Main Verbs
by Yogi P - October 1, 2023
Main Verbs: Definition, Examples, and Uses
Verbs are split into two big groups: main verbs and helping verbs. This guide is going to explain what a main verb is, give its definition, and show some examples. This way, you’ll understand how and when main verbs are used in English.
What’s a Main Verb?
A main verb is the most important verb in a sentence. It tells us what the subject is doing. For example, in the sentence “The dog barks,” the main verb is “barks.” It tells us that the dog is making a noise.
Definition of a Main Verb
Here are some definitions to help you:
- Cambridge Dictionary: A main verb is the verb with the real meaning in a clause, compared to any auxiliary (helping) verbs with it.
- Collins Dictionary: It’s the last verb in a verb phrase and expresses the lexical meaning of the verb phrase, like ‘drink’ in ‘I don’t drink’ or ‘going’ in ‘I am going’.
Examples of Main Verbs
There are lots of verbs that can be main verbs. Here’s a list of some common ones:
| Write | Speak | Read |
| Walk | Swim | Leave |
| Jump | Am | Is |
| Have | Sing | Dance |
| Play | Eat | Drink |
| Sleep | Run | Jump |
| Swim | Talk | Laugh |
Main verbs can be used in different tenses, such as the past tense, the present tense, and the future tense.
For example:
- Past tense: The dog barked.
- Present tense: The dog is barking.
- Future tense: The dog will bark.
Main verbs can also be used in different moods, such as the indicative mood, the imperative mood, and the subjunctive mood.
For example:
- Indicative mood: The dog barks.
- Imperative mood: Bark, dog!
- Subjunctive mood: If the dog barks, I will wake up.
Table of Main Verbs with examples
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Read | to look at and understand written words | I read a book every day. |
| Write | to form letters or words on a surface, especially using a pen or pencil | I am writing a letter. |
| Sing | to produce musical tones with the voice | She sings beautifully. |
| Dance | to move rhythmically to music | They are dancing at the club. |
| Play | to enjoy oneself by doing something | The children are playing outside. |
| >Eat | to put food into one’s mouth and chew and swallow it | He is eating an apple. |
| Drink | to take liquid into one’s mouth and swallow it | I am drinking some water. |
| Sleep | to rest one’s body and mind by being in a state of unconsciousness | I went to sleep at 10pm. |
| Run | to move quickly by putting one foot in front of the other | He is running for a bus. |
| Jump | to spring or leap into the air | She jumped over the fence. |
| Swim | to move through water by using one’s arms and legs | They are swimming in the pool. |
| Talk | to have a conversation with someone | We are talking about the weather. |
| Laugh | to make a sound of amusement | He is laughing at the joke. |
How to Use Main Verbs in Sentences?
There are regular and irregular main verbs. Regular verbs follow the same rules to form different tenses. Irregular verbs have their own special forms.
Examples:
- I am a tennis player. (Main verb: am)
- She is going to the grocery store. (Main verb: is going)
- The little boy loved the cake. (Main verb: loved)
- My mom knows to operate the computer. (Main verb: knows)
- Tina asked Sheela to work on the pending documents. (Main verb: asked)
| Sentence | Main Verb | Helping Verb | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| I am a tennis player. | am | – | “Am” is the main verb indicating the state of being a tennis player. |
| She is going to the grocery store. | is going | – | “Is going” is the main verb describing the action of moving towards the grocery store. |
| The little boy loved the cake. | loved | – | “Loved” is the main verb showing the past action of the boy expressing affection for the cake. |
| My mom knows how to operate the computer. | knows | – | “Knows” is the main verb indicating the knowledge of operating the computer. |
| Tina asked Sheela to work on the pending documents. | asked | – | “Asked” is the main verb showing the action of making a request to work on the documents. |
Difference Between Main Verbs and Helping Verbs
Main verbs and helping verbs are different. The main verb is the most important verb in a sentence and shows the main action. The helping verb is used with the main verb to show the verb’s tense.
As main verbs are the action words in a sentence, they tell us what the subject is doing.
For example, in the sentence “The dog barks,” the main verb is “barks.” It tells us that the dog is making a noise.
Helping verbs work with main verbs to help us understand when the action is happening or how it is happening.
For example, in the sentence “The dog is barking,” the helping verb “is” tells us that the action of barking is happening now.
Examples:
- Arjun is a salesman. (Main verb: is)
- The peacock flew from one tree to another. (Main verb: flew)
- Gavin will be meeting us at the airport. (Helping verb: will be, Main verb: meeting)
- She has come all the way from Chicago. (Helping verb: has, Main verb: come)
- He likes pizzas and burgers. (Main verb: likes)
Some common main verbs and helping verbs
| Main Verb | Helping Verb | Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bark | is | The dog is barking. | “Is” is helping to denote the ongoing action of the dog barking. |
| Fly | flew | The peacock flew from one tree to another. | “Flew” denotes the past action of the peacock flying from one tree to another. |
| Meet | will be | Gavin will be meeting us at the airport. | “Will be” helps to show the future action of Gavin meeting someone at the airport. |
| Come | has | She has come all the way from Chicago to profess her love for him. | “Has” helps to indicate the completed action of her coming from Chicago. |
| Like | likes | He likes pizzas and burgers more than anything else. | “Likes” is the main verb indicating his preference for pizzas and burgers. |
| Read | have | I have read the entire book. | “Have” helps to indicate the completed action of reading the entire book. |
| Run | are | They are running a marathon. | “Are” helps to indicate the ongoing action of running a marathon. |
| Sing | was | She was singing in the concert. | “Was” helps to denote the past action of her singing in the concert. |
| Eat | will have | By evening, he will have eaten all the cookies. | “Will have” indicates the future perfect tense, showing the future completion of eating cookies. |
| Write | had | They had written all the invitations by noon. | “Had” indicates the past perfect tense, showing the completed action of writing invitations. |
FAQs on Main Verbs and Helping Verbs
Q1. What is a Main Verb?
A main verb, or action verb, is the word that signifies the action being performed by the subject in a sentence. It is the primary element that conveys an activity or state of being.
For example, in the sentence “He reads a book,” the word “reads” is the main verb as it describes the action being taken by the subject, “He.”
Q2. What is a Helping Verb?
A helping verb, also known as an auxiliary verb, works together with the main verb to give more detail about the action being performed. Helping verbs like “is,” “am,” “are,” “has,” and “have” do not convey an action by themselves but provide additional context regarding the tense or modality of the main verb.
For instance, in “She is reading,” “is” is the helping verb, helping to clarify the timing of the action “reading” being done by “She.”
Q3. Can a Sentence Have Both a Main Verb and a Helping Verb?
Yes, many sentences contain both a main verb and a helping verb. In such sentences, the helping verb provides additional information about the tense, mood, or aspect of the main verb.
For example, in the sentence “She has been writing,” “has been” are helping verbs that work together with the main verb “writing” to indicate an action that started in the past and is still ongoing.
Q4. How Can I Identify a Main Verb in a Sentence?
To identify the main verb in a sentence, ask yourself what action is being performed by the subject. Main verbs convey an action or state of being directly and can stand alone in conveying meaning. In “She sings,” the action is “sings,” making it the main verb.
Despite additional helping verbs, the main verb will always express the primary action or state of being.
Q5. Can a Sentence Contain More Than One Main Verb?
Yes, a sentence can certainly contain more than one main verb. When a sentence describes multiple actions performed by the subject, it may include multiple main verbs.
For example, in the sentence “She sings and dances,” both “sings” and “dances” are main verbs, each describing a different action performed by the subject “She.”
Multiple Choice Question on Main Verb
Q1. What is the main verb in the sentence: “She has been running?”
a) has been
b) running
c) been running
d) has
Answer: b) running
Q2. Which sentence uses a helping verb?
a) She swims.
b) He will run.
c) They laugh.
d) I eat.
Answer: b) He will run.
Q3. What is a main verb also known as?
a) Auxiliary Verb
b) Lexical Verb
c) Modal Verb
d) None of the above
Answer: b) Lexical Verb
Q4. In the sentence “He is eating”, which word is the helping verb?
a) is
b) eating
c) he
d) None of the above
Answer: a) is
Q5. Which sentence contains only a main verb?
a) She will sing.
b) He is reading.
c) They slept.
d) We have eaten.
Answer: c) They slept
Q6. What is the main verb in the sentence: “She must have gone to the market?”
a) must
b) have gone
c) gone
d) have
Answer: c) gone
Q7. Which is NOT a helping verb?
a) should
b) could
c) jump
d) would
Answer: c) jump
Q8. In the sentence “They were singing”, which word is the main verb?
a) were
b) singing
c) they
d) were singing
Answer: b) singing
Q9. What does a main verb represent in a sentence?
a) Tense
b) Action or state of being
c) Modal assistance
d) None of the above
Answer: b) Action or state of being
Q10. Which of the following is a main verb?
a) am
b) was
c) eat
d) can
Answer: c) eat
Fill in the blanks
1. A _________ is the principal verb in a sentence and signifies the action being performed by the subject.
2. A _________ verb, such as “s,” “am,” or “has,” provides additional information about the tense or mood of the main verb in a sentence.
3. In the sentence “She will sing,” “will” is a _________ verb and “sing” is a _________ verb.
4. The sentence “They are playing” uses the helping verb “are” to describe the _________ action “playing.”
5. If a sentence describes multiple actions by the subject, it can contain more than one _________ verb.
Answer: 1. main verb, 2. helping, 3. helping, main, 4. ongoing, 5. main
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