  1. Joanne sings ballads beautifully but rockers too weakly.

ACTION OR LINKING?

Some verbs can be used in different ways. Notice how the verbs below can be used as either action verbs or linking verbs.

  1. My mom suddenly appeared as I was lying to my sister. (intransitive)

The students appeared lost. (linking)

  1. I looked for my keys. (intransitive)

My wife looked beautiful in her new dress. (linking)

  1. The ding-dong of the bell sounded across the lonely town. (intransitive)

That new song by Brittany Spears sounds obnoxious. (linking)

  1. I like to grow flowers in my garden. (transitive)

Those plums will grow foul if you leave them on the counter. (linking)

  1. I felt lonely when my girlfriend broke up with me. (linking)

I felt the fabric to see if it would be soft enough. (transitive)

Assignment FourDirections: Circle and label each verb in the following sentences.

  1. I tasted the cookie dough.
  1. That new soda on the market tastes horrible.
  1. I smelled the delicious aroma of my mom’s cookies.
  1. The clerk smelled like a rotting fruit salad.
  1. I looked foolish in front of the others.
  1. The teacher looked for his graded pile of papers.
  1. I appeared at her house unannounced.
  1. She appears capable.
  1. That answer sounds right.
  1. That fateful response still sounds in my head.

HELPING VERBS

All sentences contain an action (transitive or intransitive) or linking verb. Some contain both; and some sentences also contain helping verbs. Helping verbs are usually used to give a verb a different tense (more on this later).

The two most common helping verbs are forms of the verbs to have and to be. The helping verb to have is used in participle forms of verbs. Many, but not all, of these participles end in –ed or –en. Examples follow:

I have played soccer for seven years now.

He has chosen two of us to be captains.

By the time the sun sets, we will have climbed to the top of the mountain.

I would have sung the introduction if I had not caught a sore throat.

The helping verb to be is only used with the progressive tenses of verbs. In other words, the verb to be is a helping verb only if the main verb has an

-ing suffix. Otherwise, the to be verb is a linking verb. Notice the examples below:

I will be walking to school at that time. (“be” is a helping verb”)

I will be the winner. (“be” is a linking verb)

I had been studying hard before I decided to change my major. (“been,” a form of the verb to be, is a helping verb)

I have been sad about my grandfather’s death for a long time. (“been” is a linking verb)

Other common helping verbs:

willmaydowouldmightcan

Doesshallcouldshouldmustdid

Assignment Five Directions: Circle the helping verbs and underline the main verbs in the sentences below. Identify the main verbs as transitive, intransitive, or linking. If the verb is transitive, also identify the direct object(s).

  1. I will eat more ice cream later.
  1. I should have studied for this test.
  1. I may register for Calculus this semester.
  1. My sister always does try her hardest.
  1. We could be rich right now!
  1. The hero must destroy the villain.
  1. Should I have chosen a different vehicle?

SEPARATED PARTS OF A VERB

At times you will find words inserted between the parts of a verb. These words are not included in the verb. Study the following sentences. The parts of the verb are in bold print.

Cassie has never hassled Mr. Wenz.

My friends can notsay anything intelligent.

The artist will gladly show you her work.

Some verbs are joined with other words to make contractions. When identifying verbs that appear in contractions, pick out only the verb. The word not and its contraction n’t are adverbs. They are never verb parts. The verbs in the sentences below are in bold print.

Vernon didn’t notice his brain’s disappearance.

The carpenter hadn’t yet severed his finger.

Assignment Six Directions: Identify the verb phrases in the following sentences. Label the helping verbs with an H. Then label the main verbs as transitive (T), intransitive (I), or linking (L). Also identify any direct objects (DO).

  1. The psychologists were gathering for their annual convention.
  1. You haven’t ever needed electric shock treatment before.
  1. We could often predict his psychotic episodes.
  1. David has never seen such interesting mummies.
  1. Summer vacation doesn’t begin for eight months.
  1. Someone must have disrupted my REM sleep.
  1. Michelle, the creative one in the family, has carefully wrapped her father’s present in seaweed.
  1. Your ideas will certainly delight the reading public.
  1. Lincoln’s ghost doesn’t usually arrive until well after midnight.
  1. Most of the team’s new players are overpaid babies with huge, undeserved contracts.

The Versatility of the “be” Verbs

Main Points:

  1. A verb is only a verb if the subject does it or “is” it.
  2. A “be” verb (is, am, are, was, were, be, been) is usually used as a linking verb but sometimes is used as a helping verb. If it’s used as a helping verb, the main verb will have an –ing suffix 100% of the time. If a “be” verb ends in –ing, then it is a linking verb with another “be” verb as a helping verb.

Examine the following sentence:

  1. The hostages have been rescued!

In sentence #1, is “rescued” a verb? Why or why not?

Answer: The hostages are not doing the rescuing. They are in a “state of being” rescued. Therefore, “rescued” is a verb used as an adjective (which is called a participle). Sentences like this, in which the subject doesn’t “do the verb” (or isn’t performing the action of the sentence) are written in what’s called the passive voice. Sentences in which the subject does or “is” the verb are written in the active voice. As a general rule, it’s preferable to limit the number of sentences you write in the passive voice.

Now examine the following sentence:

  1. The hostages are being rescued!

In sentence #2, what are the verbs? What kind of verbs are they?

Answer: The verb “are,” which is a “be” verb, is here used as a helping verb. We know that because the main verb, “being” has an –ing suffix. Since forms of the word “be” are never action verbs, the verb “being” in this sentence is the main verb and is a linking verb.

Assignment Seven Directions: Identify all verbs in the following sentences and label them as helping, linking, or action verbs. If the sentence contains a linking verb, identify the predicate word that is being linked back to the subject.

  1. Joanne has been going with Nick for three months now.
  1. When will you be going on vacation?
  1. Joanne seems very upset with Nick.
  1. The coaches have been very angry about Nick’s rotten attitude.
  1. Why is Nick being such an angel ?

Assignment EightDirections: Identify whether the italicized word is used as an action verb, a linking verb, or as some other part of speech.

  1. What a terrible smell!
  2. Why does this room smell so bad?
  3. Please smell that milk before drinking it.
  4. You sound painfully hoarse!
  5. Please sound out the word, Billy.
  6. The sound of your voice is like silk caressing my ears.
  7. Flowers grow best in spring.
  8. As the movie reached its conclusion, I grew more and more weary.
  9. You have shown amazing growth in your writing skills.
  10. Please stay in the room until I return.
  11. Stay quiet until all students have completed their tests.
  12. The governor granted the convict a stay of execution.
  13. The taste of berries lingers after the first delectable sip.
  14. That particular brand of bacon tastes delicious!
  15. Taste the broth to see whether or not it needs more salt.
  16. How can you look bored during a grammar lesson?
  17. The look of love is like no other expression.
  18. Please look at several different samples before deciding.
  19. The remains of the mangled animal were covered with maggots.
  20. Remain calm!
  21. Please remain at the station until your ride picks you up.
  22. Over time the wine turned sour.
  23. Turn the pancake over in the griddle or you’ll burn that side.
  24. Make a right turn at the corner.

Assignment Nine Directions: Find and label the verbs (H, I, T, L) in the following sentences. If the verb is transitive, also label the directobject(s) (DO).

  1. I regularly visit my parents every summer.
  1. I visit socially with my neighbors in the evening.
  1. I jumped the fence like a high jumper in order to crash the concert.
  1. John can jump extremely high!
  1. I dutifully read every evening.
  1. I read mystery novels primarily.
  1. I can run significantly faster than my wife.
  1. After extensive training, I ran a half marathon last year.

Assignment Ten Directions: Identify the subject(s) and verb(s) in the following sentences. Put an S over the subjects, an H over the helping verbs, an L over the linking verbs, a T over the transitive verbs, and an I over the intransitive verbs.

  1. The psychotic maniacs and crazed dancers are gathering for their annual convention.
  1. Despite rumors to the contrary, Cindy, Paul, and Mike have never needed electric shock treatment.
  1. After careful observation the astute scientists and the educated theorists could frequently predict their weeping episodes.
  1. Have the wretched and the weak ever willingly worked so hard for so little?
  1. Why doesn’t summer vacation begin in April and winter break start the day after Thanksgiving?

Assignment Eleven Directions: Fill in the following blanks as a review of verbs.

All English sentences must have a ______and a ______. The ______is who or what is doing or being something in the sentence. The verb is what the ______is doing or being.

The main verb in a sentence must either be ______(expressing action) or ______(expressing a state of being). If the verb expresses action, it’s either a(n) ______verb (a ______receives the action of the verb) or a(n) ______(the verb has no object receiving its action). If the verb expresses a state of being, it’s a(n) ______verb.

The most common linking verbs are the “be” verbs. List them below:

List other common linking verbs:

All linking verbs connect (or link) another word back to the subject. This word is called a ______and is either a predicate ______or a predicate ______. This word ______or ______the subject.

Sometimes the main verb is accompanied by ______verbs. The most common helping verbs are the “have” verbs (have, has, had) and the “be” verbs (which you listed above). The “have” verbs can also be ______verbs as in the sentence “I have a dog.” If the “have” verbs are helping verbs, the principal part of the verb is in its ______form and frequently has an ______or an ______suffix. The “be” verbs are always linking verbs unless there is another verb in the sentence with an ______suffix; if this is the case, the “be” verb is a ______verb and the main verb is in the ______tense.

Other common helping verbs are (list below):

Sometimes the parts of a verb are separated by adverbs (most frequently words like never, always, ever, sometimes, not and its contracted form, n’t). These adverbs are not part of the verb.

SENTENCE PATTERNS

All clauses, whether dependent or independent, contain essential elements (designated by the labels below) in one of five patterns. Once you have identified the essential elements and the corresponding sentence pattern, then everything else in the sentence that has a grammatical function—whether a single word or a phrase—is a modifier or a conjunction.

Pattern One:SIV

In this basic sentence pattern, you have a single or compound subject paired with one or more intransitive verbs.

Examples of pattern one sentences:

We ran around the track in P.E. today.

We tried hard on our project.

The teachers and students agreed on the procedures.

The boys and girls laughed and played.

Pattern Two:STVDO

In this basic sentence pattern, you have a single or compound subject, a single or compound transitiveverb, and a single or compound direct object.

Examples of pattern two sentences:

I called my mom.

I kissed my girlfriend and hit my sister.

The teachers and the administrators studied the new policy.

The students watched the movie and wrote their reviews.

The shocked bystanders and the involved law enforcement officials watched the tragedy and assisted the victims.

Pattern Three:STVIODO

Sentences in this pattern contain a single or compound subject, a single or compound transitive verb, a single or compound indirect object, and a single or compound direct object.

Examples of pattern three sentences:

Joe gave his dog a bone. (Joe gave a bone to his dog.)

The police showed her shocked parents the drugs and paraphernalia.

The police and the Coast Guard sent the President and the F.B.I. director the essential information.

Pattern Four:SLVPN

Sentences in this pattern contain a single or compound subject, a single or compound linkingverb, and a single or compound predicate nominative. (S = PN)

Examples of pattern four sentences:

I am a teacher.

The winners of the contest are he and she.

Joe and Bill are competitors and winners.

Pattern Five:

SLVPA.

Sentences in this pattern contain a single or compound subject, a single or compound linkingverb, and a single or compound predicate adjective.

Examples of pattern five sentences:

I am happy with your grades.

The runner felt dizzy and light-headed.

The players and coaches seemed happy with the arrangement.

The fans and cheerleaders were loud and obnoxious.

Note: About 95-99% of sentences fit into the above patterns. Here are examples of two sentences that do not:

S “be” adv adv

Example #1: We were there already. (In this sentence “were,” simply states that we existed in a certain place; nothing is linked back to the subject.)

Example #2: The car hit the guard rail and swerved into the ditch. (In this sentence “hit” is a transitive verb and “swerved” is an intransitive verb. This is called a “hybrid sentence.”)

STV/IVDO

SENTENCE PATTERNS

Assignment Twelve Directions: Identify the sentence pattern of each of the following sentences.

  1. Jobs were scarce during the recession.
  2. The steelworkers called a strike on Monday.
  3. Juan Lopez was the star of the show.
  4. These salmon from Alaska are fresh.
  5. David and Amy work in their dad’s store on Saturdays.
  6. Rhoda finally gave Leslie and me a hint.
  7. Eric photographed the skyline of San Francisco.
  8. Greylock is the highest mountain in the area.
  9. That request seems unfair.
  10. A blizzard hit suddenly, without warning.

Assignment Thirteen Directions: Identify the pattern of each of the following sentences. Then change each sentence to match the pattern indicated in parentheses. You will have to add or change words. Try to make your sentences interesting.

Example: The game ended early. (Pattern #5)

Original pattern: Pattern #1 New Sentence: After two overtimes, the game is finally over.

  1. That dessert looks rich. (Pattern #2)
  1. Meredith delivers pizzas. (Pattern #4)
  1. Ramon sold us his tickets. (Pattern #2)
  1. Beth told Jim her worries. (Pattern #5)
  1. The computers had the answer in no time. (Pattern #3)
  1. Erica studies in the afternoon. (Pattern #2)
  1. Please give this note to the inspector. (Pattern #2)
  1. The doctor taped Jason’s ankle. (Pattern #4)
  1. Dense fog is a hazard. (Pattern #1)
  1. Pat yourself on the back. (Pattern #4)

Assignment Fourteen: Practice Sentence Patterns Test

Directions: Label the essential elements of each of the twelve sentences below and then match the sentence with one of the five sentence patterns. (If the subject is an implied “you,” put it in parentheses and write an S above it.)

  1. Pattern One: SIV
  2. Pattern TwoSTVDO
  3. Pattern ThreeSTVIODO
  4. Pattern FourSLVPN
  5. Pattern FiveSLVPA
  1. That is my favorite movie!
  2. The hungry child devoured an entire large pizza.
  3. Please hand me your test when you’re finished.
  4. Our team feels confident before the championship game.
  5. He jumped about ten feet in the air when I jabbed him with a stick.
  6. The parachutist landed on a pile of mattresses.
  7. The widower seemed particularly lonely around the holidays.
  8. She often dreamed about strange and frightening events.
  9. Although I worked for hours, I never finished my project.
  10. The mechanics in my father’s shop are hard workers.
  11. The spy showed the Russians the secret documents.
  12. That scientist ismy sister’s Biology professor.

Principal Parts of a Verb