Introduction
Intro (English): Verbs drive sentences — they show action, events, or states. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to add detail about manner, time, place, frequency, or degree. This chapter covers verb classes, tense system (with timelines), voice, aspect, modal verbs, adverb types and placement. Clear diagrams, 8 worked examples, and exam-specific practice make this page a one-time read for lifetime retention.
Verbs — Definition & Core Theorem
Definition: A verb is a word that expresses an action (run), an occurrence (happen), or a state of being (be).
Core principle: Every finite clause must contain a finite verb form (tense + subject agreement); non-finite forms (infinitive, participle, gerund) act as verbals and can serve noun/adjective roles.
Verb Classes & Forms
1. Action (dynamic) vs Stative
Action verbs: run, write. Stative verbs: know, love (usually not used in continuous).
2. Transitive vs Intransitive
Transitive needs object: "She reads a book." Intransitive doesn't: "He sleeps." Some verbs can be both (eat).
3. Regular vs Irregular
Regular form adds -ed for past; irregular vary: go→went, write→wrote.
4. Finite vs Non-finite
Finite verbs show tense and agree with subject; non-finite: infinitives (to run), gerunds (running), participles (running, run).
5. Modal verbs
Can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would — express ability, permission, obligation, probability.
Tense & Aspect (Timeline diagrams recommended)
Modern tense-aspect grid: Simple / Continuous (Progressive) / Perfect / Perfect Continuous across Present / Past / Future — each has use & signal words. Embed timeline SVG showing intervals for perfect vs continuous.
Voice: Active & Passive (Formulas & Rules)
Passive = Object + be (appropriate tense) + past participle (+ by subject optional). Use passive for focus on action receiver: "The letter was written by her." Practice converting across tenses (present simple: "writes" → "is written").
Adverbs — Definition & Types
Definition: An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. They answer: how? when? where? how often? how much?
Types
- Manner: slowly, well
- Time: now, yesterday
- Place: here, everywhere
- Frequency: often, rarely
- Degree: very, almost
- Focus: only, even
- Conjunctive adverbs: however, therefore
Forming Adverbs & Placement Rules
Many adverbs formed by adding -ly to adjectives (quick → quickly). Exceptions: fast, hard, late. Placement: typical positions — after verb (She sings beautifully), before adjective (very good), at clause start (However, ...), between auxiliary and main verb (has often been seen).
Diagrams — Replace with inline SVGs
Recommended SVGs: tense-aspect timeline, passive formation flowchart, verb classification tree, adverb-position diagram. Paste inline SVGs here to replace placeholders.
Solved Examples (8 step-by-step)
- Example 1: Convert to passive: "They will finish the project by Monday."
Solution: "The project will be finished by Monday." Step: object becomes subject; 'will' + 'be' + past participle.उपाय: object ला subject बनवा; will + be + past participle वापरा. - Example 2: Identify tense: "She had been studying for two hours."
Solution: Past perfect continuous — shows duration before past point.उपाय: Past perfect continuous — पूर्वीच्या कालखंडात कालावधी दाखवतो. - Example 3: Choose adverb placement: "He spoke (softly) to the child."
Solution: "He spoke softly to the child." Manner adverbs often follow verb.उपाय: manner adverb verb नंतर येतो. - Example 4: Form adverb: "Happy" → ?
Solution: "Happily". Note spelling change y→i + ly.उपाय: happy → happily. - Example 5: Modal + perfect: "She must have left." — meaning?
Solution: Expresses logical deduction about past.उपाय: भूतकाळाबद्दल अंदाज/निष्कर्ष. - Example 6: Gerund vs infinitive: "I enjoy to swim / swimming"
Solution: "I enjoy swimming." 'Enjoy' followed by gerund.उपाय: certain verbs (enjoy) नंतर gerund येतो. - Example 7: Adverb vs adjective: "He runs quick / quickly"
Solution: "He runs quickly." Use adverb to modify verb.उपाय: verb modify करण्यासाठी adverb वापरा. - Example 8: Reported speech change: "She said, 'I will come.'" → ?
Solution: "She said that she would come." Backshift will→would in reported speech.उपाय: reported speech मध्ये काळ shift होते.
Practice Questions (+ Summary Table & Answer Key)
30 minutes practice: mix of conversion (active/passive), tense identification, adverb placement, and error correction.
Summary Table (Quick reference)
| Topic | Rule / Quick tip |
|---|---|
| Passive formula | Object + be (tense) + past participle [+ by subject] |
| Tense signals | Present simple: every/always; Past perfect: by the time; Future perfect: by next year |
| Adverb formation | Most: adj + ly; exceptions: fast, well, hard |
| Adverb placement | After verb (manner), before adjective (degree), clause-start (conjunctive) |
| Modal perfect | modal + have + past participle → past possibility/obligation/deduction |
Answer Key
- Q1: "The meal is cooked by the chef every day."
- Q2: "By next year, I will have completed my degree."
- Q3: Correct: "She can sing well." (remove 's')
- Q4: "late" (arrived late = timing). 'Lately' means recently.
- Q5: "They decided to postpone the trip." (infinitive after decide)
- Q6: "Should have" expresses past regret or advice not followed.
- Q7: "Really" (real → really). Note irregular forms.
- Q8: Correct: "The work was completed by them." (use object case 'them')
Exam-focused Tips & SEO Strategy
Targeted practice: tense timelines, passive conversions across tenses, and adverb placement. Use long-tail keywords in headings naturally (verbs notes for SSC, adverbs practice for railway exam). Keep meta unique per page and include structured data (Course + FAQ) for rich snippets.
Classroom Example (English + Marathi)
English (teacher explains): "To show who did an action, use active: 'Rita writes a letter.' To focus on letter, use passive: 'A letter is written by Rita.'"
Resources & Next steps
Paste your SVGs to replace diagram placeholders and I'll embed them inline. I can also add 8 advanced practice MCQs tailored for SSC/Police/Railway/NEET, create printable PDFs, and perform keyword suggestions for better ranking.