What is Verb?

A verb is a word that tells or asserts something about a person or thing. Verb comes from the word Latin verbum.It is so called because it is the most important word in a sentence.

A verb may tell us-

(1) What a person or thing does; as,

* Rahim laughs.

* The clock strikes.

(2) What is done to a person or thing; as,

* Rahim is scolded. 

* The door is broken .

(3) What a person or thing; as,

* The dog is dead.

* Glass is brittle.

* I feel sorry.

Definition:-A verb is a word used to tell or assert something about some person or thing.

# A verb often consist of more than one word; as,

* The girls were singing.

* I have learnt my lesson.

* The watch has been found.

# Read the sentences:-

1. The boy kicks the football.

2. The boy laughs loudly.

In sentence 1, the action denoted by the verb kicks passes over from the doer or subject boy to some object football. The verb kicks is, therefore, called a Transitive verb (Transitive means passing over).

In sentence 2, the action denoted by the verb laughs stop with the doer of subject boy and does not pass over to an object. The verb laughs is, therefore, called an Intransitive verb. (Intransitive means not passing over).

Definition:-A Transitive verb is a verb that denotes an action which passes over from the doer or subjects to an objects.

Definition:-An Intransitive verb is a verb that denotes an action which does not pass over to an object, or which express a state or being; as,

* He ran a long distance (action).

* The baby sleeps (Slate).

* There is a flaw in this diamond (being).

Note: Intransitive verb expressing being take the same cases after them as before them.

# Most Transitive verbs take a single object. But such Transitive verbs as give, ask, offer, promise, tell etc. Take two objects after them-an Indirect object which denotes the person to whom something to given or for whom something is done, and a Direct Object which is usually the name of some thing, as,

* His father gave him (Indirect) a watch (Direct).

* He told me (Indirect) a secret (Direct)

# Most verbs can be used both as Transitive and as Intransitive verb s. It is; therefore, better to say that a verb is used transitively or intransitively rather than that it is Transitive or Intransitive.

Used Transitively	Used Intransitively
The ants fought the wasps.	Some ants fight very fiercely.
The shot sank the ship.	The ship sank rapidly.
Ring the bell, Rama.	The bell rang loudly
The driver stopped the Train.	The train stopped suddenly.
The horse kicked the woman.	This horse never kicks.
He spoke the truth.	He spoke haughtily.
I feel a serve pain in my head.	How do you feel?

Note: Some verbs,e.g.,come,go,die,fall,sleep,lie denote actions which cannot be done to anything; they can,therefore,never be used Transitively.

# In such a sentence as ‘The man killed himself ‘where the subject and the object both refer to the same person, the verb is said to used reflexively.

Sometimes, though the verb is used reflexively, the Object is not expressed. In the following examples the reflexive pronoun understood is put in brackets:-

* The bubble burst (itself).

* Please keep (yourselves) quite.

* The Japanese feed (themselves) chiefly on rice.

* The guests made (themselves) merry.

* With this words he turned (himself) to the door.

These verbs may, however, be regarded as pure Intransitive with-out any reflexive force whatever.

# Certain verbs can be used reflexively and also as ordinary Transitive verbs; as,

* Do not forget his name.

* Acquit yourself as man.

* He interested himself in his friend’s welfare.

* His talk does not interested me.

* I forget his name.

* The magistrate acquired him of the charge against him.

* I enjoy myself sitting alone.

* He enjoys good health.

 
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