ENGLISH LANGUAGE: Elements of Composition Writing

Topic: Verbs (Definition, Types, and Examples)

Class: JSS 1

Welcome, JSS 1 students! Today, we will learn about one of the most important parts of a sentence: the Verb. Understanding verbs will help you write clear, interesting, and correct compositions.

Core Concepts

What is Composition Writing?

Composition writing is simply putting your thoughts, ideas, or stories into written form. It's how you communicate with others through writing. Good composition writing uses all parts of speech correctly to make your message clear and engaging.

What is a Verb?

A verb is a word that shows an action, an occurrence, or a state of being. Verbs are the "doing" or "being" words in a sentence. Every complete sentence must have a verb.

• Example: The girl sings beautifully. (sings shows action)
• Example: He is a student. (is shows a state of being)

Key Points

There are three main types of verbs you need to know:

1. Action Verbs

Action verbs show what the subject of the sentence is doing. This action can be physical (something you can see) or mental (something you do in your mind).

• Physical Actions:
  • She runs fast.
  • The boys play football.
  • I eat rice every day.
• Mental Actions:
  • He thinks deeply.
  • We believe in honesty.
  • They remember the lesson.

2. Linking Verbs

Linking verbs do not show action. Instead, they connect the subject of a sentence to a word or phrase that describes or renames the subject. They link the subject to more information about it.

Common linking verbs include forms of "to be" (is, am, are, was, were), and other verbs like seem, appear, become, feel, look, smell, sound, taste.

• Examples:
  • She is happy. (is links "She" to "happy")
  • They are students. (are links "They" to "students")
  • The food smells delicious. (smells links "food" to "delicious")
  • He became a doctor. (became links "He" to "doctor")

3. Helping Verbs (Auxiliary Verbs)

Helping verbs work with main verbs (action or linking verbs) to form a complete verb phrase. They help the main verb show tense (when something happened), mood, or voice.

Common helping verbs include forms of "to be" (is, am, are, was, were), "to have" (have, has, had), and "to do" (do, does, did). Other helping verbs are called modal verbs, such as will, would, shall, should, can, could, may, might, must.

• Examples:
  • She is singing a song. (is helps singing)
  • They have finished their homework. (have helps finished)
  • I will go to school tomorrow. (will helps go)
  • You should study hard. (should helps study)

Summary

Verbs are essential words in every sentence. They tell us what the subject is doing, what is happening, or what the subject is like. Remember the three main types of verbs:

• Action Verbs: Show physical or mental actions (e.g., run, think).
• Linking Verbs: Connect the subject to a description or a new name (e.g., is, seem).
• Helping Verbs: Work with other verbs to show tense or possibility (e.g., is, have, will).

Practice identifying these verbs in sentences, and your composition writing will become much stronger!