Verb in English. Everything you need to know

Verb is an independent part of speech that expresses the action of an object or person or their state. Verbs answer the question " what to do?», « what to do?».

English verbs change depending on faces(I, You, He, etc.), numbers(singular or plural), time in a sentence. Verbs have passive and active voice, mood and four aspect (indefinite, continuous, perfect and completely continuous). There are also transitional And intransitive Verbs.

• I work every Sunday and Matt works as well.– I work every Sunday and Matt also works. (different persons)
• Ann worked yesterday and she will work tomorrow. Ann worked yesterday and she will work tomorrow. (different time)
• This project must be finished today. Work!– This project should be completed today. Work! (passive and imperative)

Verbs English can have the same forms with other parts of speech (nouns, adjectives), but verbs are often used with a particle to in the form of an infinitive and appear in a sentence after the subject.

• You answer is correct.– Your answer is correct. (noun)
• You have to answer all my questions.– You must answer all my questions. (verb)

• Claire quit her job and her friend Monica acted in a like manner. Claire quit her job and her friend Monica did the same. (adjective)
• I really like this book.– I really like this book. (verb)

Types of verbs by education

Verbs in the English language are divided into simple, derivatives, complex And composite Verbs.

Simple verbs(simple verbs) consist of one root without adding suffixes or prefixes.

• to play - play
• to look - look
• to read - read
• to love - to love

Derived verbs(derived verbs) are formed using certain suffixes and prefixes added to the root of the verb.

• to undo– unfasten, return
• to pur ify– cleanse
• to im port- import, bring in
• to critic ise- criticize

Compound Verbs(compound verbs) are formed by merging two stems into one word. In English, such verbs are rare.

• to daydream – to daydream, to daydream
• to brainwash - to brainwash
• to browbeat – to intimidate, frighten
• to kickstart - to spur, to give impetus

• Teddy is my best friend.– Teddy is my best friend.
• Mom becomes very angry when I break something.– Mom gets very angry when I break something.
• You look tired. You should rest a bit.- You look tired . You need to rest.

Auxiliary verbs

Auxiliary verbs(auxiliary verbs) – verbs that have completely lost their lexical meaning (are not translated) and are used to form grammatical structures and forms of verbs. Categories are expressed through them faces, numbers And time.

• Will you be free tomorrow?- Will you be free tomorrow?
• I don't know this woman. I have never seen her before.– I don’t know this woman. I've never seen her before.
• We are working this week so we shall go to the zoo next Sunday. We are working this week, so we will go to the zoo next Sunday.

Modal verbs

Modal verbs(modal verbs) - a special group of verbs that have a certain lexical meaning (the speaker’s attitude to a certain action) but cannot be used independently, without semantic verb.

• How dare you come here!- How dare you come here!
• You shall not pass!- You shall not pass! (I won't let you)
• Jack could have helped us.– Jack could help us.

Verbs with different functions

Sometimes the same verb in English can have different meanings and thus belong to different groups of verbs.

• I do exercises every morning.– I do exercises every morning. (semantic verb)
• Do you want to go to the party?– Do you want to go to the party? (auxiliary)

• Now turn right and stop the car near that big tree.“Now turn right and stop the car by that big tree.” (semantic verb)
• Ann turned red when we started to talk about Paul.– Anne blushed when we started talking about Paul. (linking verb)

Majority auxiliary verbs can be used as modal, but already receiving a different shade of meaning.

• I shall do my homework tomorrow. I'm lazy now.– I will do my homework tomorrow. I'm lazy now. (auxiliary)
• You shall not say such things in my house!“You don’t dare say such things in my house!” (modal verb)

• Kate woke me up early so I should not miss my bus. Kate woke me up early so that I wouldn’t miss my bus. (auxiliary verb should as past form of shall)
• You shouldn't have said these words to Alice.“You shouldn’t have said those words to Alice.” (should as a modal verb)

Verb forms

Infinitive

U regular verbs(regular verbs) this form is formed using the ending -ed.

Past participle of regular verbs matches the shape past indefinite tense(adding ending -ed).

Irregular Verbs(irregular verbs) have unique past participle forms.

• to break → broken
• to set → set
• to show → shown
• to do → done

Aspect of verbs

Aspect(aspect) of verbs indicates the peculiarity of the course of an action in time, its completion or duration. In English, a verb has four aspects: uncertain(or general), perfect, long And absolutely long-lasting aspect. The aspect of a verb is directly related to its tense.

General or undefined aspect verb (simple aspect or indefinite aspect) indicates an action whose time is not defined, facts. The general form includes the tenses Present Simple, Past Simple and Future Simple.

• I eat cakes.- I eat cakes. (there is no clear indication of time or repetition of the action)
• I ate cakes.- I ate cakes.
• I will eat cakes.- I will eat cakes.

Perfect aspect(perfect aspect) indicates an action that is completed in time or an action that precedes another action in the sentence. This aspect includes the perfect (completed) tenses of your cake. (at the moment, emphasis on action)

Perfectly long aspect(perfect progressive aspect) expresses an action that lasted for some time before a certain moment and can continue after it. Verbs in this form often answer the question “ how long?" Expressed in Present Perfect Continuous, Past Perfect Continuous and Future Perfect Continuous.

• I have been eating this cake for an hour.- I (have been) eating this cake for an hour. (how long?)
• Last time I had been eating that cake for an hour.– Last time I ate that cake within an hour.
• I will have been eating a cake for an hour next time.– Next time I’ll eat cake for a (whole) hour.

Transitivity of verbs

In English there are transitional And intransitive Verbs.

Transitive verbs(transitive verbs) express an action that passes to or is performed on a specific object. This subject is a direct object in a sentence. After transitive verbs you can ask the question “ whom?», « What?».

• I'm writing a letter.- I am (now) writing a letter.
• I wash my dog ​​every week.– I bathe my dog ​​every week.
• Matt called me yesterday. Matt called me yesterday.

Intransitive verbs(intransitive verbs) indicate an action that does not require an object. Often intransitive verbs express movement, position in space, and the state of an object. After them, an indirect object (with prepositions) can be used.

• Rachel is laughing.– Rachel laughs.
• I fell from the stairs yesterday.– I fell down the steps yesterday.
• Horses gallop in the field.- Horses are galloping in the field.

Many English verbs, depending on the context, can be like transitional, so intransitive verbs.

• I am singing because I am happy.– I sing because I am happy.
• I always sing this song when I'm happy.– I always sing this song when I’m happy.

• Stop the car here, please.- Stop the car here, please.
• The car stopped here.- The car stopped here.

If you studied English as a child, then you are familiar with long tables with three forms of irregular verbs from school. But the regular verbs of the English language, despite their frequent use in speech, for some reason are always ignored and not studied in tabular form. And in vain, because they also have special grammatical cases. In addition, by memorizing a whole list of regular verbs, we will expand our vocabulary and feel more confident when constructing sentences, without a doubt putting any verb into the form required by the context. But first, let’s remember once again what rule gave the name to such verbs.

Forms of regular English verbs

As you remember, in English grammar there are only four verb forms. Two of them do not require close study: we become familiar with the infinitive when we work on learning new words, and the present participle (Participle I) is invariably formed by adding the ending –ing. There remain two forms, according to which the division into regular English verbs and irregular ones occurs.

According to the grammatical norm*, the formation of the Past Simple (simple past) and Participle II (past participle) occurs by adding the ending –ed to the stem of the word. Accordingly, the appearance of these verb forms is the same.

*Exceptions to this rule are precisely the class of irregular verbs.

But not everything is as simple as it seems at first glance. Adding an ending has its own phonetic and grammatical nuances associated with linguistic features. The following grammar table will help you avoid incorrect formation and pronunciation of past tense forms.

Now we are familiar with all the important points related to the correct formation of verb forms. It's time to get acquainted with the popular representatives of this class of verbs. The table below will present the most common regular verbs with translation and their pronunciation in English.

Regular English verbs – 50 words with transcription and translation

So, we bring to your attention the basic regular verbs in English with transcription and translation.

Congratulations, we have studied over 50 words if we take into account the example verbs used in the theoretical part. Now you not only know what regular English verbs are in theory, but you can also give many practical examples of them. Be sure to continue to improve your English and see you in new classes!

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Anyone who has ever sat down to read an English textbook knows about such a phenomenon as a list of irregular English verbs. What is this list? It contains verbs that deviate from the standard rules for forming past tense and participle forms. It is believed that about seventy percent of irregular verbs (the English name of the term) are used in everyday speech.

From this we can conclude that knowing the list of irregular verbs in English is simply necessary if you want to speak fluently and understand your interlocutor.

The total number of irregular verbs is about 470 words. Is it possible to learn such a volume? Of course, this is quite possible. However, in order for you to feel confident when speaking English, you just need to know 180 verbs.

Before turning directly to the list itself, we will give some tips on how to quickly and efficiently achieve the desired knowledge.

Rote learning

The technique of rote memorization of information is one of the most common techniques. But how effective is it?

When memorizing, we often notice that a large number of words are quickly forgotten, and some completely refuse to settle in our long-term memory. In order for this technique to show its best side, it is necessary to use the learned verbs in practice as often as possible. By the way, subsequent listening to them in some movie, program or just a song helps a lot.

Be sure to have a list of irregular English verbs with translation.

First, you will have to become well acquainted with the meaning of each new word. Typically, all irregular verbs tables include a translation column, so you don't have to worry about spending hours working with the dictionary on your own. Once the correct associations with your native language are in your head, you can calmly move on to the forms being formed.

Irregular Verbs in Poems

Don't worry - you're not the only student trying to master the full list of English irregular verbs, and there is someone to share your hardships. And some craftsmen even try to help somehow.

On the Internet you can easily find all kinds of poems created specifically for such purposes. They contain a number of the most common verbs, skillfully integrated into the overall rhyme and tone of the work. There are also a lot of funny associations, so it will be even easier to remember the necessary information.

using irregular verbs

Games can be played not only by children, but also by adults. And when it comes to learning a foreign language, then games are one of the most effective ways to memorize. You can also find ready-made options on the Internet. Usually these are flash cards, various animations or mini-games, accompanied by sound examples. If you don’t really want to play on the computer, you can easily do something with your own hands, for example the same cards. If you have an English learning partner, then analogue word games or creating dialogues consisting of irregular verbs would be appropriate.

Meet Irregular Verbs

Having talked a little about the methods of memorization, we move on to the most important thing. So, we present to you a list of irregular English verbs with translation.

Verbs in alphabetical order (a, b, c, d)

Verbs starting with a:

abide - abode - abided - abide, hold on;

arise - arose - arisen - rise, arise;

awake - awoke - awake; awoke - to wake up, wake up.

Starting with the letter b:

backbite - backbitten - backbitten - to slander;

backslide - backslid - backslid - fall away;

be - was (were) - been - to be, to be;

bear - bore - born - bear, be born;

beat - beat - beaten - to beat;

become - became - become - become, become;

befall - befell - befallen - happen;

beget - begot (begat) - begotten - generate;

begin - began - begun - to begin;

begird - begirt - begirt - to girdle;

behold - beheld - beheld - to mature;

bend - bent - bended - bend;

bereave - bereft (bereaved) - bereft (bereaved) - deprive;

beseech - besought (beseeched) - b-esought (beseeched) - beg, beg;

beset - beset - beset - to besiege;

bespeak - bespoke - bespoken - to order;

bespit - bespat - bespat - to spit;

bestride - bestrode - bestridden - sit down, sit astride;

bet - bet (betted) - bet (betted) - bet;

betake - betook - betaken - to be accepted, sent;

bid - bad (bade) - bid (bidden) - command, ask;

bind - bound - bound - bind;

bite - bit - bit (bitten) - bite;

bleed - bled - bled - to bleed;

bless - blessed - blessed (blest) - to bless;

blow - blew - blown (blowed) - blow;

break - broken - broken - (c) to break;

breed - bred - bred - to grow;

bring - brought - brought - bring;

broadcast - broadcast - broadcast - distribute, scatter;

browbeat - browbeat - browbeaten - to scare;

build - built - built - to build;

burn - burnt (burned) - burnt (burned) - burn, burn;

burst - burst - burst - burst, explode;

bust - bust (busted) - bust (busted) - split (someone);

buy - bought - bought - to buy.

Verbs starting with:

can - could - could - be able to, be able;

catch - caught - caught - to catch, to catch;

choose - chose - chosen - choose;

cleave - clove (cleft, cleaved) - cloven (cleft, cleaved) - cut;

cling - clung - clung - cling, cling;

come - came - come - to come;

cost - cost - cost - cost;

creep - crept - crept - crawl;

cut - cut - cut - cut.

Verbs starting with d:

dare - durst (dared) - dared - dare;

deal - dealt - dealt - to deal;

dig - dug - dug - dig;

dive - dived (dove) - dived - dive, plunge;

do - did - done - do;

draw - drew - drawn - draw, drag;

dream - dreamt (dreamed) - dreamt (dreamed) - sleep, dream;

drink - drank - drunk - to drink,

drive - drove - driven - to drive, drive;

dwell - dwelt - dwelt - to dwell, to linger.

Continuation of the alphabet (e, g, f, h)

Verbs starting with e:

eat - ate - eaten - eat, eat.

Verbs starting with f:

fall - fell - fallen - fall;

feed - fed - fed - to feed;

feel - felt - felt - to feel;

fight - fought - fought - to fight;

find - found - found - to find;

flee - fled - fled - to run away, to escape;

floodlight - floodlighted (floodlit) - floodlighted (floodlit) - shine with a spotlight;

fly - flew - flown - fly;

forbear - forbore - forborne - to refrain;

forbid - forbad (forbade) - forbidden - prohibit;

forecast - forecast (forecasted) - forecast (forecasted) - predict;

foresee - foresaw - foreseen - to foresee;

forget - forgot - forgotten - to forget;

forgive - forgave - forgiven - to forgive;

forsake - forsook - forsaken - to leave;

forswear - forswore - forsworn - to renounce;

freeze - froze - frozen - freeze, freeze.

Verbs starting with g:

gainsay - gainsaid - gainsaid - deny, contradict;

get - got - got - get;

gird - girded (girt) - girded (girt) - girdle;

give - gave - given - give;

go - went - gone - go, leave;

grave - graved - graved (graven) - engrave;

grind - ground - ground - sharpen, grind;

grow - grown - grown - to grow.

Verbs starting with h:

hang - hung (hanged) - hung (hanged) - hang;

have - had - had - to have;

hear - heard - heard - hear;

hew - hewed - hewed; hewn - to chop, hew;

hide - hid - hidden - hide;

hit - hit - hit - hit, hit;

hold - held - held - to hold;

hurt - hurt - hurt - to cause pain, to offend.

Second part of the alphabet

Verbs starting with i:

inlay - inlaid - inlaid - to put in, to lay out;

input - input (inputted) - input (inputted) - enter;

inset - inset - inset - insert, invest;

interweave - interwove - interwoven - to weave, cover with a pattern.

Verbs starting with k:

keep - kept - kept - keep;

ken - kenned (kent) - kenned - to know, to recognize by sight;

kneel - knelt (kneeled) - knelt (kneeled) - kneel;

knit - knit (knitted) - knit (knitted) - knit;

know - knew - known - to know.

Verbs starting with l:

lade - laded - laded (laden) - to load;

lay - laid - laid - put, put;

lead - led - led - to lead;

lean - leant (leaned) - leant (leaned) - lean, lean;

leap - leapt (leaped) - leapt (leaped) - jump;

learn - learnt (learned) - learnt (learned) - teach;

leave - left - left - throw;

lend - lent - lent - lend;

let - let - let - let go, give;

lie - lay - lain - lie down;

light - lit (lighted) - lit (lighted) - illuminate;

lose - lost - lost - to lose.

Verbs starting with m:

make - made - made - create;

may - might - might - be able, have the opportunity;

mean - meant - meant - have meaning;

meet - met - met - to meet;

miscast - miscast - miscast - incorrectly distribute roles;

mishear - misheard - misheard - mishear;

mishit - mishit - mishit - miss;

mislay - mislaid - mislaid - put in another place;

mislead - misled - misled - to confuse;

misread - misread - misread - misinterpret;

misspell - misspelt (misspeled) - misspelt (misspeled) - write with errors;

misspend - misspent - misspent - save;

misunderstand - misunderstood - misunderstood - misunderstand;

mow - mowed - mown (mowed) - mow (lawn).

Verbs starting with r:

rid - rid (ridded) - rid (ridded) - get rid of;

ride - rode - ridden - ride on horseback;

ring - rang - rung - call;

rise - rose - risen - rise;

run - ran - run - run, flow.

Verbs starting with s:

saw - sawed - sawn (sawed) - sawing;

say - said - said - to speak, to say;

see - saw - seen - to see;

seek - sought - sought - to search;

sell - sold - sold - trade;

send - sent - sent - send;

set - set - set - install;

shake - shook - shaken - shake;

shave - shaved - shaved (shaven) - shave;

shed - shed - shed - to spill;

shine - shone (shined) - shone (shined) - shine, shine;

shoot - shot - shot - shoot, shoot;

show - showed - shown (showed) - show;

shut - shut - shut - slam;

sing - sang - sung - sing;

sink - sank - sunk - to sink, sink, sink;

sit - sat - sat - sit;

sleep - slept - slept - sleep;

slide - slide - slide - slide;

slit - slit - slit - to tear, cut;

smell - smelt (smelled) - smelt (smelled) - smell, smell;

speak - spoke - spoken - carry on a conversation;

speed - sped (speeded) - sped (speeded) - accelerate, hurry;

spell - spelled (spelled) - spell (spelled) - write or read, pronouncing each letter;

spend - spent - spent - spend;

spill - spilt (spilled) - spilt (spilled) - to spill;

spin - spun (span) - spun - spin;

spit - spat (spit) - spat (spit) - don't care;

split - split - split - split;

spoil - spoilt (spoiled) - spoilt (spoiled) - spoil;

spotlight - spotlit (spotlighted) - spotlit (spotlighted) - illuminate;

spread - spread - spread - spread;

stand - stood - stood - stand;

steal - stole - stolen - to steal;

stick - stuck - stuck - to prick, glue;

sting - stung - stung - sting;

stink - stank; stunk - stunk - smell unpleasant;

strike - struck - struck - to strike, beat, go on strike;

swear - swore - sworn - to swear, take an oath;

swell - swelled - swollen (swelled) - to swell;

swim - swam - swum - to swim;

swing - swung - swung - swing.

Verbs starting with t:

take - took - taken - take, take;

teach - taught - taught - learn;

tear - tore - torn - tear;

tell - told - told - tell, say;

think - thought - thought - think;

throw - thrown - thrown - throw.

Verbs starting with w:

wake - woke (waked) - woken (waked) - wake up, wake up;

wear - wore - worn - wear (clothes);

weave - wove (weaved) - woven (weaved) - weave;

wed - wed (wedded) - wed (wedded) - to give in marriage;

weep - wept - wept - cry;

wet - wet (wetted) - wet (wetted) - wet, moisturize;

win - won - won - win;

wind - wound - wound - wind up (mechanism);

write - wrote - written - to write.

We hope that after reading the article, the English language has become a little clearer for you.

When learning English, special attention should be paid to verbs. Firstly, the more verbs you know, the easier it will be for you to express your thoughts in English. After all, if any noun can be replaced by a pronoun, then the verb as a part of speech denoting an action or state cannot be replaced with anything. Secondly, it is impossible to communicate in English without having an understanding of the English verb tense system.

English verbs can be divided into four main groups:

• Semantic - express an action, a process, therefore they are always translated into Russian.
• Auxiliary - do not express actions and are not translated. They are used to form interrogative and negative sentences and complex verb forms.
• Modal - they express not the action itself, but the attitude towards it (should, can, etc.) They, as a rule, are translated.
• Linking verbs - do not express action, serve to connect the subject and the nominal part of the predicate, show tense, number and person.

In addition, verbs are divided into regular and irregular. Irregular Verbs- these are verbs in which the past tense form (Past tense form), as well as the past participle form (Past participle), is formed differently from regular verbs. Regular verbs form these forms by adding –ed to the first form. Forms of irregular verbs need to be learned by heart, especially since they include the most common verbs of everyday speech. As a rule, these verbs are in English-Russian dictionaries, where they are often presented in the form of special lists.

The initial form of all verbs is infinitive, i.e. indefinite form of the verb (answers the question “what to do?”, “what to do?”). Before undef. The form of the verb usually includes the particle to, which is not translated in any way. Example: to read - to read.

The peculiarity of an English sentence is that it always contains a verb. Example: He is a student. - He (is) a student. We see that if there is no verb in a Russian sentence, then in its English version there is a verb is - a linking verb.

Linking verb TO BE

The most common copula verb is the verb to be(to be, to be) This verb has several forms that depend on tense, number, person. Forms of the verb to be:

shall, will – auxiliary verbs of the future tense. The above verb forms must be learned by heart. The linking verb to be means “to be”, “to appear” and is most often not translated. Example: I am a pupil. - I (am) a student. I was a pupil. – I was a student.

Modal verbs (can, may, must)

Modal verbs express not an action, but an attitude towards an action (necessity, probability of some action). These verbs are usually not used independently and are usually placed before the semantic verb. Let's look at three main modal verbs.

Modal verb can(could – past tense form) – be able, be able, can, can, etc.
Examples: He can speak English. - He can (can) speak English.
Modal verb may(might – past tense form) – can, I can, you can, etc.
Examples: You may take the book. – You can take this book.

The verbs can and may should not be confused. The verb can implies the physical ability to do something, the ability to do something. The verb may means possibility, assumption. It is used to ask for permission or to give permission.

Modal verb must(there is no past tense form) – should, should, must, etc.
Examples: I must stop smoking. – I have to stop smoking.

Features of these modal verbs

• The particle to is not placed before modal verbs, and the particle to is not placed after modal verbs before semantic verbs in the indefinite form. Example: We must read. - We must read.
• The modal verb comes before the form of the main verb.
• Modal verbs do not receive the ending -s in the 3rd person singular form of the Present Simple.
• These modal verbs are used without the participation of any auxiliary verbs.
• When forming interrogative and negative sentences, the use of modal verbs has its own characteristics, which I will discuss in the appropriate section.

There are several other modal verbs in English that I am not covering here.

Everyone who studies a foreign language needs to speak quickly and does not want to deal with theory and boring rules. And this is a common mistake that slows down progress in learning and creates a “language barrier.”

A proven fact: without understanding the basic theoretical foundations and elements of the language, learning English is much more difficult, especially if you do it on your own. When choosing words to express your thoughts in a foreign language, it is very important to know what part of speech you need, what properties it has, how you can change it, what its function is, what place in the sentence to put it.

We have already become acquainted with the parts of speech in English and the basic concepts that every student should know in the article. Now it's time to focus on each part of speech.

In English, as in any other language, the central element of a sentence is usually a verb. That is why it has so many forms and times, and special attention is paid to it.

Almost anyone who attended public school should remember the rote definition of what a verb is. The simplest one is: A verb is a word that denotes an action and answers the question “What to do”?.

But in practice it turns out that not every verb answers this question, but still remains a verb. There are many classifications of verbs: by structure, by meaning, but, as I promised, we will not go into unnecessary theoretical details.

We will conditionally divide all the verbs that you will encounter in English into five categories:

1. Semantic verbs.
2. Phrasal verbs.
3. Modal verbs.
4. Auxiliary verbs.

1. Semantic verbs.

Semantic verbs - the most numerous category of verbs. These are exactly the words that answer the question: What to do?

All actions that we perform convey semantic verbs:

Semantic verbs cannot appear before the subject in an affirmative sentence; they can be used with modal verbs and auxiliary verbs to form different tenses:

I can work. - I can work. (modal + semantic)
He is sleeping. - He's sleeping. (auxiliary + semantic)

Semantic verbs cannot independently form negations and questions, so they always need auxiliary verbs, which are placed at the beginning of the sentence in questions and have a negative particle not in negations:

Do you read in English? - Do you read in English?
I do not read in English. - I don't read English.

Semantic verbs can add different endings. In it -s/es when talking about a third person (he reads, she sleeps, it works). The ending is added -ing(sitting, sleeping, working) . In the past tense (), (worked, looked) is added to regular semantic verbs, and irregular ones have three forms that need to be remembered (sit - sat - sat, write - wrote - written). By the way, if you still don’t know how to learn irregular verbs or are constantly confused by them, keep studying them.

2. Phrasal verbs.

Phrasal verbs differ from semantic ones in that they have two or three parts. First- an ordinary semantic verb, and rest: prepositions or adverbs that give a verb a different meaning.

For example:

Sit - sit
sit down - sit down
get - receive
get up - get out of bed

Often the meaning of a phrasal verb can be determined by the preposition in combination with the context, but in many cases the meaning of a phrasal verb cannot be guessed from these signs, since many phrasal verbs have more than one meaning.

At first, it seems that remembering phrasal verbs is simply unrealistic. But that's not true. Some phrasal verbs are used more often, some less frequently, and some have a narrow scope of use. Textbooks begin to introduce us to the most popular phrasal verbs from the level pre-intermediate. To level upper-intermediate there are many more of them. In colloquial speech it is difficult to do without phrasal verbs, so you will need to learn them one way or another.

If you are already faced with the problem of learning phrasal verbs, then I have something for you, from which you will learn several ways to determine the meaning of a phrasal verb. In addition, on the separate blog pages dedicated to phrasal verbs, you can find many articles in which phrasal verbs are divided into topics to make it easier for you to remember them.

3. Auxiliary verbs.

The essence and function of this linguistic phenomenon is already explained by its name. It serves to form various types of utterances. In English textbooks it is called auxiliary verb, and in my classes for convenience I use the name helping verb or assistant verb. These are not scientific terms, but you don’t need them, the main thing is to make it clear.

There is more than one auxiliary verb in English. There are three of them: do, be And have. And also their forms, of which there are many more. Verbs and forms vary depending on the tense in which you are speaking and the person you are speaking about. The verb do and its forms does And did- auxiliary in Simple group tenses, verb to be (am, is, are, was, were) used as an auxiliary in the Continuous tenses, and have (with forms has And had) is a required attribute of tenses of the Perfect group.

Below is a table of auxiliary verbs by tense and person.

Auxiliary verbs are not translated into Russian, but this does not free us from the need to remember and use them. It is with the help of auxiliary verbs that we show the time to which our statement refers.

In all tenses, without exception, negations and questions are formed using auxiliary verbs. In negatives, the particle not is added to the auxiliary verb, and in a question, it is the auxiliary verb that comes first in the sentence.

As for statements, auxiliary verbs are used in all tenses, with the exception of and.

It is important to note that in an English sentence the auxiliary verb has its place, and the place depends on. In an affirmative sentence the verb must be after the subject(actor):

I am reading a book. (Present Continuous)
We have done the task. (Present Perfect)
They will call you. (Future Simple)
She was sleeping. (Past Continuous)

In negation, all verbs are also found after the actor. The particle not is added to the auxiliary and modal verbs, followed by a semantic or phrasal verb:

I am not reading a book. (Present Continuous)
We have not done the task. (Present Perfect)
They will not call you. (Future Simple)
She was not sleeping. (Past Continuous)

In a question, the verb comes in front of the subject (auxiliary verb, modal verb, verb to be), and the semantic and phrasal verbs remain after the subject:

Am I reading a book? (Present Continuous)
Have we done the task? (Present Perfect)
Will they call you? (Future Simple)
Was she sleeping? (Past Continuous)

Auxiliaries are also used to form the passive voice and have shortened forms.

4. Verb to be.

This verb is so unique that I put it in a separate category. It can be both semantic and auxiliary. By itself, it acts as a semantic one in the present, past and future tense, and means “to be, to appear, to be,” although it is not translated into Russian in the present tense:

I am happy. - I (am) happy.
I was happy. - I was happy.
I will be happy. - I will be happy.

In combination with the ing form of the semantic verb, the verb to be forms group times Continuous, and its future tense form will participates in the formation of all future tenses of the English language.

5. Modal verbs.

Modal verbs - this is a separate group of verbs that are not used by themselves, but only in combination with semantic verbs. Modal verbs add some additional, modal meaning to the semantic verb: I can, I can, I will, I must do something. You probably know examples of modal verbs. Here they are: can, could, must, may, might, will, would, shall, should, ought. Often a modal verb cannot be translated without combining it with a semantic verb.

What do modal verbs have in common? They are all used with the infinitive without a particle to(Bare infinitive). There is one exception: verb ought to .

In addition, characteristic feature of modal verbs- the fact that they independently form interrogative and negative forms; they do not need auxiliary verbs.

The hardest part about learning modal verbs is understanding their meanings and functions. So that you can always accurately express your thought and the interlocutor understands you correctly, the choice of a modal verb plays a big role. Modal verbs usually have several meanings, and it would be very tedious to consider them all in one article, so I recommend that you get acquainted with each modal verb separately, which you can do on the pages of our blog Enginform.

If, after reading this material about verbs, you find gaps in your knowledge, then do not rush to bury yourself in textbooks; you do not need to cram all the rules that you find. It is enough to start classes, which will help you understand the intricacies of English grammar gradually, in parallel with practice. There is absolutely no need to go somewhere and waste your time. You can study comfortably at home or from the office whenever it suits you. If you want to try, leave it in Enginform.

In conclusion, I would like to remind you once again that the language you are learning is different from the one you are used to speaking, because each language is a unique and original system. Pay attention to the differences, do not forget about a minimum of theory and this will make your process of learning English easier!