main verb
Main Verbs
Main Verbs
In the previous lessons, we talked about the verb be.
Here we look at main verbs. Main verbs form part of present simple sentences.
Main Verb Forms
Main verbs come in different forms. For now, we will talk about two of them: the base form (or the infinitive without to), and the past simple.
For convenience we can call them “verb-1” and “verb-2” respectively.
Regular Verbs
With regular verbs, the past simple is formed by attaching -d, -ed, or -ied to end of the base form.
|
Past Simple = (Base Form)-d/-ed/-ied Verb-2 = (Verb-1)-d/-ed/-ied |
Examples
| Base Form | Past Simple |
|---|---|
| (Verb-1) | (Verb-2) |
| live | lived |
| work | worked |
| study | studied |
Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs, however, are…irregular
| Base Form | Past Simple |
|---|---|
| (Verb-1) | (Verb-2) |
| eat | ate |
| swim | swam |
| sleep | slept |
| read (ri:d) | read (red) |
| have | had |
The Auxiliary Verbs Be, Do, Have
The verbs be, do, and have have a dual (double) function.
1. They serve as independent verbs:
Examples:
• I am poor.
• You are right.
• He is an illustrator.
• We have six eggs.
• They do charity work.
2. Be, do and have also serve as auxiliary verbs:
Examples:
• They do work hard. (affirmative/positive)
• She doesn’t eat pizzas or hamburgers. (negative)
• Do you accept credit cards? (question)
• I am cleaning the living room. (present continuous)
• This machinery is made in Germany. (passive)
• We have lived here since 1999. (present perfect)
