Assignment One: Circle the verbs in the following sentences. Put an LV above linking verbs, an IV above intransitive verbs, and a TV above transitive verbs. If the verb is linking, identify the type of predicate word; if the verb is transitive, identify the direct object(s).

1. The boys looked longingly at the beautiful model.

2. She looked baffled during the test.

3. I found a beautiful rock in the cave.

4. The river flowed unceasingly to the ocean.

5. During the summer I saw seven or eight movies.

Assignment Two Directions: Circle the linking verbs and underline the predicate words in the following sentences. Identify the predicate words as predicate adjectives or predicate nominatives.

1. That teacher looks weird.

2. Your performance at work has been outstanding.

3. One of the spectators in our row at the Mercury Games was the lucky winner.

4. Hello? This is she.

5. Over the summer you sure grew ugly.

6. Love is a mysterious thing.

7. The expectations of the professor have been consistent.

8. The teacher recognized that the new student was a genius.

9. Are you prepared for the test?

10. These dumplings taste delicious, mom, Sally said.

Assignment Three Directions: Identify all of the action verbs in the following sentences. Then label each action verb as transitive or intransitive.

1. We could have defeated the reigning champions, but we choked!

2. I have really enjoyed your class this year!

3. He fell off the chair and bumped his head.

4. He will be swimming in next weeks state championship meet.

5. They must have walked home from school together.

6. They should have already taken that test.

7. That teacher assigns way too much homework.

8. Joanne sings ballads beautifully but rockers too weakly.

ACTION OR LINKING?

Some verbs can be used in different ways. Notice how the verbs below can be used as either action verbs or linking verbs.

a. My mom suddenly appeared as I was lying to my sister. (intransitive)

The students appeared lost. (linking)

b. I looked for my keys. (intransitive)

My wife looked beautiful in her new dress. (linking)

c. The ding-dong of the bell sounded across the lonely town. (intransitive)

That new song by Brittany Spears sounds obnoxious. (linking)

d. I like to grow flowers in my garden. (transitive)

Those plums will grow foul if you leave them on the counter. (linking)

e. I felt lonely when my girlfriend broke up with me. (linking)

I felt the fabric to see if it would be soft enough. (transitive)

Assignment Four Directions: Circle and label each verb in the following sentences.

1. I tasted the cookie dough.

2. That new soda on the market tastes horrible.

3. I smelled the delicious aroma of my moms cookies.

4. The clerk smelled like a rotting fruit salad.

5. I looked foolish in front of the others.

6. The teacher looked for his graded pile of papers.

7. I appeared at her house unannounced.

8. She appears capable.

9. That answer sounds right.

10. That fateful response still sounds in my head.

HELPING VERBS

All sentences contain an action (transitive or intransitive) or linking verb. Some contain both; and some sentences also contain helping verbs. Helping verbs are usually used to give a verb a different tense (more on this later).

The two most common helping verbs are forms of the verbs to have and to be. The helping verb to have is used in participle forms of verbs. Many, but not all, of these participles end in ed or en. Examples follow:

I have played soccer for seven years now.

He has chosen two of us to be captains.

By the time the sun sets, we will have climbed to the top of the mountain.

I would have sung the introduction if I had not caught a sore throat.

The helping verb to be is only used with the progressive tenses of verbs. In other words, the verb to be is a helping verb only if the main verb has an

-ing suffix. Otherwise, the to be verb is a linking verb. Notice the examples below:

I will be walking to school at that time. (be is a helping verb)

I will be the winner. (be is a linking verb)

I had been studying hard before I decided to change my major. (been, a form of the verb to be, is a helping verb)

I have been sad about my grandfathers death for a long time. (been is a linking verb)

Other common helping verbs:

willmaydowouldmightcan

Doesshallcouldshouldmustdid

Assignment Five Directions: Circle the helping verbs and underline the main verbs in the sentences below. Identify the main verbs as transitive, intransitive, or linking. If the verb is transitive, also identify the direct object(s).

1. I will eat more ice cream later.

2. I should have studied for this test.

3. I may register for Calculus this semester.

4. My sister always does try her hardest.

5. We could be rich right now!

6. The hero must destroy the villain.

7. Should I have chosen a different vehicle?

SEPARATED PARTS OF A VERB

At times you will find words inserted between the parts of a verb. These words are not included in the verb. Study the following sentences. The parts of the verb are in bold print.

Cassie has never hassled Mr. Wenz.

My friends can not say anything intelligent.

The artist will gladly show you her work.

Some verbs are joined with other words to make contractions. When identifying verbs that appear in contractions, pick out only the verb. The word not and its contraction nt are adverbs. They are never verb parts. The verbs in the sentences below are in bold print.

Vernon didnt notice his brains disappearance.

The carpenter hadnt yet severed his finger.

Assignment Six Directions: Identify the verb phrases in the following sentences. Label the helping verbs with an H. Then label the main verbs as transitive (T), intransitive (I), or linking (L). Also identify any direct objects (DO).

1. The psychologists were gathering for their annual convention.

2. You havent ever needed electric shock treatment before.

3. We could often predict his psychotic episodes.

4. David has never seen such interesting mummies.

5. Summer vacation doesnt begin for eight months.

6. Someone must have disrupted my REM sleep.

7. Michelle, the creative one in the family, has carefully wrapped her fathers present in seaweed.

8. Your ideas will certainly delight the reading public.

9. Lincolns ghost doesnt usually arrive until well after midnight.

10. Most of the teams new players are overpaid babies with huge, undeserved contracts.

The Versatility of the be Verbs

Main Points:

1. A verb is only a verb if the subject does it or is it.

2. A be verb (is, am, are, was, were, be, been) is usually used as a linking verb but sometimes is used as a helping verb. If its used as a helping verb, the main verb will have an ing suffix 100% of the time. If a be verb ends in ing, then it is a linking verb with another be verb as a helping verb.

Examine the following sentence:

1. The hostages have been rescued!

In sentence #1, is rescued a verb? Why or why not?

Answer: The hostages are not doing the rescuing. They are in a state of being rescued. Therefore, rescued is a verb used as an adjective (which is called a participle). Sentences like this, in which the subject doesnt do the verb (or isnt performing the action of the sentence) are written in whats called the passive voice. Sentences in which the subject does or is the verb are written in the active voice. As a general rule, its preferable to limit the number of sentences you write in the passive voice.

Now examine the following sentence:

2. The hostages are being rescued!

In sentence #2, what are the verbs? What kind of verbs are they?

Answer: The verb are, which is a be verb, is here used as a helping verb. We know that because the main verb, being has an ing suffix. Since forms of the word be are never action verbs, the verb being in this sentence is the main verb and is a linking verb.

Assignment Seven Directions: Identify all verbs in the following sentences and label them as helping, linking, or action verbs. If the sentence contains a linking verb, identify the predicate word that is being linked back to the subject.

1. Joanne has been going with Nick for three months now.

2. When will you be going on vacation?

3. Joanne seems very upset with Nick.

4. The coaches have been very angry about Nicks rotten attitude.

5. Why is Nick being such an angel ?

Assignment Eight Directions: Identify whether the italicized word is used as an action verb, a linking verb, or as some other part of speech.

1. What a terrible smell!

2. Why does this room smell so bad?

3. Please smell that milk before drinking it.

4. You sound painfully hoarse!

5. Please sound out the word, Billy.

6. The sound of your voice is like silk caressing my ears.

7. Flowers grow best in spring.

8. As the movie reached its conclusion, I grew more and more weary.

9. You have shown amazing growth in your writing skills.

10. Please stay in the room until I return.

11. Stay quiet until all students have completed their tests.

12. The governor granted the convict a stay of execution.

13. The taste