Transitive vs Intransitive
Transitive Verbs: Require a direct object to complete their meaning.
Examples: "She ate an apple" (apple = object)
eat
love
build
write
give
make
Intransitive Verbs: Do not require a direct object; they stand alone.
Examples: "She ran" OR "He slept"
run
sleep
laugh
arrive
die
sit
Stative vs Non-Stative (Dynamic)
Stative Verbs: Describe a state or condition that remains constant. Cannot be used in continuous tense.
Examples: "I like coffee" (NOT "I am liking")
be
have
like
love
own
believe
know
Non-Stative (Dynamic) Verbs: Describe actions or changes. Can be used in continuous tense.
Examples: "I am running" OR "She is cooking"
run
jump
cook
build
eat
write
Regular vs Irregular
Regular Verbs: Form past tense by adding "-ed" to the base form.
Examples: play → played, walk → walked, talk → talked
play → played
walk → walked
talk → talked
open → opened
want → wanted
Irregular Verbs: Do not follow standard rules; they change in unique ways.
Examples: go → went → gone, eat → ate → eaten, be → was/were → been
go → went
eat → ate
be → was
have → had
do → did
see → saw
Finite vs Non-Finite
Finite Verbs: Have a subject and show tense (past, present, future).
Examples: "She walks to school" OR "They walked yesterday"
Non-Finite Verbs: Do not have a subject and don't show tense. Include infinitives, gerunds, and participles.
Examples: "To walk is exercise" OR "Walking is fun" OR "The running man"
Reflexive Verbs
Reflexive Verbs: The subject and object are the same; the action is done to oneself. Often use reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself, etc.).
Examples: "I cut myself" OR "She washed herself"
cut oneself
wash oneself
dress oneself
hurt oneself
blame oneself
Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal Verbs: A verb combined with a preposition or adverb to create a new meaning different from the original verb.
Examples: "turn on" (activate), "turn off" (deactivate), "look up" (search)
turn on
turn off
look up
give up
put on
pick up
Modal Verbs
Modal Verbs: Express necessity, possibility, permission, or ability. Always followed by a base verb.
Examples: "You can do it" OR "He must leave" OR "She might come"
can
could
must
should
would
might
may
Auxiliary Verbs (Helping Verbs)
Auxiliary Verbs: Help form verb phrases and express tenses, moods, and voices. They are used with main verbs to create specific meanings.
Examples: "She is running" OR "They have finished" OR "He will go"
Primary Auxiliary Verbs (forms of be, have, do):
be / am / is / are
was / were
have / has
had
do / does
did
Modal Auxiliary Verbs: Can also function as helpers expressing possibilities and requirements.
Examples: "You will arrive tomorrow" OR "She can speak French"
will / shall
would / should
can / could
may / might
must
ought to
Key Uses of Auxiliary Verbs:
Progressive tenses: "I am working" (be + -ing form)
Perfect tenses: "I have worked" (have + past participle)
Passive voice: "The letter was written" (be + past participle)
Questions & negatives: "Do you know?" OR "He does not know"