Verbs: Action, State and Helping Words
What verbs are, what they do, and how their forms change
Try the situation first
A learner makes a clear choice about verbs: action, state and helping words while speaking or writing for a real audience.
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Practise with help
Answer: sketches
Sketches tells us what Asha does, so it is the verb.
Answer: seems
Seems links the room to the description quiet. It shows a state rather than a visible action.
Answer: Dev walks to class.
Dev is one person, so the present-simple verb takes -s: walks.
Check your understanding
Answer: Does Neha travel by bus?
After does, use the base form travel. Does carries the present-tense marking.
Answer: are waiting
Are is the helping verb and waiting is the main verb; together they form the verb phrase.
Answer: I believe your answer.
Believe usually describes a state of mind, so the simple form is natural here.
Answer: found
Has is followed by the past participle. Found is the past participle of find.
Complete a real-language task
Practise Verbs: Action, State and Helping Words
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