Identify main verbs and helping verbs
Key Notes:
1. What are Verbs?
- Verbs are action words that describe what a person, animal, or thing does. They can also express a state of being.
2. Main Verbs:
- The main verb (also called the principal verb) expresses the main action or state of being in a sentence.
- It tells what the subject is doing or what is happening.
Examples:
- In the sentence The cat sleeps, sleeps is the main verb.
- In She reads a book, reads is the main verb.
3. Helping Verbs:
- Helping verbs (also known as auxiliary verbs) are verbs that help the main verb express a tense, mood, or voice.
- They come before the main verb and provide additional meaning.
Common Helping Verbs: am, is, are, was, were, has, have, had, will, shall, can, could, may, might, must.
Examples:
- In the sentence She is running, is is the helping verb, and running is the main verb.
- In They have finished their homework, have is the helping verb, and finished is the main verb.
4. Identifying Main and Helping Verbs:
- To find the main verb: Ask, “What is the subject doing?”
- To find the helping verbs: Look for verbs that come before the main verb and provide extra information.
Example:
- In the sentence He has been playing soccer,
- has and been are helping verbs,
- playing is the main verb.
5. Practice Identifying Verbs:
- Read sentences and underline the main verbs. Circle the helping verbs.
- Example: In They are eating lunch, are (helping) and eating (main) should be identified.
6. Summary:
- Main verbs express the main action or state of being.
- Helping verbs assist the main verb by adding information about tense or mood.
- Identifying both helps improve understanding of sentence structure and verb usage.
Let’s practice!🖊️