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- by R. S.
Karunaratne
Forms of the
verb
Parts of speech:
According to grammarians, there are four forms of the verb. Study the
following table and pay attention to the verb endings under each form.
|
Mother cuts vegetable to cook. |
Present Present Past Past
Tense Participle Tense Participle
awake awaking awoke awakened
bear bearing bore borne
beat beating beat beaten
become becoming became become
began beginning began begun
bend bending bent bent
bind binding bound bound
bite biting bit bitten
bleed bleeding bled bled
The Past Tense and Past Participle of some Verbs remain unchanged:
Present Present Past Past
Tense Participle Tense Participle
burst bursting burst burst
cast casting cast cast
cost costing cost cost
cut cutting cut cut
hit hitting hit hit
hurt hurtingq hurt hurt
let letting let let
put putting put put
read reading read read
rid ridding rid rid
set setting set set
We can form Verbs from Nouns and Adjectives by adding "en -, - en, be-,
-ize etc.
or by changing the inside vowels.
Nouns and Verbs Nouns and Verbs
Adjectives Adjectives
able enable camp encamp
actor act cheap cheapen
angry anger circle encircle
bath bathe civil civilize
beauty beautify clean cleanse
belief believe clear clarify
black blacken cloth clothe
blood bleed colony colonize
bright brighten company accompany
There are six basic Verb patterns in English.
|
She is a seamstress. |
1. Linking verb with subject complement.
He is a teacher.
She is a seamstress.
Arjun was a soldier.
They were players.
You are a student.
2. Verbs with one object.
I want a pen.
Mala cleans her teeth.
Subashini drinks water.
Lakmal hit her brother.
She won a prize.
3. Verbs with object + verb.
The government wants Prabhakaran to surrender.
She bought a kite to fly.
Father hired a car to visit his mother.
Mother cuts vegetable to cook.
4. Verbs with two objects.
Indrani gave her sister some money.
The teacher taught me English.
5. Verbs with object and object complement.
Jayasena found the job difficult.
6. Verbs without object or complement.
The baby slept.
Susila laughed.
The gate opened.
The wind blows.
The Sun shines.
(Next Adverbs)
Quick quiz
Match each word in column ‘A’ with its definition in column ‘B’.
Check your answers with the solution.
Match each word in column ‘A’ with its definition in column ‘B’. Check your answers with the solution.
1. flavour a. to search a place thoroughly
2. outcry b. lasting for a very short time
3. sidekick c. fresh and green
4. spectacle d. truth
5. toxic e. speed
6. touchy f. taste and smell
7. synthetic g. bushes and small trees
8. ransack h. a place where a blacksmith works
9. scurry i. to live a dull life
10. scrub j. to make sure
11. shaggy k. poisonous
12. smithy l. good for one’s health
13. straightaway m. to move very quickly
14. unkempt n. damp areas of land
15. visage o. artificial
16. weeny p. a grand public display
17. wetlands q. tiny
18. zoom r. a person’s face
19. wholesome s. a strong public protest
20. verify t. not kept tidy
21. vegetate u. to run with short quick steps
22. velocity v. immediately
23. veracity w. long, thick and untidy
24. verdant x. easily offended
25. ephemeral y. close companion
Solution:
1. f, 2. s, 3. y, 4. p, 5. k, 6. x, 7. o, 8. a, 9. u, 10. g, 11. w,
12. h, 13. v, 14. t, 15. r, 16. q, 17. n, 18. m, 19. l, 20. j, 21. i,
22. e, 23. d, 24. c, 25. b. |
