Parse and Read to Find Verb Issues
Verbs...some verbs are very easy to recognize in a sentence (action verbs); however, there are other types of verbs (To Be, Linking, and Helping verbs) that tend to get overlooked by students. When you learn all of the types of verbs, you can then look at a sentence and try to break it down (parsing) to assure yourself that the sentence is constructed properly, with the correct grammatical usage.
Example: The dog run across the street.
First find your VERB.
This is an easy verb to find...an action verb: run.
OK. You've found the VERB. Now you need to find the subject of the sentence: the NOUN.
Ask yourself WHO or WHAT did that VERB.
WHO or WHAT ______ (VERB)?
WHO or WHAT RUN?
OK. You have the first two parts to figuring out if the combination of words is actually structured correctly as a sentence: NOUN and VERB
Have you figured it out?
Traditional grammar classifies words based on eight parts of speech: the verb, the noun, the pronoun, the adjective, the adverb, the preposition, the conjunction, and the interjection.
Each part of speech explains not what the word is, but how the word is used. In fact, the same word can be a noun in one sentence and a verb or adjective in another. The next examples show how the part of speech of a word can change from one sentence to the next. Following these examples is a series of sections on the individual parts of speech and an exercise.
The full definition of a VERB:
A VERB...is a WORD that ASSERTS an ACTION or SHOWS a STATE of BEING, LINKS two words TOGETHER, or HELPS another VERB.
The BREAK-DOWN of the Definition of a VERB:
A VERB...
· is a WORD that ASSERTS an ACTION
o Action verbs
· SHOWS a STATE of BEING)
o TO BE verbs: am, are, is, was, were, be, being, been
· LINKS two words TOGETHER
o Linking verbs: makes an assertion by join two verbs
· HELPS another VERB
o Helping verb: helps another verb assert action, being, or existence
Example: The dog run across the street.
First find your VERB.
This is an easy verb to find...an action verb: run.
OK. You've found the VERB. Now you need to find the subject of the sentence: the NOUN.
Ask yourself WHO or WHAT did that VERB.
WHO or WHAT ______ (VERB)?
WHO or WHAT RUN?
- DOG
- ...Dog run...
OK. You have the first two parts to figuring out if the combination of words is actually structured correctly as a sentence: NOUN and VERB
To figure out if this is a sentence, we need to know the definition of a sentence:
A sentence is complete when 5 simple rules it meets:
- has a subject
- has a verb
- makes sense with every single word
- has a capital letter
- and an end-mark
OK....so back to our example: The DOG RUN across the street.
Let's see what we have so far.
A sentence is complete when 5 simple rules it meets:
has a subjecthas a verb- makes sense with every single word
has a capital letterand an end-mark
We have found the subject (noun = dog) of the sentence, the verb (action verb = run) that relates to the subject, and we have checked the word combination for a capital letter and end-mark. OK. Great! 4 of the 5 are working correctly so far.
Now we need to see if the sentence 'makes sense'.
OK....so back to our example: The DOG RUN across the street.
- The word combination ...across the street...is a prepositional phrase (it tells us WHERE or the POSITION of something).
- So the DOG is completing the action verb ...across the street.
- Great! That makes sense.
- The word 'The' is an article adjective...meaning that it is a modifier for a noun.
- "The" modifies the noun DOG.
- Great! That makes sense.
- OK. Now to make sure that the VERB is in the correct tense (present, past, future) and/or number (singular or plural): The DOG RUN...
- DOG is singular; therefore, the verb (RUN) has to be singular.
- So is the VERB RUN singular?
- Does it 'sound' right?
- It sounds weird, right? Can you 'hear' that.
Let's work through some samples and a definition, though, before we make a final decision.
Grammar Revolution works through Grammar and Sentence Structure--in a FABULOUS WAY--and here are the samples Elizabeth (from Grammar Revolution) shows to help readers with Subject/Verb Agreement (number):
Have you figured it out?
The word RUN is a plural VERB.
The word DOG is a singular NOUN.
Oh no! These don't match up!! Singular Noun (Dog) and Plural Verb (Run)
- You have to use a plural subject with a plural verb and a singular subject with a singular verb.
- According to the 'rules,' you would use the plural VERB RUN for a plural subject NOUN DOGS
- The DOGS RUN...
- According to the 'rules,' you would use the singular VERB RUNS for a singular subject NOUN DOG
- The DOG RUNS...
Therefore, as this sample is written...
The DOG RUN across the street.
...this is not a sentence since it does not make complete sense. Wow! One little word in the wrong word "number" turned this combination of words into a fragment.
VERBS are really THAT important to your writing.
It is very common for students to use incorrect subject/verb agreement as well as incorrect verb tense in their writings when they do not take the time to 'listen' to what they have written and work through some simple steps (above) to make sure the word combinations actually create a complete sentence.
When students do not properly REVISE and EDIT, this can cause extreme grammatical issues, resulting in loss of points in the assignment.
Please take a moment to go through the Grammar Revolution FREE program page and see what she has in store for your grammar-future! If you take it lesson-by-lesson, it is a simple and pain-free approach to reclaiming your childhood education in English Grammar.
Wouldn't you LOVE that??? To reclaim your English education? To no longer feel worried and incompetent when writing, revising, and editing?
It will all make sense...one lesson at a time. Give it a try. You won't regret it!
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The Parts of Speech
Each part of speech explains not what the word is, but how the word is used. In fact, the same word can be a noun in one sentence and a verb or adjective in another. The next examples show how the part of speech of a word can change from one sentence to the next. Following these examples is a series of sections on the individual parts of speech and an exercise.
| Example | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Books are made of ink, paper and glue. | In this sentence, books is a noun, the subject of the sentence. |
| Joe waits patiently while Bridget books the tickets. | Here books is a verb and its subject is Bridget. |
| We walk down the street. | In this sentence, walk is a verb and its subject is the pronoun we. |
| The letter carrier stood on the walk. | In this example, walk is a noun that is part of a prepositional phrase describing where the letter carrier stood. |
| The town council decided to build a new jail. | Here jail is a noun, which is the object of the infinitive phrase to build. |
| The police officer told us that if we did not leave immediately he would jail us. | Here jail is part of the compound verb would jail. |
| The parents heard high-pitched cries in the middle of the night. | In this sentence, cries is a noun acting as the direct object of the verb heard. |
| Their colicky baby cries all night long and all day long. | Here cries is a verb that describes the actions of the subject of the sentence, i.e. the baby. |
The next sections explain each of the parts of speech in detail.
When you have finished looking at them, you might want to test yourself by trying the exercise.
The details...
© Department of English, Faculty of Arts, University of Ottawa, 2019
Content available at https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2guides/guides/hyper/index-eng.html?lang=eng&page=theparts1.html&comencsrch.x=11&comencsrch.y=11 for educational purposes.
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