Verbs: Types, Tense, Aspect, Voice, Mood, and Concord

Verbs are words that express actions, events, or states of being. They form the core of the sentence,
and understanding their various forms and functions is essential.

1. Tense and Aspect

Tense refers to the time of action (past, present, future).

 Present Tense: I walk to school.

 Past Tense: I walked to school.

 Future Tense: I will walk to school.

Aspect shows whether the action is completed or ongoing. There are two main aspects:

 Perfect Aspect: Shows completed actions.

o Example: I have eaten lunch. (present perfect)

 Progressive Aspect: Shows ongoing or continuous actions.

o Example: I am eating lunch. (present progressive)

You can combine tense and aspect:

 Present Perfect: I have finished the homework.

 Past Progressive: I was watching TV when you called.

1. Simple Present

 Used for: Facts, habits, general truths.

 Structure: Subject + base verb (for he/she/it, add "s" or "es").

 Example: She works in an office.

 Common mistake: Forgetting the "s" with third-person singular. Incorrect: She work.

2. Present Continuous

 Used for: Actions happening now or around this moment.

 Structure: Subject + is/am/are + verb + ing.

 Example: I am reading a book.

 Common mistake: Forgetting the "to be" verb. Incorrect: I reading a book.

3. Simple Past

 Used for: Completed actions in the past.

 Structure: Subject + past form of verb (regular verbs: add "-ed").

  Example: They visited Paris last year.

 Common mistake: Mixing past simple and past participle forms. Incorrect: They have visited
Paris last year.

4. Past Continuous

 Used for: Actions happening at a specific time in the past.

 Structure: Subject + was/were + verb + ing.

 Example: She was cooking when I arrived.

 Common mistake: Using past continuous for single, completed actions. Incorrect: I was
finished my homework.

5. Present Perfect

 Used for: Actions that happened at an unspecified time before now or actions continuing to
the present.

 Structure: Subject + has/have + past participle.

 Example: I have visited New York.

 Common mistake: Using it with specific past times.

 Incorrect: I have visited New York last year.

6. Past Perfect

 Used for: Actions that happened before another past event.

 Structure: Subject + had + past participle.

 Example: She had left before I arrived.

 Common mistake: Confusing past simple with past perfect. Incorrect: She left before I had
arrived.

7. Future Simple

 Used for: Actions that will happen in the future.

 Structure: Subject + will + base verb.

 Example: They will travel next week.

 Common mistake: Using "will" with "going to." Incorrect: They will going to travel.

8. Future Continuous

 Used for: Actions that will be happening at a specific time in the future.

 Structure: Subject + will be + verb + ing.

 Example: She will be studying at 8 PM.

 Common mistake: Forgetting "be." Incorrect: She will studying at 8 PM.

9. Present Perfect Continuous

 Used for: Actions that started in the past and continue to the present.

 Structure: Subject + has/have + been + verb + ing.

 Example: He has been working here for three years.

 Common mistake: Mixing with present perfect. Incorrect: He has worked here for three
years (this suggests the action is complete, not ongoing).

10. Future Perfect

 Used for: Actions that will be completed before a certain point in the future.

 Structure: Subject + will have + past participle.

 Example: By next year, I will have finished my degree.

 Common mistake: Forgetting "have." Incorrect: By next year, I will finished my degree.

2. Voice

Voice describes the relationship between the verb and the subject. There are two voices:

 Active Voice: The subject performs the action.

o Example: The cat chased the mouse.

 Passive Voice: The action is performed on the subject.

o Example: The mouse was chased by the cat.

3. Mood

Mood indicates the attitude of the speaker towards the action or state. There are several types of
mood:

 Indicative Mood: States facts or asks questions.

o Example: She is coming to the party.

 Imperative Mood: Gives commands or requests.

o Example: Please close the door.

 Subjunctive Mood: Expresses wishes, doubts, or hypothetical situations.

o Example: If I were you, I would study harder.

4. Concord (Subject-Verb Agreement)

Concord refers to the agreement between the subject and the verb in number and person.

 Singular subjects take singular verbs.

o Example: He runs fast.

 Plural subjects take plural verbs.

o Example: They run fast.

5. Types of Verbs

1. Transitive Verbs: Require a direct object to complete their meaning.

o Example: She kicked the ball.

2. Intransitive Verbs: Do not require a direct object.

o Example: He laughed loudly.

3. Finite Verbs: Change form to show tense, person, and number.

o Example: He runs (present), He ran (past).

4. Non-finite Verbs: Do not change form with tense, person, or number. These include:

o Infinitives: to read, to play

o Gerunds: reading, playing

o Participles: read, reading

Helping Verbs and Modal Auxiliaries

Helping Verbs (Auxiliary Verbs): They help the main verb to form tenses, voices, or moods.

 Be: is, am, are, was, were

o Example: She is running.

 Have: has, have, had

o Example: They have finished their work.

 Do: does, do, did

o Example: I do like coffee.

Modal Auxiliaries: They express necessity, possibility, permission, or ability. Modals do not change
their form.

 Can: expresses ability or possibility.

o Example: I can swim.

 May: expresses permission or possibility.

 o Example: You may go now.

 Must: expresses obligation or necessity.

o Example: You must finish your homework.

 Will: expresses future intention or willingness.

o Example: I will help you.

Other modals include shall, might, could, would, should, and ought to.

Summary:

1. Tense and Aspect: Tense refers to time; aspect refers to the completeness or continuity of
the action.

2. Voice: Active (subject does action) and Passive (subject receives action).

3. Mood: Indicative (facts), Imperative (commands), and Subjunctive (wishes or hypotheticals).

4. Concord: Subject and verb must agree in number and person.

5. Types of Verbs: Transitive, Intransitive, Finite, and Non-finite.

6. Helping Verbs and Modals: Used to form different tenses, moods, voices, and express
abilities, permissions, or obligations.

This detailed understanding of verbs will help you analyze sentence structure and enhance language
comprehension and usage.