First Grammar Lessons: Part I, Lesson VI

First Grammar Lessons: Part I, Lesson VI

Lesson VI

An interesting thing about verbs is, that they go in families; that is to say, to every verb there are five or six words.

To do is a verb, and some of its words are:

dodiddoesdoingdone.

Be is a very busy and useful verb.

Is, are, was, were, are some of its words, and if you notice how often you meet with them when you are reading, you will see how many predicates they must help to make.

Notice, they only help. Some verbs can predicate or tell something about a subject by themselves.

John reads.

But if we say, John is, or John was, we do not make sense.

John is what?
John is a boy.

Here we have a noun to help make the predicate.

John is good.

Here we have an adjective.

To be learnt.

“Is” and a noun make a predicate.

“Is” and an adjective make a predicate.

Exercise VI

1. Make three sentences with ‘do,’ ‘did,’ ‘does,’ in the predicate.

With three words of the verb ‘to talk’ (talk, talks, talked), ‘to go’ (go, went, goes), ‘to have’ (have, has, had), etc.

2. Make sentences with ten verbs that can predicate by themselves:

Mary sings.

3. The same with ten verbs that want other words after them:

Henry cut?—his finger.

4. Ten sentences with ‘is’ and a noun for the predicate.

5. Ten with ‘is’ and an adjective for the predicate; with ‘was’ and an adjective.