ENGLISH
REFERENCE

verb

n. countable
A2 Elementary US //ˈvɝb// UK //vˈɜːb// verb Archaic Dialect Informal

n. the part of speech that describes an action, an event, or a state of being. Every complete sentence needs at least one.

n. a grammatical category of words that express an action, occurrence, or state of being. Members of this class typically form the main part of the predicate and inflect for tense, aspect, mood, and voice.


SIMPLE

In the sentence 'She runs', the word 'runs' is a verb.

CONTEXTUAL

When you learn a new language, you often have to memorise how verbs change depending on the subject and the tense.

COMPLEX

In English grammar, a transitive verb requires a direct object to complete its meaning, whereas an intransitive one can stand alone within the predicate.

Origin

From Middle English verbe, directly from Latin verbum (“word, verb”), reinforced by Old French verbe, from Proto-Indo-European *werdʰo-. Doublet of verve and word.

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