Read the Sentence. I Will Probably Get to the Airport on Time. Which Is the Verb Phrase?

What Is the Primary Verb in a Sentence? Identifying the Action

Verbs show the action that occurs in a judgement. They're like shooting fish in a barrel enough to notice when a sentence only has ane verb, merely how can you find the chief verb in a longer sentence? Learn more nigh identifying the primary verb in the context of a sentence with several main verb examples.

Young Man Playing Guitar Main Verb in a Sentence

Main Verb Basics: What Is a Chief Verb?

To understand principal verbs, you need to know the parts of a sentence. Sentences consist of a few primary parts:

• subject (who performs the activity)
• main verb (the action)
• object (who or what receives the action)

Sometimes y'all'll also find a helping verb before the main verb. Master verbs, also known every bit principal verbs, lexical verbs or finite verbs, have several functions. First, action verbs carry out the activity of the sentence. Main verb examples include:

• I worked at the beach yesterday.
• Isaac travels to Europe.
• My sister played on the football team.

Forms of the verb "to be" and other linking verbs can be master verbs that express a state of being. For example:

• Pedro is a higher freshman.
• Grandma was the best basketball role player at her school.
• We are ready to make a determination.

Other principal verbs are transitive verbs that connect nouns to more data. These verbs require an object to make sense. For example:

• Those flowers smell good.
• The weather seems fine today.
• Paul borrowed the car.

When there's only one verb in the sentence, information technology's pretty like shooting fish in a barrel to identify it every bit the main verb. Merely what happens when yous start using verb phrases?

Identifying the Primary Verb in a Verb Phrase

If you're putting your sentence in a verb tense also past or present, yous're using a verb phrase. Verb phrases consist of a helping verb (usually forms of "to be," "to have" or "will") that place the main verb in the proper time period.

In the present-tense judgement "I report Spanish," study is the main verb because information technology conveys the action. Check out how adding helping verbs (which are italicized) changes the timing of the sentence, but not the activeness.

Progressive Tenses	Perfect Tenses	Perfect Progressive Tenses
Nowadays: I am studying Castilian. Past: I was studying Castilian. Future: I will be studying Spanish.	Nowadays: I take studied Spanish. Past: I had studied Spanish. Future: I will have studied Spanish.	Present: I have been studying Spanish. By: I had been studying Spanish. Future: I will accept been studying Spanish.

You tin modify the helping verbs to plant when the action takes place, merely the main verb (report) is e'er the same. That'south one manner to place the principal verb: if the timing of the sentence changed, which action would remain the aforementioned?

Identifying the Main Verb With Verbal Phrases

Verbals are verbs that role as nouns, adjectives or adverbs. When you use verbals or verbal phrases in a sentence, finding the primary verb can be confusing considering it looks like there is more than ane verb in the sentence. However, this is not the instance.

In "The kids played exterior," played is the main verb. But what happens when the sentence includes a verbal phrase (in italics)?

• Gerund phrase - The kids loved playing outside.
• Infinitive phrase - The kids loved to play outside.
• Participial phrase - The playing kids loved beingness exterior.

The action verb play is no longer the principal verb; it's part of the exact phrase. The main verb in each judgement is now the transitive verb loved. Be sure that the chief verb is really conveying what the subject of the sentence is doing, not but what the most interesting function of the sentence is.

Identifying the Main Verb With Modal Verbs

Many readers remember that a modal verb, such every bit should, must or tin, is the main verb in a sentence. Still, like helping verbs, modal verbs only exist to support main verbs. For example, the sentence "I should to the store" doesn't brand sense; should is non a chief verb.

Take a look at example sentences where the main verb is bolded and the modal verb is italicized.

• She would swim in the puddle.
• You lot may run to Fairy Hill.
• I might go to the political party.

Modal verbs have no tense, but they express different shades of meaning in a sentence. While they're an important function of a verb phrase, modal verbs are never the chief verb.

Identifying the Master Verb in Chemical compound Predicates

Sometimes a subject area performs more than one action in a judgement. These verbs, known equally compound predicates or compound verbs, hold equal importance to the sentence's pregnant and are both considered main verbs. For case:

• Shannon runs and plays in the field.
• Nosotros talked and laughed until the sun came upwards.
• I've been cooking and cleaning all day.

These types of compound verbs are separated by analogous conjunctions, typically "and." Both verbs need to be the same type of verb, so they both should be action verbs, linking verbs, or transitive verbs. For example, the sentence "Shannon is and plays in the field" doesn't make sense because is is a state of being and plays is an action verb.

Identifying the Main Verb in Longer Sentences

Now that you know how to observe the principal verb in a simple sentence, yous can place the main verb in other types of sentences. There is usually one main verb per independent clause.

• In compound sentences, there are two independent clauses, so the sentence has two main verbs. (For example, in "I ordered a coffee and Sharon asked for an iced tea," both ordered and asked are chief verbs.)
• In complex sentences, in that location is one independent clause and one dependent clause, then the master verb volition be in the contained clause. (For example, in "I ordered a coffee because I needed to wake up," ordered is the main verb because it's in the independent clause; "needed" is in the dependent clause.)
• In compound-complex sentences, at that place are at least two independent clauses and one dependent clause, so there will exist a principal verb in each independent clause. (For case, in "I ordered a coffee and Sharon asked for an iced tea, since we both wanted a drink," only ordered and asked are main verbs because "wanted" is in the dependent clause.)

If you're having trouble identifying which clause is the independent clause, just consider which action is the most important in the sentence. When both verbs are equally important, you're probably looking at ii independent clauses, so both verbs would be main verbs.

Chief Verbs Rule the Verb Globe

Chief verbs come up in many shapes and sizes, just similar their helpers. You tin spot them if y'all can spot an activity verb or a linking verb. So, if y'all tin can reply the question "Who?" or "What?" afterwards y'all spot the verb, you're even farther down the pathway to grammatical expertise. Acquire more nigh verbs and how they appear in a sentence with an irregular verbs listing, complete with a helpful printable.

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Source: https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/grammar/verbs/what-is-the-main-verb-in-a-sentence.html

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