Classification of Verbs<?

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Lexical Verb or Main Verb:
A main verb is also known as a lexical verb. The main verb in a verb phrase is the word that expresses the
activity, event and feeling etc. that is being described in the sentence. All main verbs are either action
verb or linking verbs.
He plays football.
Sumeet is reading a novel.
Action Verb:
A verb may describe an action or activity, or an event or happening. The word 'verb' comes from
Latin word - 'verbum' means word. An action verb may equally describe a mental process such as
thinking, knowing or wanting:
Remember, forget, fear, suspect, wonder, need.
An action verb may also describe something that happens to a person or thing: Get, receive and sustain
etc.
To find out the action verb in a sentence, ask yourself which word describes what someone or something
is doing or thinking or what is happening. There are two kinds of action verb:
i) Transitive Verb
ii) Intransitive Veb
Transitive Verb:
A lexical verb that has a direct object is a transitive verb. Some transitive verbs have both a direct object
and an indirect object. Transitive comes from Latin word 'transire' meaning 'to go across'. The action of
the verb 'goes across' from the subject of the verb to the direct object of the verb: e.g.
I like cows.
It is further divided into three classes.
Mono transitive verbs:
Mono transitive verbs have only one object, a direct object.
For example: I know the answer.
Di transitive verbs:
Di transitive verbs have two objects, a direct object and an indirect object.
I told him (indirect) the answer. (direct)
Complex Transitive Verbs:
Complex transitive verbs have a direct object and a complement (a word or phrase that says something
about the direct object.)
They have painted their house purple. (complement)
I will prove you wrong.
Intransitive Verb:
A lexical verb that has neither a complement nor a direct object is an intransitive verb. All intransitive
berbs are action verbs. e.g. :
My brother never smokes in the house.
Some verb can be transitive, intransitive and linking verbs.
She could smell the smoke. (Transitive Verb)
The rose smells sweet. (Linking verb)
Your feet smell. (intransitive)
Linking Verb:
Some verbs don't describe actions, thoughts, events etc. but are used in description of what someone or
something is or what they are like. Such verbs are known as linking verb. It is also known as an intensive
verb or a copula, a Latin word, meaning 'link' between subject and complement. The main linking verbs
in English are:
Appear, be, become, feel, get, grow, keep, look, make, prove, remain, seem, smell, sound, stay, taste and
turn etc. e. g.
The soup smells good.
The verbs appear, prove and seem are often followed by to be.
She was proved to be wise.
Auxiliary Verb:
An auxiliary verb is a verb that is used along with a main verb to make different tenses or to express ideas
such as possibility, necessity and permission. There are two kinds of these verbs:
Primary auxiliaries :- be, have and do. They can act both as lexical verbs and as auxiliary verb:
I have a new car.
I have bought a new car.
Modal auxiliaries :-
can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should and must. They are followed by bare infinitive whereas
Lexical verbs are followed by to infinitives:
I want to know what happened.
I do like ice cream.
We should work hard.
Reflexive Verb:
When the object of a transitive verb is a reflexive pronoun such as himself, myself or ourselves, the verb
is sometimes called a reflexive verb. It comes from Latin word 'reflectere' means 'to bend back'. The
action of the verb 'bends back' to the subject of the verb, that is to say, it is something that the subject of
the verb does to himself or herself.
He warmed himself at the fire.
Have you ever asked yourself that question?
Performative Verb:
These verbs describe actions that are actually performed by using the verb itself in a sentence (such as
promise, swear, apologize, thank, confess. e.g.
I promise I will do there.
I swear to speak the truth.
I apologize for the delay.
We thank you for your recent letter.
I confess I had forgotten all about our arrangement to meet up with them.
Strong Verb:
Verbs that form their past tenses and past participles by changing the vowel of the stem or by
adding -n are called strong verbs.
Arise arose arisen,

Weak Verb:
Verbs that form their past tenses and past participles by adding -ed, -d and -t are known as weak verb.
Phrasal verb:
A phrasal verb is an expression that consists of lexical verbs plus an adverb or a preposition or both an
adverb and a preposition.
 With adverb:

away, back, by, down, off, on and out. For example:

Sit down
Go away
Get back the papers.
 With prepositions:

At, by, for, into, of, on and with. For example:

He broke into the house.
What are you looking for?
 With adverb and prepositions:

Put up with, run out of, go in for, do away with. The adverbs (up, out, in, along, through, away)
always precede the prepositon (such as with, of , for).
I can't put up with you.
I have run out of money.
If the direct object is a noun or noun phrase, it may stand either behind or in front of the adverb.

e.g. Hand over the money. or Hand the money over.

If the direct object is a pronoun, it must come between the verb and the adverb. e.g.

Of course, we'll come and see you off at the station.

An indirect object always comes between the verb and the adverb. e.g.
 Give me back my pencil.
If there are two objects, the indirect object precedes the direct object. e.g.

Please give me it back.

Verb Phrase:
A verb phrase is a group of two or more words that have the same function as a single verb in a sentence.
Be (is, am, are, was, were) + V1+ing, (Has, have, had) + V3
I am reading a book. Mrs. Revathi has taught us well.
A verb phrase can also be analysed in terms of finite and non-finite verbs. It consists of a finite
verb plus one or more non-finite verbs. e.g.
She is (finite verb) singing (non-finite verb).
She has (finite verb) been (non-finite verb) singing (non-finite verb).
Finite verb:
Any verb that change, or that may change, in form to match its subject or to indicate present, past
or future is a finite verb. It is said to agree with its subject. This is known as agreement or concord. e.g.
She teaches English.
We teach English.
In verb phrases, it is the auxiliary verb that is the finite verb. e.g.
He is going to school.
They are going to school.
Although modal auxiliary verbs are finite verbs and change to indicate reference to the past, the present or
the future, they don't, unlike other finite verbs, change in form to agree with their subject. e.g.
He can go tomorrow.
They can go tomorrow.
They could not go last week.
Verbs that express wishes or commands are also considered finite verb, even though, they don't change in
form to agree with their subject, and infect usually don't have a subject expressed in the sentence at all.
e.g.
Don't touch him.
Non-finite verb:
They don't change in form to agree with a subject, or to indicate past, present and future:
He is working hard.
I am working hard.
He was working hard.
An infinitive need not always follow an auxiliary verbs, it may also follow a lexical verb. But note that
while an auxiliary verb is followed by a bare infinitive (V1), a lexical verb is usually followed by a to +
V1. But lexical verb 'let' always followed by bare infinitive (V1).
He will come with us.
He wants to come with us.
Let them come in.
Adjective and nouns are sometimes followed by to + V1. e.g.:
I am very glad to see you.
It is time to take tea.
Kinds of non-finite Verb:
Infinitive:
Infinitives are often used after other verbs. A modal verb is followed by a bare infinitive and a lexical
verb is followed by to infinitive:
• We can go. We want to go. They like to sing.
Gerund (Verbal Noun):
Verbal nouns or gerunds have the same form as present participles, but behave as nouns rather than verbs.
For example, a verbal noun can act as the subject or object in a sentence:
• Playing football is good for you.
• I hate telling lies.
Participle:
Present participles are used to form continuous tenses while past participle are used in the formation of
perfect tenses and passive constructions:
• I am coming. I have gone. He was caught.