Verbs

One way to identify and remember being verbs is by categories:

* the be group: be, is, are, am, was, were, been

* the have group: have, has, had

* the do group: do, did, done (usually used for emphasis or to form questions)

* others: must, may/might, shall/should, can/could, will/would

Note, however, that the be, have, and do verbs can be helping or main verbs.
* Jerry is witty (main verb). Jerry is coming (helping verb) home.
* Leon had a pet snake (main). He had caught it in the woods (helping).
* Judy does a good job (main). She does work hard (helping).

Also, must has come into modern usage as a noun; for example, "Another must for Sandburg fans is the performance of his Rootabaga stories." (We won't get into a discussion of the word need.)

FROM Joy Bagley (WNC Writers Facilitator (bagley030@aol.com)ON VERBS