Verb Forms: Definitions, Usage, and Examples

About Verb Forms

A verb form is a variation of a verb that changes to fit the context of the action being described at a particular time. In English, the five verb forms include the root verb, the third person singular present form, the present participle, the simple past, and the past participle.

Root Verb with Examples

The root verb is the basic, unchanged form of the verb, used as the foundation to create other verb forms. It represents the verb in its most basic state, without any modifications or inflections. For regular verbs, this root form is used as the base to form different tenses. However, this does not apply to all verbs, as irregular verbs are conjugated in unique ways, and their root form may change. Root verbs are typically used to express the simple present tense. Here are some examples showing how root verbs are used in sentences.

Some Examples of Root Verbs:

Here are 5 examples of Root Verbs:

• Run: The basic form of the verb meaning to move quickly on foot.

• Jump: The root verb meaning to push oneself off the ground and into the air.

• Write: The fundamental form used to describe the action of composing text.

• Sing: The root verb for producing musical sounds with the voice.

• Eat: The basic form of the verb meaning to consume food.

About Third Person Singular Present Form with Examples

For the third person singular present form, regular verbs in English use an 's' or 'es' added to the root verb to form the simple present tense. This rule applies to verbs such as "runs" from "run," "flies" from "fly," and "watches" from "watch." This form is used to describe actions performed by he, she, or it in the present.

Here are Examples of the Third Person Singular Present form for Vedantu:

• Sara enjoys reading books in the evening.

Root verb – enjoy, Third person singular form – enjoys

• Ravi plays the guitar every weekend.

Root verb – play, Third person singular form – plays

• The cat sleeps on the couch all day.

Root verb – sleep, Third person singular form – sleeps

• Maya writes in her journal daily.

Root verb – write, Third person singular form – writes

• John swims in the pool every morning.

Root verb – swim, Third person singular form – swims

• The teacher explains the lesson clearly.

Root verb – explain, Third person singular form – explains

• The dog barks loudly at strangers.

Root verb – bark, Third person singular form – barks

About Present Participle Form of the Verb with Examples

The present participle form of a verb is created by adding 'ing' to the base form of the verb. For verbs ending in a single vowel followed by a consonant, like "run," the final consonant is doubled before adding 'ing,' resulting in "running." If a verb ends in 'e,' such as "make," the 'e' is dropped and 'ing' is added, changing it to "making." Some verbs keep the 'e' in their present participle form, like "see," which becomes "seeing."

This verb form is used in continuous or progressive tenses to show ongoing actions. It also turns verbs into nouns that describe actions, such as "reading" from "read."

Here are Some Examples of Present Participle Forms:

For words with double consonants:

• Run becomes Running

• Swim becomes Swimming

• Forget becomes Forgetting

• Sit becomes Sitting

• Cut becomes Cutting

For regular verbs converted to present participle:

• Cry becomes Crying

• Try becomes Trying

• Read becomes Reading

• Write becomes Writing (The ‘e’ is removed)

• Age becomes Ageing (The ‘e’ is retained)

Past Participle Form of the Verb with Examples

The past participle form of a verb is used to express actions completed in the perfect tense. For regular verbs, the past participle form is the same as the simple past form. However, irregular verbs often have a unique past participle spelling. Understanding these variations is crucial for forming correct sentences in the perfect tense. Here are some examples to illustrate this:

• Regular Verbs: The past participle form is identical to the simple past form. For instance, "walk" becomes "walked" in both past and past participle forms.

• Irregular Verbs: Verb Forms in English have different past participle forms. For example, "go" becomes "gone" and "eat" becomes "eaten."

Here's a table of examples where verbs have the same spelling in both the simple past and past participle forms:

Verbs that have different spellings in the simple past and past participle forms

How to Use Verb Forms in a Sentence: Key Points to Remember

The present participle form of a verb is created by adding ‘ing’ to the base form or root verb. For monosyllabic verbs ending in a vowel followed by a consonant, the final consonant is often doubled before adding ‘ing’. For Verb Forms in English ending in ‘e’, the ‘e’ is usually dropped, and ‘ing’ is added, though some verbs keep the ‘e’ in the present participle form. This verb form is used in continuous or progressive tenses to show that an action is ongoing. It can also turn verbs into nouns that describe the action itself.

Review Your Learning On Verb Forms

Test your knowledge of the five different verb forms by completing the sentences with the correct verb form.

1. Write five sentences using different root verbs. For each sentence, identify the root verb and explain its role in the sentence.

2. Create five sentences using the third-person singular present form of verbs. For each sentence, specify the third-person singular form used.

3. Write five sentences that use the present participle form of verbs. Describe how the present participle form is used in each sentence.

4. Write five sentences using the simple past form of verbs. Explain how the simple past form is used in each sentence.

5. Compose five sentences that include the past participle form of verbs. Describe how the past participle form contributes to the meaning of each sentence.

Now Check Out if You Got Them All Right from the Answers Below.

1. Root Verb Sentences:

• She runs every morning. (Root verb: run)

• They play football on weekends. (Root verb: play)

• The dog barks loudly. (Root verb: bark)

• I eat breakfast at 7 AM. (Root verb: eat)

• He writes in his journal daily. (Root verb: write)

2. Third Person Singular Present Form Sentences:

• She runs fast in the race. (Third person singular form: runs)

• He reads a book every evening. (Third person singular form: reads)

• The cat sleeps on the couch. (Third person singular form: sleeps)

• Jane cooks dinner for her family. (Third person singular form: cooks)

• It rains a lot in this city. (Third person singular form: rains)

3. Present Participle Form Sentences:

• She is running in the park. (Present participle: running)

• They are playing soccer together. (Present participle: playing)

• The dog is barking loudly. (Present participle: barking)

• I am eating lunch now. (Present participle: eating)

• He is writing a letter. (Present participle: writing)

4. Simple Past Form Sentences:

• She ran in the marathon yesterday. (Simple past form: ran)

• They played tennis last weekend. (Simple past form: played)

• The dog barked at the mailman. (Simple past form: barked)

• I ate a sandwich for lunch. (Simple past form: ate)

• He wrote a story last night. (Simple past form: wrote)

5. Past Participle Form Sentences:

• She has run five miles today. (Past participle: run)

• They have played many games this week. (Past participle: played)

• The dog has barked at strangers before. (Past participle: barked)

• I have eaten all the cookies. (Past participle: eaten)

• He has written several articles. (Past participle: written)

Takeaways from This Page

Verb forms are important for showing when an action happens. The root verb is the starting point for all forms. For the third person singular in the present tense, verbs usually end in ‘s’ or ‘es.’ The present participle ends in ‘ing’ and shows actions that are still happening. The simple past form shows actions that have already happened, and the past participle helps form perfect tenses. Knowing these forms helps make writing and speaking clearer and more accurate.