Got a Verb Phrase?�A lesson on Main & Helping Verbs

By Mrs. Daws

English Teacher

Aquin Catholic Schools

What is a Verb Phrase?

A verb phrase consists of two things:

1. The main verb

2. A helping verb

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Example: The brown cow is jumping over the rusty fence.

Main verb

Helping verb

The main verb is the most important word.

The helping verb comes before the main verb. Be careful, there may be more than one helping verb!

I have been learning all about verbs.

What is a Verb Phrase?

A verb phrase can be thought of like a boy and raft.

Helping verb

Main verb

The boy (main verb) could float in the water by himself…but the raft (helping verb) makes it better for him.

It’s important to know the common helping verbs or their common phrases:

• Do
• Did
• Does
• Am
• are
• Is
• Was
• Were
• Have
• Has

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• Had
• Can
• May
• Will be
• Will have
• Can be
• Can have
• Must have
• Must have been

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• Can have
• Could be
• Could have
• Will have been
• Might have
• Might have been

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Helping verb song. This is just the basic 23 verbs.

Let’s test your verb phrase knowledge…

1. had
2. been sleeping
3. been sleeping in
4. had been sleeping

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Select the verb phrase in the following sentence:

James had been sleeping in his bed.

FANTASTIC….Let’s try another!

A. is

B. giving

C. is giving

D. giving present

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Select the verb phrase in the following sentence:

Sarah is giving a present to Mark.

Wow! You're Good….Here’s another!

A. did go

B. did go to

C. go

D. go to

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Select the verb phrase in the following sentence:

The girls’ basketball team did go to state.

More Review…

Look at these sentences:

1. Monica did go to the store.

did = helping verb

go=main verb

2.Julie is driving to the high school.

is = helping verb

driving=main verb

3. Mr. Gowell did teach students to use the internet.

did = helping verb

teaching=main verb

Let’s do it! I’m ready.

Participles

Verbs have four principal parts that are used to form all tenses. The chart below shows how the principal parts of most verbs are formed.

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Participles

The principal parts of a verb are often combined with helping verbs to form verb phrases.

There are two types of participles.

~PRESENT PARTICIPLES

~PAST PARTICIPLES

The students are jumping rope now.

In the sentence above, the word are is the helping verb, and the present participle jumping is the main verb. Together they form a verb phrase.

~Present Participles end in -ing

~Past Participles end in -ed

Be, Have, and Do

Forms of the helping verb BE include am, is, and are in the present and was and were in the past.

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These 5 helping verbs combine with the present participle of the main verb.

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Yes...a present participle

can be past tense.

Be, Have, and Do

Forms of the helping verb HAVE include has and had.

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These 3 helping verbs combine with the past participle form of a verb.

In your notes, write the TWO participles and state if they are past or present.

Let’s Practice.

What is the participle in the sentence and what type is it?

Ex: We are learning about archery this year.

Ex: During the last forty or fifty years, competitive archery equipment has changed very little.

Learning = Present Participle

Changed = Past Participle

Let’s practice. What type of participle is shown and what helping verb would be used?

Ex: Many people (are, have) playing in tournaments each year.

Playing = Present Part. --are is used with Pres. Part.

Ex: Archers (was, had) founded the National Archery Association in 1879 for annual tournaments.

Founded = Past Part. --had is used with Past Part.

You’re a Verb Phrase Master!�

For more verb practice – Check this out: http://www.quia.com/pop/8096.html

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