2. Definition #1
• A verb is an action word. It shows the
action in the sentence.
Source: Sr. Mary Agatha, St. Gabriel’s Catholic School, 1968.
3. Definition #2
• A verb is the central unit of any sentence or
clause, and all the other words in a sentence
take grammatical form based on how they
relate to it. A verb can express action (run,
live, change), or states of being (is, are) or
occurrences (happen, become). Sentences
can have more than one verb. A clause is a
sub-unit of a sentence that has one verb.
Source: The Brief Thomson Handbook (sec. 30c)
4. Definition #3
• A verb is a word that characteristically is the
grammatical center of a predicate and expresses
an act, occurrence, or mode of being, that in
various languages is inflected for agreement with
the subject, for tense, for voice, for mood, or for
aspect, and that typically has rather full descriptive
meaning and characterizing quality but is
sometimes nearly devoid of these especially when
used as an auxiliary or linking verb.
Source: www.merriamwebster.com
5. Definition #4
A definition that works is one based on structure and
function rather than meaning.
Some structural and functional properties of verbs are:
1. If tense is marked anywhere in the clause it is
marked on a verb, the first verb in the verb phrase.
2. If aspect is marked anywhere in the clause, it is
marked on (and with) a verb.
3. In the present tense in a finite clause, the first verb
in the verb phrase marks agreement with the
subject in person and in number.
6. Definition #4: continued
4. Verbs occur in two main subclasses:
auxiliary and lexical (main) verbs. The
order of these auxiliaries and the main verb
is fixed.
5. Only verbs can be operators. An operator
precedes the subject in a yes-no question
and immediately precedes the negative
“not” and can contract with the negative
“not.”
Source: Lynn Gordon: Engl 255 Textbook
7. Similarities in Verb Definitions
VERBS:
• Can express different ideas (actions,
states of being, occurrences)
• Can change in form (past tense,
agreement, etc.)
• Can behave in certain ways (form
questions, negatives)
8. Differences in Verb Definitions
MEANING BASED DEFINITIONS:
• Confusing
• Examples:
His reaction is wonderful.
Her understanding seemed clear.
9. More Differences
STRUCTURE/FUNCTION BASED
DEFINITIONS:
• provide ways to test words to see if they are
verbs.
• require evidence to prove that words are
verbs. These tests can be challenging to
learn, but produce consistently reliable
results.
10. An Example
A test for the past tense:
His reaction is wonderful.
– His (hised?)
– Reaction (reactioned?)
– Is (was)
– Wonderful (wonderfuled)?
Test result: “Is” must be the verb in this
sentence.
