Verb Usage

​Verbs describe what the noun or pronoun in the sentence is doing in the present, past, or future.

​Many verbs are action words that can be seen. Two examples of action words are throwing and running.

​Other verbs describe action that can't be seen. Two examples of actions that can't be seen are thinking and knowing.

​Some verbs describe how something is. Two examples of verbs that describe how something is are am and is. These verbs are known as helping verbs.

​Verbs that describe what the noun or pronoun is doing right now are known as present tense verbs.

​Verbs that describe what will happen in the future are known as future tense verbs.

​Some verbs are irregular. The spelling of irregular verbs changes completely when they become past tense. The past tense of the verb bring is brought. The past tense of the verb break is broke.

​The predicate is the part of the sentence that tells what happened. The most important word in the predicate is the verb. The verb is known as the simple predicate.

​Michael and Jeremy are going to the movies. The complete predicate of this sentence is going to the movies. The simple predicate is going.