VERBS

Verbs have traditionally been defined as words that show action or state of being.

 

Verbs can also sometimes be recognized by their position in a sentence.

In the following two sentence frames, only a verb can be put into the empty slot.

            NOUN __________                            THERE ________ NOUN

                            (verb)                                                        (verb)

Often, prefixes and suffixes (affixes)  will signify that a word is a verb.  For example, the suffixes -ify, -ize, -ate, or -en usually signify that a word is a verb, as in typify, characterize, irrigate,and sweeten.  Prefixes such as be-, de-, or en–  may signify that a word is a verb, as in bestow, dethrone, and encourage.