Verbs
Review and Practice

Verbs

Verbs are one of the eight parts of speech in English. They are important because they are one of the necessary, required components for all sentences.

Watch this video explanation with examples:

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Practice: Understanding Definitions and Examples

Practice: Identifying Verbs

Identifying Action Verbs

First, read the following paragraph about minerals from Wikipedia.

Dietary minerals are the chemical elements required by living organisms, other than the four elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen that are present in nearly all organic molecules. The term "mineral" is archaic, since the intent is to describe simply the less common elements in the diet. Some are heavier than the four just mentioned, including several metals, which often occur as ions in the body. Some dietitians recommend that these be supplied from foods in which they occur naturally, or at least as complex compounds, or sometimes even from natural inorganic sources (such as calcium carbonate from ground oyster shells). Some minerals are absorbed much more readily in the ionic forms found in such sources. On the other hand, minerals are often artificially added to the diet as supplements; the most famous is likely iodine in iodized salt which prevents goiter.

from "Nutrition." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 22 July 2004. Web. 27 Nov. 2012.

Next, for each of the following sentences, identify the action verb.

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Review: Helping Verbs

Access a reference list of helping verbs here.

Simple Helping Verbs

Simple helping verbs are always combined with a main verb. They are:

can

could

will

would

shall

should

may

might

must

ought to

Examples:

She must do her homework. (Here "must" is the helping verb, which is combined with the main verb "do" to form the complete verb.)

I might read the newspaper today. (Here "might" is the helping verb, which is combined with the main verb "read" to form the complete verb.)

Regular Helping Verbs

Regular helping verbs sometimes act as a helping verb and sometimes act as a main verb in a sentence.

These are forms of "to be," "to have," and "to do"

to be

Present

Past

Past Participle

Present Participle

are

was

were

been

being

to have

Present

Past

Past Participle

Present Participle

have

has

had

having

to do

Present

Past

Past Participle

Present Participle

does

did

done

doing

Examples:

Francesca is running a marathon. (Here "is" acts as a helping verb and is combined with "running" to form the complete verb.)

She is so fit! (Here "is" acts as the main verb with no other verb in the sentence.)

Practice: Identifying Helping Verbs

First, read the following excerpt about protein from Wikipedia.

Proteins are the basis of many animal body structures (e.g. muscles, skin, and hair). They also form the enzymes that control chemical reactions throughout the body. Each molecule is composed of amino acids, which are characterized by inclusion of nitrogen and sometimes sulphur (these components are responsible for the distinctive smell of burning protein, such as the keratin in hair). The body requires amino acids to produce new proteins (protein retention) and to replace damaged proteins (maintenance). As there is no protein or amino acid storage provision, amino acids must be present in the diet. Excess amino acids are discarded, typically in the urine. For all animals, some amino acids are essential (an animal cannot produce them internally) and some are non-essential (the animal can produce them from other nitrogen-containing compounds). About twenty amino acids are found in the human body, and about ten of these are essential and, therefore, must be included in the diet. A diet that contains adequate amounts of amino acids (especially those that are essential) is particularly important in some situations: during early development and maturation, pregnancy, lactation, or injury (a burn, for instance). A complete protein source contains all the essential amino acids; an incomplete protein source lacks one or more of the essential amino acids.

It is possible to combine two incomplete protein sources (e.g. rice and beans) to make a complete protein source, and characteristic combinations are the basis of distinct cultural cooking traditions. However, complementary sources of protein don't need to be eaten at the same meal to be used together by the body.[27] Sources of dietary protein include meats, tofu and other soy-products, eggs, legumes, and dairy products such as milk and cheese. Excess amino acids from protein can be converted into glucose and used for fuel through a process called gluconeogenesis. The amino acids remaining after such conversion are discarded.

from "Nutrition." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 22 July 2004. Web. 27 Nov. 2012.

Next, identify the complete verb in the following sentences. Helping verbs may be used.

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More Practice: Identifying Verbs

First, read the following excerpt about vitamins from Wikipedia.

As with the minerals discussed above, some vitamins are recognized as essential nutrients, necessary in the diet for good health. (Vitamin D is the exception: it can be synthesized in the skin, in the presence of UVB radiation.) Certain vitamin-like compounds that are recommended in the diet, such as carnitine, are thought useful for survival and health, but these are not "essential" dietary nutrients because the human body has some capacity to produce them from other compounds. Moreover, thousands of different phytochemicals have recently been discovered in food (particularly in fresh vegetables), which may have desirable properties including antioxidant activity (see below); however, experimental demonstration has been suggestive but inconclusive. Other essential nutrients that are not classified as vitamins include essential amino acids (see above), choline, essential fatty acids (see above), and the minerals discussed in the preceding section.

Vitamin deficiencies may result in disease conditions, including goitre, scurvy, osteoporosis, impaired immune system, disorders of cell metabolism, certain forms of cancer, symptoms of premature aging, and poor psychological health (including eating disorders), among many others.[31] Excess levels of some vitamins are also dangerous to health (notably vitamin A), and for at least one vitamin, B6, toxicity begins at levels not far above the required amount. Deficient or excess levels of minerals can also have serious health consequences.

from "Nutrition." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 22 July 2004. Web. 27 Nov. 2012.

Next, identify the complete verb in the following sentences.

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Last, try this sorting game to review.