Recognize an action verb when you see one.
Explode! Scream! Sneeze! Type! Kick! What are these words doing? They are expressing action, something that a person, animal, force of nature, or thing can do. As a result, we call these words action verbs. Look at the examples below:
If you are unsure whether a sentence contains an action verb or not, look at every word in the sentence and ask yourself, "Can a person or thing do this?"In the library and at church, Michele giggles inappropriately.Giggling is something that Michele can do.
Because of the spicy Jamaican pepper, David reached for his glass of iced tea.Reaching is something that David can do—happily, if his mouth is on fire.
Carlos watched pretty women in skimpy bikinis parading on the beach.Watching is something that Carlos can do.
The alarm clock buzzed like an angry bumblebee.Buzzing is something that the alarm clock can do.
The coffee maker gurgled on the kitchen counter.Gurgling is something that the coffee maker can do.
Read the sentence below:
Can you during? Is during something you can do? Can you biology? Is there someone biologyingoutside the building right now? Can you class? Do your obnoxious neighbors keep you up until 2 a.m. because they are classing? Can you Omesh? What does a person do when he's Omeshing? Can you nap? Bingo! Sure you can! You'd probably prefer napping to listening to a biology lecture yourself. Can you at? Of course not! Can you his? Show me hising. Can you desk? Demonstrate desking for me!During biology class, Omesh napped at his desk.
In the sentence above, there is only one action verb: napped.
Action verbs can also be mental actions or things that can be seen, such as: Mary thought about her homework. She wanted a good grade.
Action verbs can have a present tense, past tense, or future tense.
Examples:
The cheetah runs faster than humans. (Present tense)
The cheetah ran through the jungle. (Past tense)
A cheetah will run down its prey. (Future tense)
Directions: Underline each action verb, and write whether it expresses a physical or mental action.
1. Manuel Torres, an actor, toured the country.
2. Torres learned about the theater from his father.
3. Torres' father sent him to Princeton University
4. Soon Torres developed an interest in the sea.
5. He returned home after two years of travel.
6. Later, a drama teacher at Harvard University inspired Torres to write.
7. Torres knew the value of his own work.
8. He journeyed to El Nido for the summer.
9. A group of friends admired this new playwright.
10. They used a stage in their town for theatrical production.
1.2 Present and Past Tenses
The verb in a sentence tells what action took place. It also tells you when the action took place. the form of the verb shows the time of the action is called the tense of the verb.
The present tense of a verb names an action that happens regularly. It can also express a general truth.
"The actor wins awards."
In the present tense, the base form of the verb is used with all subjects except is a singular nouns and the words he, she, and it. when the subject is a singular noun or he, she, or it, -s is usually added to the verb. Remember that a verb in a sentence must agree in number with its subject.
The past tense of a verb names an action that already happened.
the past tense of many verb is formed by adding -d or -ed to the verb.
"The actors practiced their lines"
Exercise 2
Directions: Write each sentence. use the correct tense of the verb in parentheses. Then write whether it is in the present or past.
1. Many people (attend) the theater yesterday.
2. My sister and I (discuss) the plot afterward.
3. now the show (start) on time every day.
4. Yesterday the reviewer in the Daily Inquirer (compare) the lead performer with Caruso.
5. Enrico Caruso (live) at the beginning of the twentieth century.
6. Caruso often (play) tricks on his fellow performers.
7. Now some people (listen) to his crude recordings.
8. Today singers still (talk) about his wonderful life.
9. Some modern singers (copy) the great singer's style and technique.
10. Today, many people (admire) this singer.
1.3 Main Verbs and Helping Verbs
Principal Parts of the Verb Play
Base Form Present Participle Past Form Past Participle form
Play Playing Played Played
You can use the base form itself and the past form alone to form the present and past tenses. the present and past participles can be combined with helping verbs to form other tenses.
A helping verb helps the main verb to tell about an action or make a statement.
A verb phrase consists of one or more helping verb followed by a main verb.
"They are acting in another play right now."
In the sentence above, the word are is the helping verb, and the present participle acting is the main verb. Together they form a verb phrase.
Exercise 2
Directions: In each sentence, underline the helping verb and underline in the middle the main verb.
EXAMPLE: She is
1. She was racing in a wheelchair race.
2. Sarah had joined the Wheelchair Athlete Club.
3. The racers were using special racing wheelchairs.
4. They are training several times a week.
5. They have lifted weights too.
6. Sarah has raced for several years.
7. She will race many more times.
8. She is practicing for next year’s Olympics.
9. The Junior Olympics are held every summer.
10. The games were started in 1967.
1.4 Progressive forms
you know that the present tense of a verb names an action that occurs repeatedly. To describe an action that is taking place at the present time, you use the present progressive form of the verb.
the present progressive form of a verb names an action or condition that is continuing in the present.
"Anastacia is finishing her song."
The present progressive form of a verb consists of the present participle of the main verb and the helping verb, am, are, or is.
Present Progressing form
Singular Plural
I am leaving. We are leaving.
you are leaving. You are leaving
He, She, It is leaving. They are leaving
The past progressive names an action that was continuing at some point in the past.
The past progressive form of a verb names an action or condition in the past that continued for some time in the present.
The plot was becoming scary.
The past progressive form of a verb consists of the present participle and the helping verb was or were.
Past Progressive Form
Singular Plural
I was cleaning We were cleaning
You were cleaning You were cleaning
He, She, It was cleaning They were cleaning
Exercise 3
Directions: Write each sentence. If the verb is in the present tense, change it to the present progressive form. If the verb is in the past tense, change it to the past progressive form.
1. The new theater season begins soon.
2. A committee reads the script.
3. The committee looked for something different.
4. One new play caused much excitement.
5. Some of my friends planned their own show.
Directions: Write each sentence Use the present or past progressive form of verb given in parentheses.
1. My English class (go) to two play production a week.
2. The schedule (tire) for some members.
3. We (see) too many shows last semester.
4. Last year we (study) the play or Romulus the Great.
5. At that time we (stage) out own production.
1.5 Perfect tenses
The present perfect tense of a verb names an action that happened at an indefinite time in the past. It also tells about an action that happened in the past and is still happening. Now.
"The lead actor has rehearsed for many hours."
"Norman and Myla have seen Les Miserables three times."
The present perfect tense consists of the helping verb have or has and past participle of the main verb.
Present Perfect Tense
Singular Plural
I have acted We have acted
You have acted We have acted
He, She, It has acted They have acted
The past perfect tense of a verb names an action that happened before another action or event in the past.
"we had just arrived when the play began."
"The play had been rewritten several times before it opened."
The past perfect tense of a verb consists of the helping verb had and the past participle form of the verb.
Past Perfect Tense
Singular Plural
I had smiled We had smiled
You had smiled You had smiled
He, She, It had smiled They had smiled
Exercise 1
Directions: Write each sentence. Use the present perfect tense of the verb in parentheses.
1. The actress (perform) in several awar-winning plays.
2. Her drama coach (help) her a great deal.
3. She (learn) discipline and craft.
4. Our drama club (wait) for the opening of the opera season.
5. the members (plan) weekly theater parties.
Directions: Write each sentence. Use the past perfect tense of the verb in parentheses.
1. Before the show began, the cast (rehearse) for weeks.
2. Artists (create) the scenery before the opening.
3. Before the first rehearsal our teacher (talk) to us.
4. We (present) only one show before last year.
5. The director (demonstrate) many valuable techniques.
1.6 Expressing Future Tense
The future tense of a verb is formed by adding the helping verb will before the main verb. The helping verb shall is sometimes used when the subject is I or we.
There are other ways to show that an action will happens in the future. Tomorrow, next year, and later are all words that express future time. These words are called time words, and they are used with the present tense to express future time. Read the sentence below.
Our show opens next week.
Tomorrow we design scenery and rehearse.
The present progrssive form can also be used with time words to express future actions.
Next friday our show is opening.
Soon we are ending rehearsal.
Another way to talk about future is with the future perfect tense.
The future perfect tense of a verb names an action that will be completed before another future event begins.
The future perfect tense is formed by adding will have or shall have before the past participle of the verb.
Monday I shall have finished the script.
by next week the pratice will have started.
Exercise 1
Directions: Write each sentence. Then write whether each underlined verb is in the present, future perfect, or present progressive.
1. Until the show we shall practice every day.
2. Tomorrow I am going to learn my part by heart.
3. I give my first performance by saturday
4. Next year I will enter an acting school
5. The cast party will have been scheduled by Saturday night.
Exercise 2
Directions: Write each sentence. Underline the verb or verb phrase, and write whether it is in present, future, or present progressive.
1. All the dancers will practice this afternoon.
2. Later today we are changing the second scene
3. After our show next week we take a break.
4. The day after tomorrow my costume arrives.
5. We shall be ready on time.
Reference
English, Communication Arts I (Conversational Approach) pp. 115-131
http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/actionverbs.htm
http://www.k12reader.com/verbs/helping_verbs.pdf
http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/actionverbs.htm
http://www.k12reader.com/verbs/helping_verbs.pdf
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento