Verbs

Just the Basics

100

This means to change the form of a word to match subject, tense, gender, etc.

inflect / inflection

200

Verbs can express these three things.

Action, occurrence, state-of-being

300

When we're talking about inflecting verbs, we call it this.

Conjugation

400

Every sentence needs at least _____ _____ verb.

one finite verb

500

Give an example of an action verb, an "occurrence verb," and a "state of being" verb.

(various answers) e.g., "to run," "to happen," "to be"

Finite or Infinitive?

100

He WAS RUNNING as fast as he could to get away from the rampaging bull.

finite

200

I used to go TO NEPAL to tan in the Himalayas.

TRICK QUESTION! (sorry, low blow) It's a prepositional phrase.

300

Identify the finite and the infinitive verbs: "I couldn't fly if I wanted to."

could - finite (to) fly - infinitive wanted - finite to (fly) - infinitive

400

I can't DO that.

infinitive

500

How many of each kind of verb (finite, infinitive) are in the following sentence? --> "Ms. Kalmar ran to the magical portal to see if she could find a way to travel back in time to the Viking age and bring a dragon back to be her pet."

finite - 3 (ran, could, bring) infinitive - 4 (to see, find, to travel, to be)

Uses of Infinitives

100

How is the following infinitive being used? --> "I asked TO GO to the store to buy a pint of dragon's blood."

completes the meaning of "asked"

200

How is the following infinitive being used? --> "TO HAVE a dragon would make me quite happy."

noun phrase / subject of "would make"

300

How is the following infinitive being used? --> "I used TO HAVE a dragon but I lost it in WalMart one day."

completes the meaning of "used"

400

Write a sentence which uses an infinitive as a noun.

(various answers)

500

Write a sentence which uses an infinitive to express purpose.

(various answers)