Verbs are the heart of our sentences, and learning the various forms can help us communicate better in English. They each serve a distinctive purpose when communicating tense, mood, voice, and nuances. Today, we will explain the different types of verbs in a simple and fun way.
What Are Verb Forms?
Verb forms are the different variations of a verb that show the time of action, whether it’s ongoing or completed, and how it relates to the subject. There are five forms of a verb in English. Knowing these forms will help us communicate with clarity.
What is a Root Verb?
A root verb or a base verb is a verb that has no ending, such as (“-ed” or “-ing“). Think of it as the verb in its purest form, like “go,” “play,” or “read.” Root verbs are important because they’re used to create other verb forms. They show the basic action without any details about time. For example, “walk“ can change to “walked,” “walks,” or “walking,” depending on when or how it’s used.
Five Forms of Verb
Base Form (Infinitive Form)
The base form is the simplest version of a verb. Also, it’s called a root verb. It can also function as an infinitive when preceded by “to.”
Examples:
play→ play
- “I play soccer every Saturday.”
go→ go
- “They go to the park often.”
write→ write
- “I write in my journal daily.”
run→ run
- “They run every morning.”
eat → eat
- “We eat breakfast at 8 AM.”
laugh → laugh
- “They laugh at every joke.”
read → read
- “She read novels on weekends.”
work→ work
- “I work from home.”
talk→ talk
- “They talk on the phone a lot.”
study → study
- “We study together in the library.”
Simple Present Form or Third-person singular
This form describes actions that happen regularly or general truths. For third-person singular subjects, we add an -s or -es.
Examples:
play → plays
- “She plays the violin beautifully.”
go → goes
- “He goes to school every day.”
write → writes
- “She writes poetry.”
run → runs
- “He runs fast.”
eat → eats
- “She eats fruit every morning.”
laugh → laughs
- “He laughs at every joke.”
read → reads
- “She reads a book each month.”
work → works
- “He works late often.”
talk → talks
- “She talks loudly.”
study → studies
- “He studies hard for exams.”
Simple Past Form
The simple past indicates actions that have already taken place. Regular verbs add -ed, while irregular verbs change completely.
Examples:
play→ played
- “He played soccer yesterday.”
go→ went
- “We went to the museum.”
write → wrote
- “She wrote a letter.”
run→ ran
- “He ran fast in the race.”
eat → ate
- “They ate dinner late.”
laugh→ laughed
- “They laughed at the show.”
read→ read
- “I read the article.”
work → worked
- “She worked until midnight.”
talk → talked
- “We talked for hours.”
study → studied
- “They studied for the test.”
Present Participle Form
Formed by adding -ing to the base form, the present participle describes ongoing actions.
Examples:
play → playing
- “He is playing soccer now.”
go → going
- “They are going to the store.”
write → writing
- “She is writing her thesis.”
run → running
- “He is running quickly.”
eat → eating
- “We are eating dinner.”
laugh → laughing
- “They are laughing together.”
read → reading
- “She is reading quietly.”
work→ working
- “I am working remotely.”
talk → talking
- “They are talking on the phone.”
study → studying
- “He is studying hard.”
Past Participle Form
Used with helping verbs to form perfect tenses, the past participle is crucial for conveying completed actions.
Examples:
play → played
- “They have played all day.”
go → gone
- “She has gone already.”
write → written
- “He has written a book.”
run → run
- “She has run a marathon.”
eat → eaten
- “They have eaten lunch.”
laugh→ laughed
- “They have laughed a lot.”
read → read
- “I have read the entire book.”
work → worked
- “They have worked here for years.”
talk → talked
- “We have talked about this.”
study → studied
- “She has studied all night.”
Perfect and Progressive Tenses
Combining these forms helps us communicate effectively.
- Present Perfect: Formed with to have + past participle.
- Example: She has traveled to many countries.
- Past Perfect: Formed with past to have + past participle.
- Example: He had finished before the deadline.
- Present Progressive: Formed with to be + present participle.
- Example: They are playing soccer now.
- Past Progressive: Formed with past to be + present participle.
- Example: I was reading when he called.
Verb Form Functions
Verbs can serve different functions in sentences:
- Main Verb: Expresses the primary action.
- Example: She runs every morning.
- Auxiliary (Helping) Verb: Assists the main verb.
- Example: He is running in the race.
- Gerund: Acts like a noun formed from a verb.
- Example: Swimming is my favorite sport.
- Infinitive: Can act as a noun, adjective, or adverb.
- Example: I love to swim in the ocean.
Understanding the five forms of verbs strengthens our grammar skills, enabling us to use tenses accurately, enhance sentence variety, and express actions clearly and effectively.
