1.1 Useful Things to Remember about Verbs

1. 1.1 USEFUL THINGS TO
REMEMBER ABOUT VERBS
Page 4

2. A. TWO KINDS OF VERBS:
VERBS
HELPING VERBS MAIN VERBS

3. A. TWO KINDS OF VERBS:
The English language has main verbs
and helping verbs.
1. Children learn languages easily.
2. Languages are always changing.
3. Many languages have disappeared.
4. How can I improve my language
abilities?

4. A. TWO KINDS OF VERBS:
We describe states, actions and events
with main verbs:
1. Children learn languages easily.
2. Languages are always changing.
3. Many languages have disappeared.
4. How can I improve my language
abilities?

5. A. TWO KINDS OF VERBS:
Helping verbs primarily give
grammatical information. We use
helping verbs together with main
verbs:
1. Children learn languages easily.
2. Languages are always changing.
3. Many languages have disappeared.
4. How I improve my language

6. A. TWO KINDS OF VERBS:
For a list of irregular verbs,
see the Resources, page R-
3.

7. B: COMPARE MAIN VERBS AND
HELPING VERBS:
We can use the verbs be, do and have as
either main verbs or helping verbs:
5a No one is here. 5b No one is coming
here.
6a Somebody did all
the work.
6b Did you do
anything yesterday?
7a We have plenty of
time.
7b I haven’t seen
them all day.

8. B: COMPARE MAIN VERBS AND
HELPING VERBS:
Main verbs:
5a No one is here. 5b No one is coming
here.
6a Somebody did all
the work.
6b Did you do
anything yesterday?
7a We have plenty of
time.
7b I haven’t seen
them all day.

9. B: COMPARE MAIN VERBS AND
HELPING VERBS:
Helping verbs:
5a No one is here. 5b No one is coming
here.
6a Somebody did all
the work.
6b Did you do
anything yesterday?
7a We have plenty of
time.
7b I haven’t seen
them all day.

10. B: COMPARE MAIN VERBS AND
HELPING VERBS:
Grammar Terms:
Helping verbs
are also
called
auxiliary
Main verbs
are also
called lexical
verbs.

11. C. CLAUSES:
A clause is a group of
sentences with a subject
and a verb. A sentence can
have one or more clauses,
but each clause needs a
main verb.

12. C. CLAUSES:
8 I need a new computer. (one clause)
9 I need a new computer, but I can’t
afford it. (two clauses)
10 When you study, you should turn
off the TV. (two clauses)
11 I don’t know what she wants, but
I’m going to find out. (three clauses)

13. D. VERBS WITH MORE THAN ONE
MEANING
Many main verbs have more than one
meaning:
12 How far can you
run?
Run = go quickly on
foot
13 He runs a
restaurant.
Run = manage
14 This road runs Run = extend; reach