Chapter 5: Using Verbs

The verb is perhaps the most important part of the sentence. A verb or compound verb asserts something about the subject of the sentence and expresses actions, events, or states of being.

In each of the following sentences, the verb or compound verb appears highlighted:

The black fly bites the camper on the neck.

The verb "bites" describes the action the insect takes.

In early October, Giselle will clean the leaves out of the eavestrough.

Here the compound verb "will clean" describes an action that will take place in the future.

My Grade 1 teacher was Miss Crawford, but I remember the caretaker, Mr. Weatherbee, more vividly.

In this sentence, the verb "was" (the simple past tense of "is") identifies a particular person and the verb "remember" describes a mental action.