16 Verb and its Types | Download Detailed Lesson

What is a Verb? A verb is a doing word. It expresses some action. In the following examples, the verbs are given in bold font.

• I teach English.
• She eats bread.

Types of Verb

What are the types of verbs? These are the basic types of verbs. These types of verbs are very important for those who want to improve their grammar mistakes in English.

1. Lexical Verbs
2. DE lexical Verbs
3. Stative/Being Verbs
4. Non-Continuous Verbs
5. Auxiliary/Helping Verbs
6. Modal Verbs
7. Linking Verbs/COPULA
8. Regular Verbs/Weak Verbs
9. Irregular Verbs/Strong Verbs
10. Transitive Verbs
11. Intransitive Verbs
12. Ergative Verbs
13. Phrasal Verbs 
14. Reflexive Verbs
15. Finite Verbs
16. Infinite/Non-Finite Verbs

Types of Verb – Video

In this video verbs and their types are explained briefly with examples.

Verb and its Types

Action or Dynamic Verbs

Action verbs show a physical or mental action.

Example:

• I Kicked the football into the goal.
• The dog ran across the road.
• She wept bitterly.
• He sings a song.

Lexical Verbs

Lexical verbs carry their full meanings. They give real information. They do not rely on other words to convey their meanings. They are also termed the main verbs or full verbs. They stand in contrast with de-lexical verbs that convey only a partial meaning. They also stand in contrast with auxiliary verbs that convey only the grammatical meanings.

Examples:

• She cried loudly.
• She laughed softly.
• De-lexical Verbs

De-lexical verbs

De-lexical verbs have very little meaning of their own. They rely on the following nouns to convey clear meanings. Some common de-lexical verbs are: take, make, have, give, etc.

Examples:

• I took a shower.
• I had a drink.
• He gave a loud laugh.
• She made a noise.

Static/Being Verbs

Static verbs describe a state rather than an action. They are not usually used in the present continuous form. A few such verbs are:

Be, have, like, prefer, understand, belong, doubt, love, hate, know, want, need, own, see, hear, smell, believe, remember, etc.

Examples:

• She is a good reader.
• He seems to be sad.
• I like swimming.
• Moon belongs to a noble family.

Note: Some verbs can be used both as Stative verbs and action verbs. Some such verbs are: have, think, feel, look, smell, taste.

For Example:

• I have a Jeep. (used as a static verb)
• I am having a bath. (used as a static verb)
• I think you are a good player in hockey. (used as a static verb)
• I am thinking about buying a car. (used as a static verb)
• She looks busy. (used as a static verb)

Non-Continuous verbs

Non-continuous verbs are used in continuous form. They are not used in progressive tenses. They are short of Stative verbs. They tell us about some states, not an action. Some such verbs are:

Be, want, cost, seem, need, care, contain, owe, exist, possess, own, belong, like, love, hate, dislike, fear, envy, mind, etc.

Auxiliary Verbs / Helping Verbs

Auxiliary verbs precede the main verbs. They express grammatical meanings only. They help the main verbs to express their mood, tense, or voice. Some common auxiliary verbs are: be, do, have, etc.

Examples:

• He is reading a book.
• She was waiting for his brother.
• We have eaten breakfast.

Modal verbs

Modal verbs are a kind of helping verbs. They show the mood of a verb such as ability, possibility, obligation, permission, advice, or some other mood.

These verbs always come before the main verb. Modal verbs are can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must, and ought to.

Examples:

• I can win the race.
• You should have a walk daily.

 

Linking verbs/Copula

A verb that joins the subject to a complement. Here are some common linking verbs:

Be seem, look, feel, taste, smell, sound, grow, remain, prove to stay, etc.

Examples:

• She is happy.
• She looks sad.

Regular Verbs/ Weak Verbs

Regular verbs form their past simple and past particle by adding “-ed” to their base form; For example, laugh-laughed-laughed; look-looked-looked.

Examples:

infinitives	Simple Present	Past simple V2	Past Particle V3	Present Participle
To advise	Advise	Advised	Advised	Advising
To allow	Allow	Allowed	Allowed	Allowing
To enjoy	Enjoy	Enjoyed	Enjoyed	Enjoying
To rain	Rain	Rained	Rained	Raining
To smile	Smile	Smiled	Smiled	Smiling

Irregular Verbs/ Strong Verbs

Irregular Verb forms their past simple and past participle in different ways; for example, buy-bought-bought, eat-ate-eaten.

Examples:

infinitives	Simple Present	Past simple V2	Past Particle V3	Present Participle
To know	Know	Knew	Known	Knowing
To go	Go	Gone	Gone	Going
To drink	Drink	Drank	Drunk	Drinking
To hold	Hold	Held	Held	Holding
To write	Write	Wrote	Written	Writing

Transitive Verbs

A verb that takes a direct object is a transitive verb.

Examples:

• She does his duty.
• she learns her lesson.

Intransitive verbs

A verb that does not take a direct object is an intransitive verb.

Examples:

• He runs fast.
• He walks slowly.

 

Ergative verbs

Many verbs function as transitive as well as intransitive verbs. A verb that can be either transitive or intransitive is called an ergative verb. In the following examples the verb, ‘Leave’ is an ergative verb.

Examples:

• The bus left early in the morning.

(There is no object in this sentence; therefore, the verb ‘left’ functions as an intransitive verb here.)

Phrasal verbs

A phrasal verb is a verb followed by a particle. The article could be a preposition or an adverb. It creates a meaning totally different from the original verb.

Examples:

• She has got a job.
• She gets up early in the morning.

Reflexive Verb

A verb that takes a reflexive pronoun as its object is a reflexive verb.

Examples:

• Be careful, you may cut yourself.

Here ‘yourself’ is a reflexive pronoun and cut is a reflexive verb.

Finite Verbs

A finite verb must have a subject. It is the main verb in an independent clause or a sentence. Finite verbs give information about gender, person, number, tenses, aspect, mood, and voice.

Examples:

Finite verbs are bold and infinite verbs are in underline form.

• A verb is needed in every sentence.
• I am explaining finite and non-finite verbs.

In English, there can be just one finite verb at the root of each clause; whereas the number of non-finite verbs can reach up to six or even more.

i.e. He is believed to have been asked to get himself medically checked.

Infinitive/Non-Infinite verb

A non-finite verb is also called an infinite verb. It does not have a subject. It does not express tenses or numbers. It cannot be the main verb in an independent clause. Unlike a finite verb, it typically works as an infinitive, participle, and gerund.

Example:

This particular sentence contains one finite verb underlined and multiple infinite verbs bolded.

• What did Imran want to have done about Hashem?

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