Verbs again

Charles Dube

WHEN learners hear the word “verbs” they are excited and take learning about them as the easiest of all tasks.

However, learners should know that verbs are crucial — without them, you would not have a sentence that makes any sense.

What learners should also know is that verbs agree with their subject, this can mean a change in spelling. Remember last week we emphasised the need for correct spelling to maximise marks in writing.

In sentence construction there is much emphasis on subject verb agreement — where there is no subject verb agreement means the sentence is incorrect.

Learners are excited with the mere definition of verbs as doing words with other additional information.

For example, at times verbs are defined as “doing” or “being” words. There are two types of verbs — “doing” verbs, which describe an action, and “being” verbs which describe a state of being.

Every sentence has to have a verb. This meal is tasty. The verb in this sentence is “is”.

This is a being word — being words tell you how something is. He jumped over the fence. Jumped is a verb.

It is a “doing” word — “doing words” tell you what happens.

Verbs must always agree with their subject (the person or thing doing the action). If they do not agree, the sentence will not make sense. Some verbs change depending on their subject.

Singular subjects need a singular form of the verb, and plural subjects need a plural form of the verb.

A farmer grows crops. A “farmer” is the subject because he (or she) is doing the action.

A farmer grows crops. The verb is “grows”. It is singular. Farmers grow crops. The subject here is “Farmers” — there is more than one person, so this is plural. Farmers grow crops. The verb “grow” is plural” to match the subject.

Closely linked with verbs are tenses.

The tense of the verb tells you when it happens. Verbs can be in the past tense, the present tense or the future tense.

The snake bit the boy — past tense or the snake has bitten the boy.

The snake bites the boy present tense or the snake is biting the boy.

The snake will bite the boy.— future tense — The snake will be biting the boy. Just like verbs, people take the present tense for granted yet there is need for them to form it properly.

Regular verbs follow a pattern in the present tense.

The present tense is easy to form — most of the regular verbs do not change. The verb only changes when the subject is he, she or it. Then you add an “-s” to the end of the verb.

Examples: to walk — I walk, you walk, we walk, they walk, or he walks, she walks, it walks or to play — I play, you play, we play, they play, he plays, she plays, and it plays. Regular verbs simply add “-ed” in the past tense.

There is a couple of trickier things you need to learn about the present tense.

Learn the most common irregular verbs. A lot of verbs do not follow the regular present tense pattern — these are called irregular verbs.

Here are two of the most common ones: Verb — to be: I am, You “singular” are, He is, She is, It is, We are, You “plural” are and They are. Verb — to have: I have, You “singular” have, He has, She has, It has,

We have, You “plural” have and They have.

For some verbs you need to add “-es”. Some verbs are slightly irregular — you need to do more to them than just add “-s” when the subject is “he”, “she” or “it”.

You need to add “-es” to these verbs: She does, he watches, it does..

The past tense is like the present tense, except that it talks about things that have already happened. Regular verbs add “-ed” to form the simple past.

Lots of verbs form the simple past by adding “-ed” to the end.

Examples of such verbs: walk — walked, stay — stayed, believe — believed. Verbs ending in “e” just add “-d” on the end to form the simple past tense.

Cry — cried — verbs ending in “Y” replace “y” with “i” and add “-ed”.

Irregular verbs do not follow the “-ed” rule. Not all verbs add “-ed” — lots of verbs in the simple past are irregular.

Here are some common ones: changing verbs to the simple past: to do — did, to have, had, to see — saw, to sleep — slept, to think — thought, to make — made, to fight — fought, to came — came, to get — got, to wear — wore, to be — was/ were, to go — went, to take — took, to eat — ate, to steal — stole, and to buy — bought.

Not all verbs change when you form the simple past tense — some stay the same.

Examples: cut remains cut in the simple past tense, hurt — hurt, put — put, cost — cost, hit — hit, set — set, and let to mention a few.

The topic reads verbs again because learners continue to face challenges here and there.

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