Verbs for Class 6

What are Verbs?

A verb is a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being in a sentence. In simpler terms, a verb is a "doing" or "being" word. It is an essential part of a sentence, as it conveys what the subject of the sentence is doing or experiencing.

Functions of Verbs

Expressing Actions: Verbs can show actions that someone or something is doing.

Example: She dances gracefully on her favourite song.

Expressing States of Being: Verbs can describe a state of being or existence.

Example: Sussain is a professor at Oxford University.

Expressing Occurrences: Verbs can convey events or happenings.

Example: The Sun rises in the east.

Indicating Time: Verbs are crucial in indicating when an action took place (past), is taking place (present), or will take place (future).

Example: They will go to Sweden tomorrow.

Types of Verbs

1. Main Verbs

A main verb also known as a base verb is the central word in the predicate that shows the action or state of being in a sentence.

• Even though it was late, he wrote a heartfelt message.
• She swam for an hour despite the cold water.
• Before the show, they practised and danced together.
• He played his best in the championship so far.
• He drew a beautiful landscape getting inspired by nature.
• Shelly slept peacefully after returning from a long vacation.

a) Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

b) Regular and Irregular Verbs

Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern when forming the past tense and past participle. The ending "-ed" is added to the base form of the verb.

Irregular verbs do not follow a standard pattern when forming the past tense and past participle.

c) Finite and Non-finite Verbs

Finite verbs show a specific action or state and are conjugated based on the subject.

Examples:

• The birds chirped loudly in the morning.
• My sister dances ballet gracefully.
• They prefer swimming rather than dancing. 
• The dog barks when someone knocks on the door.
• She loves to write poems in her free time.
• We will visit Egypt next week for the research.
• The students were listening attentively in the classroom.

Infinite verbs do not show a specific subject or time and are not conjugated.

There are three types of non-finite verbs: gerunds, participles, and infinitives.

More Examples:

• Companies strive to innovate in order to stay competitive.
• Investors often speculate on the stock market.
• Teachers need to evaluate students' progress.
• Sailors use stars to navigate across the vast ocean.
• The scientist will demonstrate the experiment to the class.
• People often meditate to achieve inner peace.
• It's essential to correspond professionally in emails.
• The author will elaborate on the key points in the next chapter.

2. Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary verbs also known as helping verbs are verbs that work together with the main verb in a sentence to convey the intended meaning. They assist in forming various tenses, moods, voices, and aspects.

Examples:

• He has been studying French for three years.
• I am going to the store after finishing my homework.
• They were playing soccer when it started raining.
• We have not heard from them since last week.
• The cat must have hidden somewhere in the house.
• He is writing a novel and has already written three chapters.
• The students should have submitted their assignments by now.
• It was raining heavily, so we decided to stay indoors.
• Harry has to finish his chores before going out with her friends.

a) Helping Verbs

Helping verbs are used in conjunction with main verbs to express various tenses, moods, voices, and aspects in a sentence. They "help" the main verb convey more information about the action or state of being. 

Examples:

• She has completed her project.
• We will meet at the library after the dance class.
• The thief may have hidden in the closet.
• You should follow the traffic rules to be a good citizen.
• The students have been studying for the exam since morning.
• It might rain later in the day, better leave now.
• The builder is finalizing a strategy to construct a mall near the park.

b) Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are a type of auxiliary (helping) verbs that are used to express necessity, possibility, ability, permission or likelihood in a sentence. They add meaning to the main verb and help convey the speaker's attitude or the necessity of an action. 

Examples:

• The mountain climbers were determined to reach the summit, so they would not let anything deter them.
• You should be able to solve this intricate puzzle if you carefully analyze each piece.
• The students could have excelled in the exam if they had dedicated more time to their studies.
• To successfully launch the spacecraft, engineers must meticulously check and double-check every system.
• Wildlife conservationists might be able to save the endangered species.
• The athletes should refrain from excessive training to avoid the risk of long-term injuries.