Verb phrases

Level: beginner

Verbs in English have four basic parts:

Most verbs are regular: they have a past tense and past participle with –ed (worked, played, listened). But many of the most frequent verbs are irregular.

Base form	-ing form	Past tense	Past participle
work	working	worked	worked
play	playing	played	played
listen	listening	listened	listened

Basic parts

Verbs in English have four basic parts:

Base form	-ing form	Past tense	Past participle
work	working	worked	worked
play	playing	played	played
listen	listening	listened	listened

Most verbs are regular: they have a past tense and past participle with –ed (worked, played, listened). But many of the most frequent verbs are irregular.

Verb phrases

Verb phrases in English have the following forms:

a main verb:

Subject	Main verb	Object or adverbial
We	are	here.
I	like	it.
Everybody	saw	the accident.
We	laughed.

The verb can be in the present tense (are, like) or the past tense (saw, laughed).

the auxiliary verb be and a main verb in the –ing form:

Subject	Auxiliary be	-ing form
Everybody	is	watching.
We	were	laughing.

A verb phrase with be and –ing expresses continuous aspect. A verb with am/is/are expresses present continuous and a verb with was/were expresses past continuous.

the auxiliary verb have and a main verb in the past participle form:

Subject	Auxiliary have	Past participle	Object or adverbial
They	have	enjoyed	themselves.
Everybody	has	worked	hard.
He	had	finished	work.

A verb phrase with have and the past participle expresses perfect aspect. A verb with have/has expresses present perfect and a verb with had expresses past perfect.

a modal verb (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would) and a main verb:

Subject	Modal verb	Main verb
They	will	come.
He	might	come.

The verb phrase 1: MultipleChoice_MTYxNjA=
The verb phrase 2: GapFillTyping_MTYxNjE=

Level: intermediate

the auxiliary verbs have and been and a main verb in the –ing form:

Subject	Auxiliary have been	-ing form	Adverbial
Everybody	has been	working	hard.
He	had been	singing.

A verb phrase with have been and the -ing form expresses both perfect aspect and continuous aspect. A verb with have/has expresses present perfect continuous and a verb with had expresses past perfect continuous.

a modal verb and the auxiliaries be, have and have been:

Subject	Modal	Auxiliary	Verb
They	will	be	listening.
He	might	have	arrived.
She	must	have been	listening.

the auxiliary verb be and a main verb in the past participle form:

Subject	Auxiliary be	Past participle	Object or adverbial
English	is	spoken	all over the world.
The windows	have been	cleaned.
Lunch	was being	served.
The work	will be	finished	soon.
They	might have been	invited	to the party.

A verb phrase with be and the past participle expresses passive voice.

The verb phrase 3: MultipleChoice_MTYxNjM=
The verb phrase 4: GapFillTyping_MTYxNjQ=

Level: advanced

We can use the auxiliaries do and did with the infinitive for emphasis:

It was a wonderful party. I did enjoy it.
I do agree with you. I think you are absolutely right.

We can also use do for polite invitations:

Do come and see us some time.
There will be lots of people there. Do bring your friends.

Average

Hello SonuKumar,

Happy New Year to you too!

That means to stay seated or standing.

Best wishes,

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

Hi I would like to ask you if the following sentence is correct I teach math. All lessons are designed to help you progress quickly. In this case progress is a noun? Is the sentence correct? Thank you in advance

Hello Nagie23,

In this case, 'progress' is a bare infinitive and yes, it is grammatically correct. 'help' can be followed by an object (in this case, 'you') and then an infinitive ('progress' -- 'to progress' is also correct).

All the best,

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

Sir, "I saw him washing his car". This sentence means that I saw him washing his car but not from the begining to the end; not the complete action but just in the process. "I saw him wash his car". This means that I saw him wash his car from the begining to the end; the complete action. But I think when I say this "I saw him wash his car from the begining to the end". This sentence has more emphasis on the fact that I saw the complete action than the previous sentence does. Am I right, what do you say ? Can I also say "I saw him washing his car from the begining to the end" does it make sense or is it senseless and I should only use the first form of the verb in this sentence ?

Hello SonuKumar,

When you add 'from the beginning to the end' to the sentence you emphasise this face, as you say.

The continuous form is used when we are focused on the activity (the work done) rather than the action (the achievement/result). That can mean that an action is incomplete or that we do not see it all, but it can also mean simply that we are more interested in the process than the product. Thus, your example is quite possible.

Imagine a situation in which you are confirming that the person washing the car did not take any breaks. In this situation you are interested in the process and also in confirming that you saw the whole thing and know that the person did not stop. In this case your sentence would make perfect sense.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Hi, I would like to ask the following I love making cookies Making is gerund? Being part of the community Being is gerund? Thank you in advance

Hi Nagie23,

In your first example, making is a gerund.

The gerund is a verb form which functions as a noun and so in a sentence is can function as a subject or as an object. In your example, making cookies is the object of the verb love.

Your second example is less clear. Being could be a gerund or it could be a participle. The example is only a fragment of a sentence and it would depend on how the rest of the sentence is structured.

You can read more about -ing forms (gerunds and participles) on this page:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar-reference/ing-forms

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Hi, according to the dictionaries the verb "reconcile" is a transitive verb. Therefore, the following sentences should be unaccepbtable, although they sound quite alright to me. Can you help? 1. They (mother and daughter) reconcile after 20 years. 2. They reconcile with each other. 3. We reconciled before her death (or does it have to be: we reconciled our differences). Thanks in advance! Best, Magnus

Hi Magnus,

Reconcile is a transitive verb, but it is generally used in the passive voice:

1. They (mother and daughter) were reconciled after 20 years.

2. They were reconciled with each other.

3. We were reconciled before her death.

As you suggest in your last example, you can use it in the active voice when an object is present:

We reconciled our differences before her death.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Sir In the following sentence, ( Baking a cake is not as easy as eating it.) is , 'Baking a cake' the subject or should 'a cake' be the subject?

Hi amrita_enakshi,

Baking a cake is the subject. Baking in the -ing form functions as a noun, so it can be the subject (or part of it). If you'd like to see more examples of this, have a look at our page on -ing forms. I hope it helps :)

Best wishes,

Jonathan

The LearnEnglish Team

Thank you Sir.

Sir In the following sentence 'This is the book I wanted ' is the real subject 'book' and the formal subject, 'this'..? Thank you.

Hello amrita_enakshi,

The full form of this sentence is 'This is the book that I wanted', which has a relative clause ('that I wanted'). 'This' is the subject, 'the book' is the predicate, and 'is' is a link verb (also known as a 'copula').

All the best,

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

The tip is an helpful one. Thanks.

Why is the verb "to be" known as a "state of being" verb? What exactly does "state of being" mean? Is it a case where if someone/something "is", then it means that that someone/something is in a state of "being" something, hence the reason why "to be" is known as a "state of being verb"? Are "state of being" verbs part of a larger category of verbs called "state verbs"? If so, apart from "to be", are there any other state of being verbs? What about verbs such as "seem" or "appear", are these considered as state verbs but not "state of being" verbs?

Hello magnuslin,

I'm afraid this is not an area that we deal with here on LearnEnglish. I expect you could find something in the Wikipedia or English StackExchange on this if you'd like to know more.

All the best

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

Hi, I would greatly appreciate your help with the following question: It has been said that (a) verbs are words which describe (i.e. express or denote) actions, state or occurrence, and (b) that adjectives are words which describe (i.e. give more information and thereby adding or limiting the sense/meaning of) a noun or pronouns. My query is regarding the use of the word "describe", as in why is it that under (a) "describe" is taken to mean that verbs express/denote actions/states/occurrences (for example, the verb "run" represents the action of running), whereas under (b) "describe" is taken to mean the words (i.e. adjectives) gives more information about the nouns/pronouns, but are not themselves the nouns/pronouns (that is, not in the sense of expressing/denoting). I guess to summarise, I would like to know firstly whether the above meanings of verbs and adjectives are correct, and secondly, concerning the use of the word describe (are there two meanings of describe - one being denote/express/represent, and the other being "giving more information". Many dictionaries unfortunately (in my opinion) aren't that clear on this. Thanks once again for your help! Regards, Tim

Hi Tim,

The definitions seem fine to me, though you'll find far more complex definitions used in linguistic study, incorporating elements of morphology and inflection:

noun (n.) (n, N)

A term used in the grammatical classification of words, traditionally defined as the ‘name of a person, place or thing’, but the vagueness associated with the notions of ‘name’ and ‘thing’ (e.g. is beauty a thing?) has led linguistic descriptions to analyse this class in terms of the formal and functional criteria of syntax and morphology. In linguistic terms, then, nouns are items which display certain types of inflection (e.g. of case or number), have a specific distribution (e.g. they may follow prepositions but not, say, modals), and perform a specific syntactic function (e.g. as subject or object of a sentence). Nouns are generally subclassified into common and proper types, and analysed in terms of number, gender, case and countability.

As for the use of 'describe' in your definitions, it doesn't seem a problem that it's used in two different ways. That's quite common. The writer is aware of possible confusion and so defines what they are using the word for in each context, which is a reasonable approach.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Hi Peter, Thanks. So in your view, describe can indeed mean two things, that is, one meaning being to denote/express/represent (such as saying that a verb is word which describes an action, i.e. "run" = the action of running), and the other being "giving more information" (such as an adjective providing more information/details about a noun, or an adverb limiting the meaning of a verb)?

Hi TIm,

Describe is a normal word rather than a piece of technical jargon, so it can have a wide range of meanings. The important thing is to be clear. The writer you quoted explains what they mean by the word in each case to ensure clarity.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Dear Peter, Thank you for the help, thank you.

Hello dear team, Teach them briefly the irregular forms ask for feedback (from) the learners. Can I use (from) in this sentence? Thank you

Hello Hosseinpour,

It's fine to say 'ask for feedback from the learners'. You could also say 'get feedback from the learners'.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Good morning ,Could I ask " somebody,someone,everyone, anyone" always belonging to ( has or had)? Thank you in advance.

Hello Backlight,

I'm not sure I understand your question. If you are asking whether a singular or plural verb is needed with these words then the answer is singular: indefinite pronouns like these are grammatically singular, so we say

everybody has

not

*everybody ~~have~~*

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello, I would like to ask which of the following is correct 1.He/she does not pay attention during the lesson 2.He can't focus on the lesson ( during the lesson) 3.He doesn't concentrate during the lesson Thank you in advance

Hello angi,

All three sentences are grammatically correct. Which would be best in a given context would depend upon that context, of course.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello, I would like to ask if the following is correct 1.The house has got a lot of windows that let the light in. Is it correct? Especially that let the light in? Thank you in advance

Hello, I would like to ask if the following is correct. My house has got a lot of windows that let the light in. Is the sentence correct, especially the second part:.. That let the light in? Thank you in advance

Hello agie,

The sentence is fine.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello I would like to ask if the following is correct If we meet someone and we feel that have met him/her before(at work, in an event etc) Can we ask Do I know you from somewhere? And if it is correct, is it polite? Thank you in advance

Hello agie

Yes, that is correct and would be acceptable in all but quite formal situations. You could also just say 'Do I know you?' or 'Have we met before?'

All the best

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello, I would like to ask the following : Though I know that used to/and would are used to describe past habits and /or actions, I don't really understand the difference. Could you please give me an example? Thank you in advance

Hello agie,

Both used to and would are used to describe things that a person did habitually in the past and, usually, does not do any more. However, while we can use used to for both actions and states, would is used only for actions.

As a child, I used to go swimming every day - correct

As a child, I would go swimming every day - correct

I used to live in London - correct

I would live in London - incorrect

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello, I would like to ask if the following is correct When the living room has also a dining room we use the following verb? The dining room is included in the living room. Thank you in advance

Hello agie,

If you mean that there is one room with different sections then we would say that the living room is divided and has a section for dining, or say that there is a joint living and dining room in the house.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello, I would like to know which of the following is correct. If I want to take a course in another city then which is correct 1. Could you please give me more information as far as the lessons and the accommodation is concerned OR 2. Could you please give me more info as far as the lessons and the accommodation are concerned? Thank you in advance

Hello agie

2 is more correct than 1.

All the best

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello, I would like to ask which of the following is correct There is a house for sale.when it has a nice view we say 1.It has a nice view or 2.There are lovely views? Thank you in advance

Hello, I would like to ask which of the following are correct 1.Which verb do we use after an online interview? It was lovely to meeting you or it was lovely talking to you. 2.Is it to.. meeting/talking to you or Meeting/talking you? Thank you in advance

Hello, I would like to ask the following Future arrangements present simple and present continuous 1.The train leaves at 8 o clock. This is clear, it is present simple but sometimes to me is not clear for example I am meeting Paul at eight But what about future arrangements? What is the difference between the two tenses? Thank you in advance

Hello, I would like to ask which of the following is correct 1.Thank you for letting me know or 2. Thank you for letting me to know? Thank you in advance

Hello agie

You can find the answer to this in the 'make' and 'let' section of this Verbs page.

All the best

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello, I would like to ask which of the following is correct. 1.I met him/her 2 years ago. We have become best friends since then OR 2. We became friends two years ago Thank you in advance

Hello agie,

Both are possible. If you use became then you are telling us about an event which happened two years in the past.

If you use have become then you are telling us about a process which developed from a point in the past up to the present, resulting in a present situation.

The choice really depends on what the speaker chooses to emphasise.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello, I would like to ask which of the following is correct When someone is a student at a university, in the first or second year(4 year duration) then we say 1.He studies at the university Or 2.He is studying at the university? Thank you in advance

Hello agie

The second one is correct.

All the best

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello, I have a doubt about how to work with: "use to" or use for" referring to what an object usage or utility. Is it right to say: What is this used for? It is used to power cellphones. Thanks in advance.

Hello ngrl

Both of your sentences are correct and natural. You could say 'used to power' or 'used for powering' and they have the same meaning.

In questions where we don't know what something is used for, i.e. when there is no object after 'used to' or 'used for', however, we normally only say 'used for' -- I think is because saying 'used to' without an object after it can be confusing, since it also has other meanings.

All the best

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

Verb phrases

Basic parts

Verb phrases

Level: intermediate

Level: advanced

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