To Be or Not To Be: Verbs

Verbs are the life and breath of your sentence. Use them accordingly.

Welcome back to Manuscribit! Grab your sketchbook to scribit with your manus!

This week, and over the next few weeks, we will study Verbs. In our outline of Parts of Speech, this is our third major topic after Nouns and Pronouns.

Verb comes from the Latin verbum which means “a word, saying, or expression.” Unlike the noun, it is not merely the name of something. Instead, verb indicates action, movement, and life. It is noteworthy that in the first sentence of the Gospel of St John which states, “In the beginning was the Word,” the Latin Verbum was used and not Nomen. Jesus, to Whom St. John was referring, was not merely being defined as the name of someone, but as a living, breathing, active entity. In the same way, verbs are truly the life and breath of our language. They have unique uses, voices, and elaborate tenses in which time is uniquely measured and described. While we can communicate without adjectives, adverbs, and even without nouns, there cannot even be a sentence without a verb. In fact, some sentences only have verbs. Proceed!

As with other parts of speech, the grammar surrounding verbs comes from Latin. Let’s begin the first part of our outline.

3. Verb

A. Use: Verbs are used in one of two ways—transitive or intransitive, and both words are derived from the Latin transire/transitus, meaning “to go across,” “having gone across.”

i. Transitive verbs are those in sentences in which there is a receiver of the action described by the verb. In practice, the verb serves to connect or “to go across” from the actor to the receiver. We have learned to call these “action” verbs, and often the actor is the “subject” and the receiver is the “direct object,” but in the case of passive verbs, below, in which the subject receives the action, those verbs are still considered to be transitive as well. (We will discuss these parts of a sentence in much more detail in future posts.)

Examples: My grandfather will sing Christmas carols. My team is winning the game. The batter had been hit by the pitcher with the ball.

ii. Intransitive verbs are those in which there is not a receiver of action. There are two classes of intransitive verbs: Complete and Incomplete or Linking.

a. A complete intransitive verb does not have any recipient of its stated action, but the sentence still makes sense. It’s still a complete thought.

Examples: My grandfather always sings. My team won again. The batter had been hit.

b. A linking verb is essentially an incomplete intransitive verb. It does not make sense on its own and must be “linked” to either a noun or an adjective. These linked words are called “complements” because they complete or complement the subject by either re-naming it with a noun (a predicate nominative), or describing it with an adjective (predicate adjective). Linking verbs are typically forms of “to be"—am, is, was, were, will be, etc., but can also be other linking verbs such as become, appear, seem, look, smell, or feel.

Examples: My mother was an excellent nurse. The scenery is stunning. My dad feels great! Notice how these sentences would not make any sense without the linked word: My mother was… The scenery is… My dad feels… They are incomplete.

B. Voice: From the Latin vox/voces, the voice of the verb denotes whether it is being active or passive in the sentence.

i. Active Voice: These verbs show action transmitting from the subject. The use of active voice verbs is the simplest and most straightforward way to write.

Examples: Fido loves this dog food. We watched tennis matches all morning. They will finish that project next week.

ii. Passive Voice: These verbs indicate that the subject is receiving the action. This is a more convoluted and unclear way to write, but it can be very useful.

Examples: This dog food is loved by Fido. The tennis matches were watched by us all morning. That project will be finished by them next week.

Do you notice how lifeless these sentences seem? Why would anyone write passive voice sentences? In fact, the passive voice has some very important uses.

a. When you wish to emphasize the receiver of the action, use passive voice.

Advertisers regularly use the passive voice to place their product’s name first in the sentence. Crest toothpaste is preferred by 4 out of 5 dentists!

News writers will do the same to place emphasis upon the victims of a tragic occurrence or newsworthy event. A mother and two young children were swept away by sudden flooding in Pennsylvania. Elderly citizens without air-conditioning have been moved by city employees to cool shelters during the heat wave.

Sportscasters similarly will use passive voice to emphasize the impact or effect of another’s actions. The unbeatable Novak Djokovic is defeated by 20 year old upstart Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon. Another world record was broken by the phenomenal swimmer Katie Ledecky.

b. When you do not know who the actor is, use passive voice.

Police reports or news casts about crime activity typically use the passive voice for this reason. The cars were vandalized by an unknown person. Mrs. Jones had been shot in the leg by a gunman in a nearby car.

c. Propaganda or untruthful writing often uses passive voice.

When you read informational or historical text that has been written in passive voice, it is good to question the motive or data of the writer. It’s one thing to sell a product or emphasize a newsworthy event; it’s another to purposely distort history or twist factual reporting by use of passive voice writing. Compare the two sentences below. Which is more truthful?

Millions of disabled children died during World War II in Germany.

The Nazis killed millions of disabled children in Germany from 1935-1942.

(In fact, the Nazis, by implementing their infamous T-4 program, ordered the death of all disabled men, women, and children through use of poison gas.)

Continue with these two sentences. Which is more accurately written?

Down syndrome has been eliminated in Iceland.

In Iceland, parents abort 100% of unborn children with Down Syndrome.

(The second sentence is a correct statement of the facts.)

Read a newspaper or magazine. Write down the passive sentences that you find in your sketchbook. Why do you think the passive voice was chosen?

Finally, in your sketchbook, write the following active voice sentences. Then rewrite them using the passive voice. (Notice if present, past, or future tense is being used.)

1. My dad accidentally broke my mom’s vase.

2. Paul Hollywood bakes amazing breads and rolls each week.

3. She completed the entire marathon in under four hours.

4. My cousin Seamus will purchase even more sheep in County Sligo.

Now, write the following passive voice sentences, then rewrite them using the active voice. Notice the difference in emphasis when you change from passive to active.

1. Each horse was carefully washed and brushed by county fair volunteers.

2. An extensive food drive is being organized by members of the local school board.

3. All of those fallen leaves will soon be raked by my neighbor’s awesome kids.

4. Some of the cake has been taken by a mysterious thief!

See answers below. Next week, we will begin our deep dive into Tense, and also provide a great list of Latin verbs you should know. I hope you are using your sketchbook for some creative doodling. Until next week, may God’s peace be with you.

(Answers: Active to Passive—My mom’s vase was broken accidently by my dad. Amazing bread and rolls are baked each week by Paul Hollywood. The entire marathon was completed by her in under four hours. Even more sheep will be purchased by my cousin Seamus in County Sligo. Passive to Active—The county fair volunteers carefully washed and brushed each horse. Members of the local school board are organizing an extensive food drive. My neighbor’s awesome kids will soon be raking all of those fallen leaves. A mysterious thief has taken some of the cake!)