1. FOUNDATIONS OF
GRAMMAR
Podcast 3: What is a verb?

2. What is a verb?
Verbs are one of the most important components of language and it is
impossible to write a complete sentence without a verb.

3. What is a verb?
Verbs are one of the most important components of language and it is
impossible to write a complete sentence without a verb. The other
essential element of a sentence is a subject (which you will learn more
about in Podcast 5: What is a subject?)

4. What is a verb?
Verbs are one of the most important components of language and it is
impossible to write a complete sentence without a verb. The other
essential element of a sentence is a subject (which you will learn more
about in Podcast 5: What is a subject?): the verb gives us information
about the subject.

5. What is a verb?
Verbs express actions or states of being:
- Action: La Trobe University language students revise after
each lesson
The verb “revise” describes the action performed by La Trobe
students
- State of being: La Trobe University language students are
very diligent
“are” is a form of the verb “to be”, and describes La Trobe
University language students’ state of being

6. What is a verb?
Verbs can be:

7. What is a verb?
Verbs can be:
a) simple (made up of one word)
I eat, we play, he runs, she talked

8. What is a verb?
Verbs can be:
a) simple (made up of one word)
I eat, we play, he runs, she talked
b) compound (made up of more than one word – for example, an
auxiliary or “helping” verb, and another verb)
he was talking, they were reading, I am laughing, he would go

9. What is a verb?
TERMINOLOGY:
•Infinitive: The name of the verb – to eat, to play, to read, to be. Dictionaries contain the
infinitive form of the verb (without the “to” preceding it – eat, play, read, be).

10. What is a verb?
TERMINOLOGY:
•Conjugate: To change a verb from the infinitive so that it agrees with relevant subject/s
and/or tense.
Refer to Podcast 4: What does it mean to conjugate a verb?

11. What is a verb?
TERMINOLOGY:
•Transitive: Transitive verbs require direct objects (NB: Direct objects can be implicit rather
than specified).
Refer to Podcast 8: What is a direct object?

12. What is a verb?
TERMINOLOGY:
•Intransitive: Intransitive verbs are unable to take direct objects

13. What is a verb?
TERMINOLOGY:
•Intransitive: Intransitive verbs are unable to take direct objects
NB: Some verbs can be used both transitively and intransitively. The
verb “to burn” is one example:
Transitive use: I burnt the toast
Intransitive use: The candle burns brightly

14. Thank You
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