Verbs and Verb Phrases

Find the prepositional phrase(s)

Not every sentence will have a prepositional phrase

Find the verb or verb phrase

Action verbs and Linking verbs

Helping verbs will go with action verbs

Underline the verb or verb phrase twice

Label each of the verbs appropriately (Action = AV, Linking = LV, Helping = HV)

Note: Watch for adverbs that may interrupt verb phrases and label them

On your SAM sheet, there are some verbs with a dot next to them. This means you need to complete the substitution test with that verb.

If you can replace the verb with a form of the verb "to be" (is, am, was, were, be, been, or being), the verb in the sentence is a linking verb. If you cannot replace it, the verb in the sentence is an action verb.

Example: will have been singing = verb phrase

"will" "have" and "been" are helping verbs

the main verb, "singing" is an action verb

Example: have certainly been given

Certainly is an adverb interrupter

There is a list of common adverb interrupters on your SAM sheet

Compound verbs are joined by conjunctions.

Example: She ate candy and drank a coke.

Verb = ate; drank

When you have a question sentence, change the question into a statement.

Example: Will he be going with us? = He will be going with us.

Verb phrase: will be going