Verbs for Class 7: Examples, Exercises and Worksheets

1. Showing States of Being or Linking (Being Verbs / Linking Verbs)

2. Showing Physical Actions

3. Showing Mental Actions and Feelings

4. Showing Possession or Relationship (Having Verbs)

5. Describing Things That Happen, Changes, or Results

The Main Verb is the key word in the verb phrase. It tells the specific action, state, or what's happening.

Examples: (Main verb is underlined)

• The machine is running smoothly.
• She has finished her project.
• They will announce the results soon.

If a sentence has only one verb, that verb is the main verb (e.g., "The computer works fast." or "The idea is good.")

Helping Verbs (also called Auxiliary Verbs) help the main verb. They add more information about things like time (tense), possibility, or if it's a question.

There are two types of helping verbs:

• Primary Helping Verbs: Forms of 'be', 'have', 'do'. These are used to make different tenses (like continuous or perfect tenses), the passive voice, questions, and negative sentences.
• Modal Helping Verbs (Modals): Words like can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must, ought to, need to, used to. They show ideas like ability, permission, possibility, necessity, advice, or future plans.

Examples: (Helping verb is bold, Main verb is underlined)

• The report is being prepared. ('is being' help show it's happening now and is passive)
• Scientists have discovered new species. ('have' helps show a completed action)
• The students must follow the rules. ('must' shows necessity)
• Will you join the team? ('will' helps ask about the future)

Helping Verb Type	Examples	What They Help Do & Example Sentences
Be (am, is, are, was, were, being, been)	is, was, have been	Make continuous tenses (action happening over time): The team is working on it. Make passive voice (subject receives action): The story was well written.
Have (has, have, had)	has, had	Make perfect tenses (action completed): She has read many books.
Do (do, does, did)	does, did	Ask questions: Did you see that? Make negative sentences: The plan does not include that. Add emphasis (make stronger): We do understand the problem.
Modal Verbs	can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must, ought to	Show ability: The computer can process information quickly. Show possibility: More study might show new results. Ask for permission: May we use the lab? Show necessity: All students must wear uniforms. Give advice: The group should rethink its plan. Talk about the future: The school will organize a fair.

Remember: 'be', 'have', and 'do' can also be main verbs. For example: "She is an expert." (main verb), "They have good ideas." (main verb), "He did his best." (main verb).

An Object is a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that completes the meaning of an action verb by receiving its action.

• Direct Object (DO): Answers "What?" or "Whom?" after the verb. The action of the verb affects it directly.
  • Example: The company launched a new product. (Launched what? a new product - DO)
• Indirect Object (IO): Tells to whom/what or for whom/what the action is done. It usually comes before the direct object. You can often put 'to' or 'for' before it if you rephrase the sentence.
  • Example: The teacher gave the students a challenging assignment. (Gave to whom? the students - IO; Gave what? a challenging assignment - DO)

More Examples:

• The judges awarded the prize. (DO)
• He teaches his class advanced math. (IO: his class, DO: advanced math)

A Complement gives more information about the subject or the object, completing the meaning started by the verb.

• Subject Complement (SC): Follows a linking verb (like 'is', 'seems', 'became') and describes or renames the subject. It can be an adjective (predicate adjective) or a noun/pronoun (predicate nominative).
  • Example: The results are very interesting. (SC - adjective, describes 'results')
  • Example: Ms. Lee became the team leader. (SC - noun phrase, renames Ms. Lee)
• Object Complement (OC): Follows a direct object and describes or renames it. It's often used with verbs like appoint, call, consider, declare, elect, find, make, name, prove, think.
  • Example: The class considered the project a success. (OC - noun phrase, renames 'project' - DO)
  • Example: They painted the fence green. (OC - adjective, describes 'fence' - DO)

Think about these sentences:

• The plan is. (Is what? It's not complete.)
• The student appeared. (Appeared how or what? We need more info.)
• The project became. (Became what? It's unfinished.)

These verbs need a Subject Complement to give a full picture or description of the subject.

Linking verbs connect the subject to its subject complement, so they are verbs of incomplete predication.

Common Linking Verbs (Verbs of Incomplete Predication):

• Forms of 'to be': is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been
• Sense verbs (when they link): look, feel, smell, sound, taste (e.g., "The solution looks simple.")
• Others: appear, seem, become, grow (meaning 'to become'), remain, stay, prove, turn (meaning 'to become')

Examples with Complements:

• The plan is detailed. (Subject Complement: adjective 'detailed')
• Mr. Khan seems an expert in this field. (Subject Complement: noun phrase 'an expert')
• The weather became quite warm. (Subject Complement: adjective phrase 'quite warm')
• Her effort remained consistent. (Subject Complement: adjective 'consistent')

The subject complement is needed for the verb of incomplete predication to make a complete thought.

A Transitive Verb shows an action that moves from the subject to an object (a direct object). It needs an object to make sense.

To find a transitive verb, ask "What?" or "Whom?" after the verb. The answer is the direct object.

Examples:

• The company launched a new website. (Launched what? A new website.)
• The student carefully read the instructions. (Read what? The instructions.)
• The teacher praised the students. (Praised whom? The students.)

An Intransitive Verb shows an action that is complete by itself. It doesn't need an object to receive the action.

Words or phrases that follow an intransitive verb often tell how, where, or when (adverbials).

Examples:

• The prices rose sharply. (No direct object; 'sharply' tells how.)
• The team arrived late. ('Late' tells when.)
• The discussion continued for hours. ('For hours' tells how long.)

Many verbs can be used as transitive in one sentence and intransitive in another.

Example:

• The students study hard. (Intransitive)
• The students study history. (Transitive; 'history' is the object)

A Finite Verb is limited by tense (present, past), person (I, you, he/she/it), and number (singular, plural). It's the main verb of a clause and changes its form to match its subject.

Examples:

• The computer calculates answers. (Present tense, third person singular subject 'computer')
• The computers calculate answers. (Present tense, third person plural subject 'computers')
• The computer calculated answers. (Past tense)

A complete sentence must have a finite verb.

A Non-Finite Verb doesn't show a specific tense, person, or number. It can't be the only verb in a main clause. Non-finite verbs act like nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.

Types of Non-Finite Verbs:

1. Infinitives (to + base verb / or just base verb after some modals):
   • What they do: Act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.
   • Examples:
     • To learn new things is exciting. (Noun, as the subject)
     • They needed a plan to succeed. (Adjective, describing 'plan')
     • She studied hard to pass the exam. (Adverb, showing purpose)
2. Gerunds (-ing form):
   • What they do: Act as nouns.
   • Examples:
     • Reading improves vocabulary. (Noun, as the subject)
     • The school encourages creative thinking. (Noun, as the object)
3. Participles (Present: -ing; Past: -ed, -en, etc.):
   • What they do: Act as adjectives; or help form verb phrases for continuous/perfect tenses or passive voice.
   • Examples:
     • The developing story caught everyone's attention. (Present Participle as adjective)
     • The completed project was a success. (Past Participle as adjective)
     • They are building a new bridge. (Present Participle in continuous tense)
     • The rules have been explained. (Past Participle in perfect passive tense)

The Indicative Mood is used to state facts, give opinions, or ask questions. It's the most common mood.

Examples:

• The experiment shows clear results. (Statement of fact)
• This method seems better. (Expression of opinion)
• Did the students understand the lesson? (Question)
• The Earth revolves around the Sun. (Statement of fact)

The Imperative Mood is used to give commands, make requests, or offer advice. The subject (usually 'you') is often understood but not written.

Examples:

• Hand in your assignments by tomorrow. (Command)
• Please check your work carefully. (Request)
• Think about all the options. (Advice)
• Do not enter without permission. (Negative command)

The Subjunctive Mood is used to talk about wishes, suggestions, requirements, imaginary situations, or things that are not true. It often uses special verb forms.

Common Uses and Forms:

• Wishes/Desires: Often with 'wish'. Uses the past form of the verb (or 'were' for 'be').
  • I wish I knew more about it. (Not a present fact)
  • She wishes it were simpler. (Instead of 'was')
• Demands/Suggestions/Requirements: Often after verbs like demand, insist, recommend, suggest, require, propose, ask, followed by 'that'. Uses the base form of the verb (present subjunctive).
  • The teacher suggested that the students read more. (Not 'reads' or 'should read')
  • It is important that everyone be on time. (Not 'is' or 'are')
• Imaginary Conditions (Not True): Often in 'if' clauses. Uses the past form (or 'were' for 'be').
  • If I were you, I would study harder. (Imaginary situation)
  • If the plan succeeded, we would celebrate. (Not true at present)
• Set Phrases:
  • Be that as it may... (Meaning: Whatever the case may be...)
  • If need be... (Meaning: If it is necessary...)
  • God save the King.

The subjunctive mood is used more in formal writing and certain common expressions.

This is the basic form of the verb, like you find in a dictionary. It's used for the simple present tense (except for he/she/it subjects) and in infinitives (often with 'to').

Examples: create, check, speak, begin

This form shows actions or states that happened and finished in the past. Regular verbs usually add -d or -ed.

Examples: created, checked, spoke (irregular), began (irregular)

This form is used with helping verbs (like 'have', 'has', 'had' for perfect tenses; or 'be' forms for passive voice). For regular verbs, it's the same as the V2 form.

Examples: created, checked, spoken (irregular), begun (irregular)

This form ends in -ing. It's used with helping 'be' verbs for continuous tenses. It can also act as a gerund (a noun) or an adjective.

Examples: creating, checking, speaking, beginning

Regular Verbs always form their V2 and V3 by adding -d or -ed to the V1 form.

Examples:

Base Form (V1)	Past Tense (V2)	Past Participle (V3)
ask	asked	asked
decide	decided	decided
explain	explained	explained

Irregular Verbs don't follow this pattern. Their V2 and V3 forms change in special ways and need to be learned and remembered. Sometimes the V1, V2, and V3 forms are all different; sometimes two are the same, or even all three can be the same.

Examples:

Base Form (V1)	Past Tense (V2)	Past Participle (V3)
begin	began	begun
put	put	put
teach	taught	taught
speak	spoke	spoken
choose	chose	chosen

Knowing common irregular verbs is very helpful. (The list from Class 6 is still useful here!)