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By: Musaadah


A verb is a "doing word". A verb expresses the carrying out of an action. With an active verb this action is carried out by the subject.

Examples:
She walks to the school
My father is.
She adjudicates between the parties concerned.
He burnt the cakes.


With a passive verb the action is carried out upon the subject:
Examples:
The Bible is read in many languages.
The cakes were burnt by Michael.


Verbs have various qualities: such as Tense, Aspect Voice, Mood, Finite and Non-Finite verb.

Tense
This is the feature of the verb indicating when the action took place.

Examples:
Present tense: She stands
Past Tense: She stood
Future Tense: She will stand

Aspect
What is Aspect? Of course, it is the feature of the verb which indicates whether the action is a continuous one or was or will be a completed one. If the verb is unmarked as to whether it is completed, 'perfect' or continuous, 'progressive', it is called simple. Hence I can draw up the following scheme:

Simple Present: She stands
Simple Past: She stood
Simple Future: She will stand
Present Perfect: She has stood
Past Perfect: She had stood
Future Perfect: She will have stood
Present Progressive: She is standing
Past Progressive: She was standing
Future Progressive: She will be standing

Voice
In English, we have the passive and the active voice. In the passive the action of the verb is carried out upon the subject. In the active voice the subject carries out the action of the verb.

Examples:
Active: I help
Passive: I am helped

The passive is formed with the appropriate tense of the past participle and the verb to be. A full complement of passive verbs exists in English.

Examples:
Present Progressive Passive: I am being helped
Past Perfect Passive: I had been helped
Future Perfect Passive: I will be helped

Related Topic:
Kinds of Verbs (Part 2)