CDS English · Grammar
Verbs, and the -ing and to- forms
A verb is the action or state of the subject. Items ask whether it takes an object, which tense it is in, and what job an -ing or to- form is doing.
Why this matters
Verb items ask three things: which word is the verb, whether it takes an object, and what an -ing or to- form is doing. The -ing form is the usual trap: the same word can be a describing word, a naming word or part of a tense.
Concept 1 of 3: Finite verbs: transitive, intransitive, linking, tense
Every full sentence has a main verb that changes with its subject and its time: he eats, they ate. Then ask one question after it: 'what?' or 'whom?'. If the sentence answers, the verb carries an object.
Definition
Terms:
- Finite verb: the main verb of the sentence; it shows tense and agrees with the subject (The artist pranced; The number leapt).
- Transitive verb: takes an object (Ravi won the match: won what? the match).
- Intransitive verb: takes no object (The baby laughed).
- Linking verb: be, seem, become, look. It joins the subject to a description and takes no object (The building is ancient). In these items it counts as intransitive.
- Auxiliary verb: a helping verb before another verb (is going, has eaten, had left).
- Tense: the time the verb shows. Present perfect = has/have + third form (has offered). Past perfect = had + third form (had left): an action finished before another past action.
The method:
- Is the word the action or state of the subject? Then it is a verb.
- Ask 'what?' or 'whom?' after it. An answer that is a noun = object = transitive. No answer = intransitive.
- Is it 'be' on its own before a description? Linking verb, not auxiliary.
Worked example
Name the kind of verb underlined: The farmer sold his cows at the fair.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2020 · CDS (II) 2020 — English · Q89Easy
Example 1 · Grammar · Parts of Speech: Verbs and Verbals
Directions: part of speech of the underlined word
The ants fought the wasps.
Not every word after a verb is an object
'Slept for three hours', 'walked to school', 'ran fast': none of these has an object. An object is a noun or pronoun that answers 'what?' or 'whom?' with no preposition in front.
'Is' alone is not an auxiliary
'Is' is an auxiliary only when another verb follows it (is going). In 'The building is very ancient' it is the main verb, a linking verb, and takes no object, so it is intransitive.
Name only the underlined word
In 'Rita eats her dinner quickly', the adverb 'quickly' is tempting, but the underlined word is the action: a verb. Check which word carries the line before you answer.
Concept 2 of 3: Participle, gerund or infinitive
A verbal is a verb form that does another job. The -ing form can describe a noun or name an activity. 'To' + verb can name an activity too. Ask what the form is doing in this sentence.
Definition
The three verbals:
- Participle: a verb form used to describe a noun. Present participle = -ing (Noticing the change, the cadets returned). Perfect participle = having + third form (Having finished her work, Sharmila left).
- Gerund: an -ing form used as a noun: the subject or object of a verb, or after a preposition (Smoking is harmful; I am fond of reading).
- Infinitive: 'to' + the base form of the verb (to find, To swim). It too can be a subject or an object.
The method for an -ing word:
- Can you replace it with 'it' or 'this'? (It is good for health.) Then it names an activity: gerund.
- Does it open a phrase before a comma and describe the subject that follows? Or stand before a noun? Participle.
- Does it follow is, was, were, are? It is part of the verb's tense (were singing): name it Verb.
Worked example
Name the class of the underlined word: Hearing the bell, the students ran out of the room.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2024 · CDS (I) 2024 — English · Q43Easy
Example 2 · Grammar · Parts of Speech: Verbs and Verbals
Directions: word class of the underlined word
Smoking is injurious to health.
The same -ing word, three jobs
'Swimming is good' (gerund, the subject), 'the swimming boy' (participle, describes a noun), 'He is swimming' (part of the verb). Decide by the job, never by the ending.
'To' + verb is not a preposition
'To' before a base verb (to find, to swim) makes an infinitive. 'To' before a noun (went to school) is a preposition.
Gerund, not just Noun
A gerund does a noun's job, so 'Noun' looks safe. But when 'Gerund' is offered, it is the exact label for an -ing verb form used as a noun. Likewise, 'Having' in 'Having finished ...' is a perfect participle, not an auxiliary verb.
Concept 3 of 3: Verb form in a blank: 'were' for the unreal, 'has' for 'it'
Two rules decide most verb blanks here. When a sentence imagines something that is not true, English uses 'were' for every subject. And a singular subject takes the singular verb: it has, not it have.
Definition
The unreal 'were' (the subjunctive):
- After if for something untrue or imagined: If I were rich, I would travel.
- After as if and as though: He talks as if he were the boss.
- After I wish for a wish about now: I wish it were Sunday.
- It is 'were' for every subject: I were, he were, she were.
- A real, possible condition uses the normal tense: If it rains, we will stay home.
Agreement (the verb matches its subject):
- Singular subject (he, she, it, a singular noun): has, is, does.
- Plural subject (they, we, plural nouns): have, are, do.
- In 'it has had no results', 'has' is the helper and 'had' is the main verb 'have'. Both are needed.
Worked example
Fill in the blank: If he _______ the captain, he would change the batting order. (a) is (b) was (c) were (d) has been
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2022 · CDS (I) 2022 — English · Q17Moderate
Example 3 · Grammar · Parts of Speech: Verbs and Verbals
Directions: choose best word or group for the blank
I wish I _______ young again.
'Was' sounds natural, 'were' scores
In everyday speech many people say 'If I was'. For an unreal case the exam wants were, for every subject.
Not every 'if' is unreal
'If it rains, we will stay home' is a real possibility: normal present tense, then 'will'. Use 'were' only when the sentence is imagining something untrue, usually with 'would'.
'Has had' is not a mistake
'It has had no good results' is the present perfect of 'have'. 'It' is singular, so the helper is has; 'did' or 'didn't' cannot stand before 'had'.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Watch out for (9)
- Not every word after a verb is an object→ Finite verbs: transitive, intransitive, linking, tense
- 'Is' alone is not an auxiliary→ Finite verbs: transitive, intransitive, linking, tense
- Name only the underlined word→ Finite verbs: transitive, intransitive, linking, tense
- The same -ing word, three jobs→ Participle, gerund or infinitive
- 'To' + verb is not a preposition→ Participle, gerund or infinitive
- Gerund, not just Noun→ Participle, gerund or infinitive
- 'Was' sounds natural, 'were' scores→ Verb form in a blank: 'were' for the unreal, 'has' for 'it'
- Not every 'if' is unreal→ Verb form in a blank: 'were' for the unreal, 'has' for 'it'
- 'Has had' is not a mistake→ Verb form in a blank: 'were' for the unreal, 'has' for 'it'
Test yourself on Grammar
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