2. Verbs
Previous: Introduction
2.1 What are Verbs?
2.2.1 16 Helping Verbs
2.2.1.1 3 Primary Helping Verbs
2.2.1.1.1 be
2.2.1.1.1.1 Forms of be
2.2.1.1.1.2 Functions of be
2.2.1.1.2 have
2.2.1.1.2.1 Forms of have
2.2.1.1.2.2 Functions of have
2.2.1.1.3 do
2.2.1.1.3.1 Forms of do
2.2.1.1.3.2 Functions of do
2.2.1.2 10 Modal Verbs
can, could
may, might
will, would
shall, should
must
ought to
2.2.1.2.1 can, could, would: Requests
2.2.1.2.2 can and could: Permission and Offer
2.2.1.2.3 would
2.2.1.2.3.1 Past tense of will or going to
2.2.1.2.3.2 Talking about habitual or repeated action
2.2.1.2.3.3 Future in the past
2.2.1.2.3.4 2nd and 3rd Conditionals
2.2.1.2.3.5 Giving advice in conditional structure (in the present)
2.2.1.2.3.6 Expressing desire or inclination (in the present)
2.2.1.2.3.7 Expressing opinion or hope (in the present)
2.2.1.2.3.8 Expressing presumption or expectation (in the present)
2.2.1.2.3.9 Used with “wish”
2.2.1.2.3.10 Polite requests and questions (in the present)
2.2.1.2.3.11 Expressing uncertainty
2.2.1.2.3.12 Expressing derogation (in the present or in the past)
2.2.1.2.4 will
2.2.1.2.4.1 Expressing the future tense
2.2.1.2.4.2 Expressing a strong intention or assertion about the future
2.2.1.2.4.3 Expressing inevitable events
2.2.1.2.4.4 Expressing a request
2.2.1.2.4.5 Expressing desire, consent, or willingness
2.2.1.2.4.6 Expressing facts about ability or capacity
2.2.1.2.4.7 Expressing habitual behaviour
2.2.1.2.4.8 Expressing probability or expectation about something (in the present)
2.2.1.2.5 shall
2.2.1.2.5.1 (In the first person) expressing the future tense
2.2.1.2.5.2 Expressing a strong assertion or intention
2.2.1.2.5.3 Expressing an instruction, command, or obligation, as in contracts
2.2.1.2.5.4 Used in questions indicating offers or suggestions
2.2.1.2.6 shall vs will
2.2.1.2.7 should
2.2.1.2.7.1 The past tense of shall
2.2.1.2.7.2 In a stronger tone or manner of speaking, expressing “if by any (remote) chance, by
any possibility, in case of (contingency),” “to one's surprise, unexpectedly”
2.2.1.2.7.3 Expressing obligation, propriety, or expediency
2.2.1.2.7.4 Expressing probability, conjecture, speculation or expectation
2.2.1.2.7.5 Expressing conditions
2.2.1.2.7.6 Expressing a request in a polite manner or to soften direct statement
2.2.1.2.7.7 Expressing sorry, surprise
2.2.1.2.8 may
2.2.1.2.8.1 Expressing possibility
2.2.1.2.8.2 To ask for or to give permission
2.2.1.2.8.3 Expressing a wish or hope
2.2.1.2.9 might
2.2.1.2.9.1 Past tense of may, used in reported speech, to express possibility or permission
2.2.1.2.9.2 Expressing possibility or making a suggestion (in the present)
2.2.1.2.9.3 Used as a more polite form of may when asking for permission (in the present)
2.2.1.2.9.4 Used to suggest, especially angrily, what someone should do to be pleasant, correct,
polite, etc. (in the present or in the past)
2.2.1.2.9.5 Used to introduce a statement that is very different from the statement you really want
to make, in order to compare the two
2.2.1.2.10 must
2.2.1.2.10.1 Expressing insistence
2.2.1.2.10.2 Expressing an opinion about something that is logically very likely
2.2.1.2.10.3 The past tense of must
2.2.1.2.11 ought to
2.2.1.2.11.1 Expressing duty, or when something that is necessary or would be a good thing to do
2.2.1.2.11.2 Used to express something that is likely to happen
2.2.1.3 3 Semi-modal Verbs
2.2.1.3.3 used to
2.2.1.4 2 expressions that look similar to used to but are distinct from it
2.2.1.4.1 be used to
2.2.1.4.2 get used to
2.2.2 Main verbs
2.2.2.1 Dynamic verbs and Stative verbs
2.2.2.1.1 Dynamic verbs examples
2.2.2.1.2 Stative verbs examples
2.2.2.1.3 Some verbs may be used as dynamic or stative verbs with a different meaning
2.2.2.2 Linking verbs
2.2.2.2.1 Verbs of sensation
2.2.2.2.2 Verbs of existence
2.2.2.2.3 A verb that is used as a linking verb may also be used as a verb that describes actions, and not as a linking verb.
2.2.2.2.4 How does one tell when a verb is an action verb and when it is a linking verb?
2.2.2.2.5 Verbs that can exist as either action verbs or linking verbs
2.2.2.2.6 The most common linking verbs
2.2.2.3 Transitive verbs and Intransitive verbs
2.2.2.3.1 Transitive verbs
2.2.2.3.1.1 Complete transitive verbs
2.2.2.3.1.2 Incomplete transitive verbs
2.2.2.3.1.3 Dative verbs
2.2.2.3.2 Intransitive verbs
2.2.2.3.2.1 Complete intransitive verbs
2.2.2.3.2.2 Incomplete intransitive verbs
2.2.2.3.2.3 Intransitive verb + preposition + object (some grammarians call this “preposition + object” as “supplement”)
2.2.2.4 Regular verbs and Irregular verbs
2.2.2.4.1 Regular verbs examples
2.2.2.4.2 Irregular verbs examples
2.3 A List of Verbs