verb /vɜːb $ vɜːrb/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: verbe , from Latin verbum 'word, verb' ]
a word or group of words that describes an action, experience, or state, such as ‘come’, ‘see’, and ‘put on’
⇨ ↑ auxiliary verb , ↑ linking verb , ↑ modal verb , ↑ phrasal verb
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COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ transitive (=needing an object)
'Produce' is a transitive verb.
▪ intransitive (=not needing an object)
'Bleed' is an intransitive verb.
▪ regular/irregular (=following a regular pattern, or not following one)
Spend time learning the forms of irregular verbs.
▪ active (=having the person or thing doing the action as the subject)
Active verbs make your writing lively, personal and direct.
▪ passive (=having the person or thing that the action is done to as the subject)
Passive verbs may be necessary, but use them sparingly.
▪ singular/plural (=showing whether the subject is one thing or person or more)
The third person singular is 'lies'.
▪ finite (=showing tense and person)
'Was' is a finite verb.
▪ the main verb
If a sentence does not have a main verb, it is not a full sentence.
▪ an auxiliary verb (=a verb that is used with another verb to show its tense, person, etc. In English these are 'be', 'do', and 'have')
▪ a linking verb ( also copula ) (=a verb that connects the subject of a sentence with a word that describes the subject, for example 'seem' in the sentence 'the house seems big')
▪ a modal verb (=a verb that is used with other verbs to express ideas such as possibility, permission, or intention. In English, these verbs are 'can', 'could', 'may', 'might', 'shall', 'should', 'will', 'would', 'must', 'ought to', 'used to', 'need', and 'had better')
▪ a phrasal verb (=a group of words that is used like a verb and consists of a verb with an adverb or preposition after it, for example 'set off' or 'look after')
■ verbs
▪ a verb agrees with the subject
In Arabic, all verbs agree with their subjects in gender and number.
▪ a verb inflects (=has different forms showing tense)
In Old English, verbs were highly inflected.
■ verb + NOUN
▪ a verb form
You have to choose the appropriate verb form.
▪ a verb ending (=the end part of a verb, which changes to show tense or person)
"-ed" is a regular past tense verb ending.
■ phrases
▪ the subject of a verb (=a noun, pronoun etc that performs the action of the verb or about which something is stated)
In the sentence 'I like pizza.', "I" is the subject of the verb.
▪ the object of a verb (=a noun, pronoun etc that an action is done to)
"The ball" is the object of the verb in "I hit the ball."