NonAction Verbs Other Verbs and Steps to Verbs and Subjects

							Non-Action Verbs and Other Verbs

We know that Action Verbs are verbs we can physically do. There is one more type of verb that
is a main verb. These are the “BE” verbs otherwise known as LINKING VERBS. There is a
specific set of these verbs. They are as follows:

AM      IS     ARE   WAS             WERE           BE     BEEN        BEING
HAS          HAVE  HAD

                  ***If any of these words are in a sentence, it is a verb.***

Always BE BEEN          BEING and sometimes HAS HAVE HAD will have
additional Non-Action Verbs to help them out. These are called “HELPING VERBS”

You can’t have a subject BE something without another Non-Action Verb to help it make sense.

       Jane BE talking.              This does NOT make sense. A helping verb must HELP.
       Jane WILL BE talking.         This does make sense.

Here’s a list of Helping Non-Action Verbs:
       These other Non-Action verbs provide an IF and/or POSSIBILITY of the verb being
done. They CANNOT be only (main) verbs. They HAVE TO HAVE another verb to make
sense.

For example: Jane could walk. This says that Jane walking is a possibility, not an absolute
action.

               CAN           COULD
               DID           DO             DOES
               HAD           HAS            HAVE
               MAY           MIGHT          MUST
               SHALL         SHOULD
               WOULD         WILL

Other Non-Action MAIN Verbs
        There is yet ANOTHER category of Non-Action verbs. These verbs “assume” action.
When we come across them, they feel like they are action, but they are not something we can
actually, physically do. I like to think of these as SENSUAL verbs having to do mostly with the
eyes.

               BECOME        BECAME         BECOMES
               SEEM          SEEMED         SEEMS


RULE OF THE VERB + - ING
     Words that are structured with Verbs + ing (such as running, walking, having, being) are
ONLY VERBS if they have a LINKING VERB before them.
     Ex.    I having lunch.               – should be -         I am having lunch.
            Josie walking home.           – should be –         Josie was walking home.
Combining Verbs
Combining the different kinds of verbs together to make ONE verb tells IF the subject is doing
or receiving the verb and A POSSIBILITY of the verb being done. Look below at the combined
examples. See if you can identify which words tell IF and which tells a POSSIBILITY.

   1. The kitty could have wandered into the night.      “could have wandered” is ONE verb
      with could as the possibility, have as the if and wandered as the main verb.

   2. My dog and I may sleep on the bed.           “may sleep” is ONE verb with may as the
      possibility and sleep as the main verb.

   3. Stephanie will have been talking on the phone for twenty minutes in one more minute.
      “will have been talking” is ONE verb with will as IF, have also as IF, been talking as
      the main verb.



STEPS TO IDENTIFYING VERBS AND SUBJECTS

   1. Identify the main verbs of the sentence by finding words that can be
      PHYSICALLY done.

   2. ALSO, look for main verbs that are AM, IS, ARE, WAS, WERE, BE, BEEN,
      BEING, HAS, HAD, HAVE and if there are any verb+ing following them.

   3. ALSO, look for main verbs that are BECOME, BECAME, SEEM, SEEMED,
      SEEMS,

   4. Then, look for HELPING VERBS that could be helping the main verbs out.
             (Typically, these will be right before the main verbs.)

   5. Underline, highlight or place a V above those verbs.

   6. Ask of EACH verb: “WHO or WHAT is doing or receiving the verb?” to find the
      subject of the verbs.



          Remember, subjects are people, places, things or ideas in noun or pronoun form.
          Remember that Verbs are ACTION, Non-ACTION and HELPING
          Remember that SUBJECT(S) are DOING THE VERB(S)
          Remember that VERB(S) are being done by the SUBJECT(S)
          Remember when a subject(s) are doing the verb(s), and the verb(s) are being
           done by a subject(s) then that is a Subject Verb Set (SV) and they are married to
           each other to help form a complete sentence.