1. What is a Verb?
A verb is an action word. It tells us what the subject (person, animal, or thing) is doing.
- Physical Actions: run, eat, jump, scream.
- Mental Actions (Thinking): think, know, believe, forget.
2. The "S" Rule (Subject-Verb Agreement)
This is the most common area where students lose marks in Paper 1 (Objective) and Paper 2 (Writing).
| Subject Type | Rule (Simple Present Tense) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular (One) He, She, It, Ali, The cat |
Add -s or -es to the verb. | He walks to school. |
| Plural (Many) They, We, You, I, Ali and Abu |
Do NOT add -s (Keep the original word). | They walk to school. |
Exam Hack: Remember the "Opposite Rule":
- If the Subject has no "s" (Singular), the Verb needs an "s".
- If the Subject already has an "s" (Plural), the Verb stays plain!
- (Special Case: "I" and "You" always follow the Plural rule).
3. Mastering Tenses (Timeline)
In exams, you must look for "Time Markers" to decide which form of the verb to use.
A. Simple Present Tense (Habits & Facts)
- Keywords: always, every day, usually, often, seldom.
- Use: Things you do repeatedly.
Example:
I brush my teeth every morning.
B. Simple Past Tense (Completed Actions)
- Keywords: yesterday, last night, two days ago, just now, in 2023.
- Use: Things that are finished.
- Rule: Add -ed (talked) or use Irregular forms (ate).
Example:
We watched a movie last night.
C. Present Continuous Tense (Happening Now)
- Keywords: now, at the moment, "Look!", "Listen!"
- Formula: is / am / are + Verb-ing.
Example:
Look! The bird is flying.
4. "Verb Detective" Exam Tips
To score high, follow these 3 steps for every verb question:
1.
Find the Time Marker: Is it every day (Present) or yesterday (Past)?
2.
Check the Subject: Is it one person or many people?
3.
Apply the Rule: If it's yesterday, use Past Tense. If it's every day, check the "S" rule.
Example Exam Question:
Question: My brother _________ (buy) a new bicycle last week.
- Step 1: The marker is last week (Past Tense).
- Step 2: I need the Past Tense of "buy".
- Correct Answer: bought.
5. Must-Remember: Irregular Verbs
These are "tricky" verbs that do not follow the "-ed" rule. They appear very often in exams:
Go → Went
Eat → Ate
See → Saw
Buy → Bought
Drink → Drank
Sleep → Slept
Write → Wrote
Run → Ran
Quick Check!
Can you find the mistake in this sentence?
"The students goes to the library yesterday."
The Errors:
1.
The Subject: "Students" is plural (many), so it should be go, not goes.
2.
The Time: "Yesterday" means it must be Past Tense.
3.
The Correct Sentence: "The students went to the library yesterday."