COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES- I ENGLISH GRAMMAR 1. VERBS AND AUXILIARIES Without proper knowledge of the basic components of English, its study would be incomplete. Verbs and its various forms are fundamental to the learning of English language. In this chapter we shall focus on Verbs and Auxiliaries. In the later chapters we will discuss Tenses and Verbals.
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Objectives By the end of this lesson you will:
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Identify basic verbs and auxiliaries Use basic verbs correctly in spoken and written language Use basic auxiliaries correctly in spoken and written language
Introduction In this lesson we will be discussing Verbs and Auxiliaries. Their use is the basis of the construction of sentences. A thorough understanding of the concepts and acquiring confidence in correct sentence formation will help students move on to more advanced features of the verb like various tenses, verbals and concord. This understanding, in turn will form the basis of the correct usage of the English language. The material covered will go along with the video you will watch in class. We have given many examples to support the theory along with exercises to make you comfortable in applying what you have learnt.
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Verbs A verb is a word of action which tells us what is happening, or what something or someone is doing. For Example: The boy hugs the dog. The girl plays in the park.
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In the above sentences we see action which is performed by a boy (in the first sentence) and a girl (in the second sentence). 1.2.1 Use of Verb We have already learnt that a verb is a word of action. Now let us use some verbs in forming simple sentences. The verbs used are underlined. For Example: I love sweets. I eat sweets everyday after dinner. She went to Delhi. She bought some saris there. Rajiv plays tennis. He went to Calcutta last year to watch a match. Amitabh Bachhan acted very well in the film ‘Black’. Rahul Dravid batted throughout the day. Mohit types very fast. The boss likes his work. The secretary went to the bank. He requested the bank officer to give him some information.
Self-Check Questions Underline the verb in each of the following sentences. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Mahatma Gandhi fought for India’s freedom. A.R.Rehman composed many tunes. Pandit Ravishankar plays the sitar. Jawaharlal Nehru loved children. Ganga flows through Varanasi.
Fill in the blanks with suitable verbs (from those given in the box below). walks
went
watch
visits
cooked
6. She _______________ the dinner. 7. She _______________ London every year. 8. We ______________ the news on television every night. 9. Rohit _______________to school. 10. My grandmother _____________ very slowly.
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Auxiliary
There are some verbs in which we cannot see any action. These words are called auxiliaries. They are: am, is, are, was, were, has, have, do, does, did, and had. Please make it a point to remember these verbs. An auxiliary is a word that helps a verb. One auxiliary can support only one verb. The 11 words we just learnt about are used either as auxiliaries or as verbs. In other words, they can either be used as words that help verbs or as verbs by themselves. The verbs ‘am’, ‘is’, ‘are’, ‘were’, and ‘was’ are variations (or forms) of the verb ‘be’. We need to pick the one based on the subject of the sentence. Take a look at the chart below: Subject Form of the verb ‘be’ I am you are he/she is they are
For Example: 1. 2. 3. 4.
I am hungry. You are hungry. He/she is hungry. They are hungry.
1.3.1 Use of Auxiliary We have learnt that a ‘verb’ is a word of action but may sometimes need the help of another word called ‘auxiliary’. PLEASE NOTE: The word “auxiliary” means “helping”. Let us practice the use of the following auxiliaries. You will observe that the variations of the auxiliaries that we discussed in the previous paragraph are also given. 1. be – the various forms of ‘be’ are: am, is, are, was, were 2. do, does, did 3. have, has, had Now let us look at the following sentences and try to understand how the 11 auxiliaries that are used as verbs can be applied in sentences. For Example: The little girl was watching the birds as they made their nests. I am sick. India is fighting terrorism. My parents are angry with me. They were in Delhi last month. She did/does the housework. 3
They have a beautiful garden. Malini has two children. My father had a car till last year
Self-Check Questions Fill in the blanks with the correct auxiliaries. 11. We ___ going to the meeting. 12. They ____very busy. 13. I ___ not joining the BPO. 14. He ___ very efficient. 15. Chennai ___ a clean railway station. 16. The company ___ a bus for workers. 17. Many graduates ____ gone to the job interview. 18. The boss ___ very good to us.
1.3.2 Looking for Auxiliaries in Text Sample Passage: Let us now read a small passage, using some of the eleven auxiliaries that we just learnt about. The passage is about the city of Delhi. New Delhi is the capital of India. It has a large population. I have been living in Delhi for the last fifteen years. A number of historical monuments are situated in Delhi. South Delhi is known for its greenery. We also have a number of beautiful parks all over the city. In the past, Delhi was also the capital of the Mughal Empire. The Mughal emperors were responsible for the construction of most of the historical monuments. They also had a deep influence on the art and culture of this city. Fashion trends in Delhi have an impact on the rest of the country. The British Government did a lot for Delhi by constructing buildings like Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House and Supreme Court. All this gives the city of Delhi a special look. There are 20 other auxiliaries which can be used only to help a verb. These auxiliaries are: can, may, will, shall, should, might, could, would, must, never, dare, need, keep, kept, used to, ought to, going to, be, been, being. With some practice/reading, you will be able to remember these auxiliaries and use them in a proper manner. In the following sentences, we have used some of the 20 auxiliaries, listed above, with a verb. 4
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
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The old lady can live on her own. I must go to the concert. I have read this book. I might go abroad this summer. She used to sing very well. We shall watch television tonight. You should act in plays. They ought to know the rules of the game.
Summing Up In this lesson you have learnt that
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verbs are action words auxiliaries are words that support or help verbs some auxiliaries can be used independently as verbs.
Answers to Self-Check Questions
1. fought 2. composed 3. plays 4. loved 5. flows 6. cooked 7. visits 8. watch 9. went 10. walks 11. were/are/will be 12. were/are 13. am 14. is/was/will be 15. was/is/will be/had/has/will have 16. had/has/will have 17. had/have 18. was/is/has been/will be In sentences 11, 13 and 17, you will observe that the auxiliaries help the verb while in the other sentences they are merely used as verbs.
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References
Colonel (Retd) Jayakaran, I. Everyone’s Guide To English Grammar (A New Approach). Chennai: Apple Publishing International (P) Ltd, March 2003.
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Wren and Martin. Revised by Prasada Rao,N.D.V. High School English Grammar & Composition. New Delhi: S.Chand & Company Ltd, 2005. Syamala, V. Effective English Communication for You. Chennai: Emerald Publishers, 2003. Scholastic Writer’s Desk Reference. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2000. Stern,George. Learners’ Grammar Dictionary. Singapore: Learners Publishing Pte Ltd, 2000. Wijesinha, Rajiva. A Handbook of English Grammar. Chennai: Foundation Books, 2004. Fowler, W.S. and Coe, Norman. Test and Practice your English. Chennai: Orient Longman Private Ltd, 2003. Azar, Betty Schrampfer and Azar, Donald A. Fundamentals of English Grammar U.S.A : Prentice Hall Regents, 1994. Briggs, Sandra J. Grammar: Strategies and Practice. U.S.A: ScottForesman and Company. 1994. Fogiel, M. Handbook of English. U.S.A: Research and Education Association. 1994.
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Glossary • • •
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Auxiliary: a verb without action; helps a verb; there are two kinds - auxiliary cum verb and auxiliary used along with a verb Conversation: a spoken exchange of words between two or more individuals Sentence: a group of words that tells a complete thought; a set of words that is complete in itself, conveying a statement, question, exclamation, or command Verb: a word that shows action or a state of being