Tips to use Verbs in sentences correctly | Grammar

Verbs are a great tool used to make your writing sound more natural and eloquent. When using correct verbs correctly, they add clarity to what is being said. Proper verb phrasing is used in everyday speech and helps convey ideas clearly, effectively, and concisely.

Here are some tips about how to properly use verbs.

Use active voiceActive voice means the action happens first then the subject takes place. Active voice makes the sentence easier to understand. An example would be "The dog chased the cat." In the passive voice, the subject becomes the object. So instead "the cat was chased by the dog." The dog does not chase the cat until after it happened.

Use short sentencesShort sentences are better than long ones. Short sentences are easier to read and can be understood at once. A shorter sentence uses less space on the page and keeps the reader interested.

Avoid unnecessary wordsYou should avoid using unnecessary words. Using unnecessary words just slows down the flow of the text and adds clutter to the paragraph. Overuse of adverbs, adjectives, and nouns are also unnecessary.

Keep sentences simple and straight forwardBe careful when putting several clauses together in one sentence. Make sure the first clause implies the second. Also, try not to combine too many parts of speech within the same sentence.

Add punctuation wiselyPunctuation is very important to making your meaning clear and understandable. Punctuation includes commas, semi-colons, colons, parentheses, exclamation points, question marks, and quotation marks. These punctuation devices help clarify what you mean and keep things organized.

There are different types of punctuation that correspond to each purpose. For instance, a comma is used to separate two independent clauses while a period is used to end a sentence. You may have noticed on certain websites, you'll find no punctuation between paragraphs. That's called "uninterrupted paragraphs," and it's considered bad style.

To know what you need to do (Do)The verb “to do” should be used to talk about things you have done before. Use Do if you want to say you did something in the past. If you want to describe what someone else has done, use Did.

Wanting to do something (Want)This verb talks about things you would love to do. It uses a word called “wanting” to mean you wish you could do something. Use Want if you feel like something is missing in your life. You might think about wanting a new job or even a new car.

Doing something (Doing)Using doing, you describe what you are currently doing. While using want, you focus on what you desire to do. Using doing, you describe what others are doing right now. Use Doing to describe actions that people are taking at present.

Verb Types

Stative Verbs: Stative verbs are actions with no real object. These are generally verbs that describe something abstract that's not happening at the moment. Instead of describing what's going on in the current moment, they describe what happened before, or what's about to happen.

Action Verbs: Action verbs describe concrete things that are actually happening right now. These are verbs that describe objects, places, and people involved in active events.

Examples:

I am standing (stative verb)

He is walking (action verb)

We are talking (action verb)

She is working (action verb)

They are watching TV (stative verb)

**Stative verbs tend to be used for general statements, while action verbs are often used for specific situations.

Verbs are words that describe actions. While this may seem simple enough, it turns out that many people struggle with their usage and understanding of these words. Below are some examples of the different ways that verbs can be used and what they mean.

To make things easier to understand, let's start off with some example sentences using each type of verb.

Simple Action Verbs: These verbs simply tell someone to do something. This could be done directly (e.g., “She told me to go home”), indirectly (e.g., She told me to take her place at lunch,") or both (e.g., He asked me if she was going home"). These are generally the easiest to remember and use correctly.

Verb Tense

There are three main verb tenses: past, present, and future tense. A past tense verb indicates an action happened in the past while a present tense verb indicates an ongoing action happening now. While a future tense verb describes what is going to happen in the future.

Past Tense VerbsPast tense verbs describe actions that have already occurred in the past. These may include things such as started, finished, had, were, got, gave, etc. Examples: “I started playing basketball”, “I finished my homework”, “The teacher let us go home early today”.

Present Tense VerbsPresent tense verbs indicate something is currently happening. Present tense verbs commonly represent continuous events such as “I am walking”, “He is studying”, “They are eating lunch”, “We are reading a book”.

Future Tense VerbsFuture tense verbs describe what will happen in the future. They often express ideas of probability, uncertainty, or speculation, e.g., “I will start running tomorrow”, “She will finish her essay before midnight”, “You should study harder”.

Choosing suitable verbs for context

1. To give something away (give-away)

To use or consume (use-consume)

To make something happen (make-happen)

To make something easier (easier-ease)

To put something in place and cause it to work (put-work)

To make something less complex (less-complex)

To get rid of something (get-rid)

To remove something (remove-rem)

To find out about something (find-out)

To take action and do things to help someone else (take-action)

To create or produce (create-prod)

To move someone or something around so they fit where you want them to go (move-place)

To help something exist or stay alive (help-exist)

To bring two things together to make a single thing (bring-together)