Types of Words

So far, we've only discussed nouns and words that either replace them (pronouns) or describe them (adjectives). Let's talk about words that make things happen: verbs.

Verbs describe an activity, movement, or state of being. The verbs that come most easily to mind are action words like running, talking, and joking. But the most common verb in English, to be, isn't really an action: it describes a state of existence instead.

Verbs have many different forms. Through these forms, they reflect tense (when the action takes place) and number (if there are one or more people/things performing that action).

For instance, is is a present tense form of the verb to be; it is also singular, which means we know this verb is referring to just one person or thing (e.g. He is really tall). On the other hand, were is a past tense form of this same verb; were is also plural, so we know it refers to more than one person or thing (e.g. They were absent from class yesterday).

Sometimes, we have to use extra verbs called helping verbs in order to form a certain tense. For instance, we need to use extra verbs when we want to express an action that is in progress right now.

e.g. You are concentrating.

Here, concentrating is the main verb. Are is a helping verb: it helps form this tense.

Some tenses require a whack of helping verbs.

e.g. I will have been studying for 4 hours by the time I'm finished.

So, verbs tell us a lot of information. They tell us not just what is happening, but also how many people are doing it and whether it's happening in the past, present or future.