module-5-verbs - PV English Speaking

PV English Speaking · Grammar Course

Module 5: Verbs and Helping Verbs

Understand verbs, build correct sentences, and improve your everyday English.

Learn How to Use Verbs Correctly in English

Verbs are an important part of every sentence. They tell us what someone does, what happens, or what someone or something is. In this module, you will learn the main types of verbs and how to use them in everyday conversations.

7 Lessons Step-by-step explanations

Examples Simple everyday sentences

Practice Quizzes and final assessment

What Will You Learn?

By the end of this module, you will understand how verbs work and how to choose the correct verb form when speaking and writing English.

✓ Identify main verbs and helping verbs.

✓ Use is, am, are, was, and were correctly.

✓ Understand has, have, had, do, does, and did.

✓ Recognise regular and irregular verbs.

✓ Understand transitive and intransitive verbs.

✓ Practise your knowledge with quizzes and an assessment.

Explore the Lessons

Follow the lessons in order for the best learning experience.

01 Main Verbs and Auxiliary Verbs Understand action verbs and helping verbs. 02 Is, Am and Are Learn present-tense forms and subject agreement. 03 Was and Were Talk about past states and situations. 04 Has, Have and Had Practise possession and common verb patterns. 05 Do, Does and Did Make questions and negative sentences. 06 Regular and Irregular Verbs Learn past-tense forms with examples. 07 Transitive and Intransitive Verbs Understand verbs and their objects. 08 Module 5 Final Assessment Test your understanding of all the lessons.

Ready to begin?
Start with the difference between main verbs and helping verbs.

Start Learning

Tip: Read each explanation, study the examples, and complete the practice quiz before moving to the next lesson.

Module 5 · Lesson 1

Main Verbs and Auxiliary Verbs

Learn the difference between action words and helping verbs.

Every Sentence Needs a Verb

Verbs help us talk about actions, situations, and events. Some verbs express the main meaning of a sentence, while other verbs help the main verb show tense, form questions, or make negative sentences.

Main verbs Helping verbs Examples Practice quiz

1. What Is a Verb?

A verb is a word that expresses an action, a state, or an occurrence. It tells us what a person or thing does, what happens, or what someone or something is like.

Simple definition: A verb tells us what someone does or what happens.

Action verbs

Show an action.

I run every morning.

She writes a letter.

They play football.

State or linking verbs

Describe a state or connect the subject to information about it.

He is happy.

The soup tastes good.

They seem tired.

2. What Is a Main Verb?

A main verb carries the main meaning of a sentence. It can express an action, an event, or a state.

Remember: The main verb tells us what is happening or what the subject does or is.

Sentence	Main verb	Meaning
Riya cooks dinner.	cooks	An action
We study English.	study	An activity
He likes music.	likes	A feeling or preference
They are ready.	are	A state

3. What Is an Auxiliary Verb?

An auxiliary verb, also called a helping verb, works with a main verb to help form verb tenses, questions, negative sentences, and other grammatical structures.

Common helping verbs: be (am, is, are, was, were), have (has, have, had), and do (do, does, did). Modal helping verbs include can, could, will, would, should, and may.

Helping verb: BE

Used in continuous forms and passive sentences.

She is reading a book.

They were playing outside.

The room was cleaned.

Helping verb: HAVE

Used to form perfect tenses.

I have finished my work.

He has left home.

We had eaten earlier.

Helping verb: DO

Used in many questions and negative sentences.

Do you speak English?

She does not drive.

They did not call.

Modal helping verbs

Express ability, advice, possibility, or future meaning.

I can swim.

You should rest.

We will travel tomorrow.

4. Main Verb vs Helping Verb

Sentence	Helping verb	Main verb
She is singing.	is	singing
They have arrived.	have	arrived
He does not work.	does	work
I can swim.	can	swim
We play cricket.	None	play

Learning tip: A word can be a main verb in one sentence and a helping verb in another. For example, “She is happy” uses “is” as the main linking verb, while “She is running” uses “is” as a helping verb.

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Incorrect	Correct	Why?
She are reading.	She is reading.	Use “is” with she.
He does not likes tea.	He does not like tea.	After “does,” use the base verb.
They is playing.	They are playing.	Use “are” with they.
Did you went?	Did you go?	After “did,” use the base verb.

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Module 5 · Lesson 2

Is, Am and Are

Learn how to choose the correct present form of the verb “be”.

Build Correct English Sentences

“Is”, “am”, and “are” are forms of the verb “be”. We use them to describe people and things, talk about feelings and locations, and form sentences about actions happening now.

Subject agreement Positive sentences Negative sentences Questions

1. What Are Is, Am and Are?

“Is”, “am”, and “are” are present-tense forms of the verb “be”. The correct form depends on the subject of the sentence.

Simple rule: I am · He/She/It is · You/We/They are.

AM Use with I

I am ready.
I am a student.

IS Use with he, she, it

He is happy.
She is at home.

ARE Use with you, we, they

You are kind.
They are friends.

2. Subject Agreement Table

Subject	Correct form	Example
I	am	I am busy.
He	is	He is my brother.
She	is	She is a teacher.
It	is	It is cold today.
You	are	You are helpful.
We	are	We are ready.
They	are	They are at school.
Rohan and Priya	are	Rohan and Priya are friends.

Remember: “You” takes “are” even when you are speaking to one person.

3. Positive Sentences

Use these forms to give information about a person, place, thing, or situation.

I am learning English.

My father is at work.

The children are in the garden.

This book is interesting.

You are a good friend.

Sentence pattern: Subject + am/is/are + information.

Example: She + is + happy.

4. Negative Sentences

Add “not” after am, is, or are to make a negative sentence.

Positive	Negative	Short form
I am tired.	I am not tired.	I'm not tired.
He is busy.	He is not busy.	He isn't busy.
She is ready.	She is not ready.	She isn't ready.
We are late.	We are not late.	We aren't late.
They are here.	They are not here.	They aren't here.

Important: Say “I am not hungry,” not “I amn't hungry.” The usual short form is “I'm not hungry.”

5. Asking Questions with Is, Am and Are

To make a question, move am, is, or are before the subject.

Statements

You are ready.

She is at home.

They are busy.

I am late.

Questions

Are you ready?

Is she at home?

Are they busy?

Am I late?

You can answer with short responses:

Are you okay? — Yes, I am. / No, I'm not.

Is he your teacher? — Yes, he is. / No, he isn't.

Are they at home? — Yes, they are. / No, they aren't.

6. Using Is, Am and Are with Actions Happening Now

We also use am, is, and are with an -ing verb to describe an action in progress.

Pattern: Subject + am/is/are + verb ending in -ing.

I am studying English.

He is cooking dinner.

We are watching a movie.

The baby is sleeping.

Common mistake: “She is cook” is incorrect for an action happening now. Say “She is cooking.”

7. Common Mistakes

Incorrect	Correct
I is happy.	I am happy.
She are a doctor.	She is a doctor.
They is playing.	They are playing.
He is not likes tea.	He does not like tea.
Are she ready?	Is she ready?
We are study English.	We are studying English. / We study English.

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Module 5 · Lesson 3

Was and Were

Learn how to talk about past situations, feelings, places, and actions.

Talk About the Past with Confidence

“Was” and “were” are past forms of the verb “be”. Use them to describe how someone was, where something was, or what people were doing in the past.

Past tense Subject agreement Negative sentences Questions

1. What Are Was and Were?

“Was” and “were” are the past-tense forms of “am”, “is”, and “are”. We use them to talk about people, places, feelings, and situations in the past.

Simple rule: I/he/she/it was · You/we/they were.

WAS Singular subjects

I was tired.
She was at home.
The room was clean.

WERE You and plural subjects

You were right.
We were busy.
They were happy.

2. Subject Agreement Table

Subject	Correct form	Example
I	was	I was at work.
He	was	He was sleepy.
She	was	She was happy.
It	was	It was cold yesterday.
You	were	You were early.
We	were	We were in Mumbai.
They	were	They were at school.
Ravi and Neha	were	Ravi and Neha were friends.

Remember: “You were” is correct when speaking to one person or to a group of people.

3. Positive Sentences

Use was or were to describe a past state, location, or situation.

Pattern: Subject + was/were + information.

I was busy yesterday.

My mother was at home.

We were excited about the trip.

The shops were closed.

You were very helpful.

4. Negative Sentences

Add “not” after was or were to make a negative sentence.

Positive	Negative	Short form
I was late.	I was not late.	I wasn't late.
He was angry.	He was not angry.	He wasn't angry.
She was home.	She was not home.	She wasn't home.
We were tired.	We were not tired.	We weren't tired.
They were ready.	They were not ready.	They weren't ready.

5. Questions with Was and Were

Move was or were before the subject to form a question.

Statements

She was busy.

They were ready.

You were at school.

Questions

Was she busy?

Were they ready?

Were you at school?

Short answers:

Was he tired? — Yes, he was. / No, he wasn't.

Were you busy? — Yes, I was. / No, I wasn't.

Were they at home? — Yes, they were. / No, they weren't.

6. Was and Were with Actions in Progress

Use was or were with a verb ending in -ing to describe an action that was in progress at a time in the past.

Pattern: Subject + was/were + verb-ing.

I was studying at 8 PM.

She was cooking dinner.

We were watching television.

The children were playing outside.

Remember: Say “They were playing,” not “They was playing.”

7. Common Mistakes

Incorrect	Correct	Rule
I were tired.	I was tired.	Use was with I.
She were happy.	She was happy.	Use was with she.
They was late.	They were late.	Use were with they.
Were he at home?	Was he at home?	Use was with he.
We were play cricket.	We were playing cricket.	Use verb-ing for an action in progress.

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Module 5 · Lesson 4

Has, Have and Had

Learn how to use these verbs to talk about possession and experiences.

Use Has, Have and Had Correctly

We use “has”, “have”, and “had” to talk about things people own, relationships, experiences, and completed actions. The correct choice depends on the subject and the sentence tense.

Has Have Had Sentence practice

1. What Are Has, Have and Had?

“Has”, “have”, and “had” are forms of the verb “have”. They can express possession or relationships. They can also work as helping verbs in perfect tenses.

Simple rule: He/she/it has · I/you/we/they have · All subjects had for the past.

HAS Present tense

Use with he, she, it, or a singular name.

She has a new bag.

HAVE Present tense

Use with I, you, we, they, or plural subjects.

They have two cars.

HAD Past tense

Use with all subjects when talking about the past.

He had a bicycle.

2. Subject Agreement Table

Subject	Present form	Past form	Example
I	have	had	I have a pen.
You	have	had	You have a choice.
He	has	had	He has a bike.
She	has	had	She has a cat.
It	has	had	It has four legs.
We	have	had	We have a plan.
They	have	had	They have a house.
Riya and Neha	have	had	They have many books.

3. Using Has and Have for Possession

Use has or have to say that someone owns or possesses something, or has a particular relationship or feature.

My brother has a new phone.

I have two sisters.

She has blue eyes.

We have an English class today.

The school has a large library.

Sentence pattern: Subject + has/have + noun or noun phrase.

4. Using Had for the Past

Use had with every subject when talking about possession or situations in the past.

I had a red bicycle when I was young.

She had a meeting yesterday.

They had a small house before.

We had enough time to finish.

He had a headache last night.

Remember: In the simple past, use “had” with I, you, he, she, it, we, and they.

5. Has, Have and Had as Helping Verbs

These verbs also help form perfect tenses. In these sentences, they are followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Present perfect: has/have + past participle.

Past perfect: had + past participle.

Has and Have

She has finished her homework.

I have eaten lunch.

They have arrived.

Had

He had left before I arrived.

We had completed the work.

She had gone home.

Important: Use the past participle after has, have, or had when forming perfect tenses: has gone, have eaten, had written.

6. Negative Sentences and Questions

When talking about possession in the simple present, use do/does with the base form “have”. For simple past possession, use did with “have”.

Type	Correct example
Present negative	I do not have a car.
Present negative	He does not have a car.
Past negative	She did not have a ticket.
Present question	Do you have a pen?
Present question	Does he have a phone?
Past question	Did they have enough time?

Common mistake: Say “Does she have a car?” not “Does she has a car?” After does or did, use the base form “have”.

7. Common Mistakes

Incorrect	Correct	Why?
She have a bag.	She has a bag.	Use has with she.
They has a car.	They have a car.	Use have with they.
He had went home.	He had gone home.	Use a past participle after had.
Does he has a pen?	Does he have a pen?	Use have after does.
Did you had lunch?	Did you have lunch?	Use have after did.

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Module 5 · Lesson 5

Do, Does and Did

Learn how to form questions and negative sentences correctly.

Ask Questions and Make Negatives with Confidence

“Do”, “does”, and “did” can work as helping verbs in questions and negative sentences. They can also work as main verbs when they mean to perform or complete an action, such as “I do my homework.”

Do Does Did Questions and negatives

1. What Are Do, Does and Did?

These forms of “do” are commonly used to form questions and negative sentences in the simple present and simple past.

Simple rule: I/you/we/they do · He/she/it does · All subjects did for the simple past.

DO Simple present

Use with I, you, we, and they.

Do you speak English?

DOES Simple present

Use with he, she, it, or one person's name.

Does she work here?

DID Simple past

Use with all subjects when forming simple past questions and negatives.

Did they call you?

2. Subject Agreement Table

Subject	Present helper	Past helper	Example
I	do	did	Do I need this?
You	do	did	Do you understand?
He	does	did	Does he drive?
She	does	did	Does she cook?
It	does	did	Does it work?
We	do	did	Do we have time?
They	do	did	Did they arrive?

3. Making Negative Sentences

Use do not, does not, or did not before the base form of the main verb.

Tense	Full form	Short form
Present	I do not smoke.	I don't smoke.
Present	He does not smoke.	He doesn't smoke.
Present	They do not agree.	They don't agree.
Past	She did not call.	She didn't call.
Past	We did not go.	We didn't go.

Important: After does not or did not, use the base form of the verb.

Correct: He doesn't like tea. / She didn't go.

4. Asking Questions

Place do, does, or did before the subject. Use the base form of the main verb after the subject.

Simple Present

Do you play cricket?

Do they live here?

Does he speak English?

Does she work today?

Simple Past

Did you call me?

Did they finish?

Did he visit Mumbai?

Did she buy the book?

Short answers: “Do you work here?” — “Yes, I do.” / “No, I don't.” “Did she call?” — “Yes, she did.” / “No, she didn't.”

5. Wh- Questions with Do, Does and Did

Use question words such as what, where, when, why, and how before do, does, or did.

What do you want?

Where does he live?

When do they study?

Why did she leave early?

How did you solve the problem?

Pattern: Question word + do/does/did + subject + base verb?

6. Do, Does and Did as Main Verbs

Sometimes “do” is the main verb. It means to perform, complete, or carry out an action.

I do my homework every evening.

She does yoga every morning.

We did our best in the competition.

Compare: In “She does yoga,” does is the main verb. In “Does she do yoga?”, the first “does” is the helping verb and the second “do” is the main verb.

7. Common Mistakes

Incorrect	Correct	Rule
He don't like tea.	He doesn't like tea.	Use doesn't with he, she, and it.
Does she likes music?	Does she like music?	Use the base verb after does.
Did you went home?	Did you go home?	Use the base verb after did.
She didn't called me.	She didn't call me.	Use the base verb after didn't.
Where he does live?	Where does he live?	Put does before the subject.

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Module 5 · Lesson 7

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

Learn how verbs work with objects using simple English examples.

Does the action affect someone or something?

Some verbs need an object to complete their meaning. Other verbs can express a complete action without an object. Learning this difference helps you build clearer English sentences.

Transitive verbs Intransitive verbs Direct objects Interactive quiz

1. What Is a Transitive Verb?

Definition: A transitive verb takes a direct object. The object tells us who or what receives the action.

To identify the object, ask “what?” or “whom?” after the verb.

Example 1 Riya reads a book.
Reads what? A book.
“A book” is the object.

Example 2 He kicked the ball.
Kicked what? The ball.
“The ball” is the object.

Example 3 She called her friend.
Called whom? Her friend.
“Her friend” is the object.

Example 4 They built a house.
Built what? A house.
“A house” is the object.

2. What Is an Intransitive Verb?

Definition: An intransitive verb does not take a direct object. The action or state can make sense without an object.

These sentences can be complete without saying who or what receives the action.

Example 1 The baby slept.
The sentence is complete. No direct object is needed.

Example 2 The birds flew.
“Flew” has no direct object here.

Example 3 My grandfather laughed.
The action is complete without an object.

Example 4 We arrived early.
“Early” tells us when; it is not a direct object.

3. Transitive vs. Intransitive Verbs

Feature	Transitive Verb	Intransitive Verb
Direct object	Takes a direct object	Does not take a direct object
Example	She opened the door.	The door opened.
Question	Opened what? The door.	No direct object answers “what?”
Another example	He runs a business.	He runs every morning.

Important: Some verbs can be transitive in one sentence and intransitive in another. Check how the verb is used in the sentence instead of memorising one label for every situation.

4. Verbs That Can Be Both

The same verb can work in different ways depending on whether it has a direct object.

Verb	Transitive Use	Intransitive Use
Eat	I ate an apple.	I already ate.
Read	She reads a newspaper.	She reads every evening.
Open	He opened the window.	The window opened.
Break	Tom broke the glass.	The glass broke.
Run	She runs a shop.	She runs daily.
Sing	He sang a song.	He sang beautifully.

In “She runs a shop,” the verb has the object “a shop.” In “She runs daily,” there is no direct object.

5. How to Find the Object

Follow these three simple steps:

Step 1: Find the verb Aman kicked the ball.
Verb: kicked

Step 2: Ask what or whom Kicked what?
Answer: the ball

Step 3: Identify the verb type “The ball” is a direct object, so “kicked” is transitive in this sentence.

Try another sentence The child laughed loudly.
Laughed what? No direct object. “Laughed” is intransitive here.

Remember: Words that tell us where, when, or how an action happens are not automatically direct objects. For example, “in the park” in “We played in the park” is a prepositional phrase, not a direct object.

6. Common Mistakes

Incorrect thinking “The sentence has extra information, so the verb must be transitive.”

Correct understanding Look for a direct object, not just extra words.

Example She slept on the sofa.
“On the sofa” tells us where she slept. It is not a direct object.

Example She cleaned the sofa.
“The sofa” receives the action, so “cleaned” is transitive here.

Gallery

Contacts

Learn How to Use Verbs Correctly in English

What Will You Learn?

Explore the Lessons

Every Sentence Needs a Verb

1. What Is a Verb?

Action verbs

State or linking verbs

2. What Is a Main Verb?

3. What Is an Auxiliary Verb?

Helping verb: BE

Helping verb: HAVE

Helping verb: DO

Modal helping verbs

4. Main Verb vs Helping Verb

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Practice Quiz

1. Identify the main verb: “Maya reads books.”

2. Which is the helping verb? “He is sleeping.”

3. Choose the helping verb: “We have finished our work.”

4. In “She does not like coffee,” which word is the helping verb?

5. Identify the modal helping verb: “I can drive.”

6. Which word is the main verb? “They play tennis.”

7. In “She was tired,” how is “was” used?

8. Choose the correct sentence.

Build Correct English Sentences

1. What Are Is, Am and Are?

2. Subject Agreement Table

3. Positive Sentences

4. Negative Sentences

5. Asking Questions with Is, Am and Are

Statements

Questions

6. Using Is, Am and Are with Actions Happening Now

7. Common Mistakes

Practice Quiz

1. I ___ happy today.

2. My sister ___ a teacher.

3. They ___ at the station.

4. Choose the correct negative sentence.

5. Choose the correct question.

6. The baby ___ sleeping.

7. You ___ very kind.

8. Choose the correct sentence.

Talk About the Past with Confidence

1. What Are Was and Were?

2. Subject Agreement Table

3. Positive Sentences

4. Negative Sentences

5. Questions with Was and Were

Statements

Questions

6. Was and Were with Actions in Progress

7. Common Mistakes

Practice Quiz

1. I ___ at home yesterday.

2. They ___ very happy last week.

3. She ___ tired after work.

4. You ___ late for the meeting.

5. Choose the correct negative sentence.

6. Choose the correct question.

7. They ___ playing football at 5 PM.

8. Choose the correct sentence.

Use Has, Have and Had Correctly

1. What Are Has, Have and Had?

2. Subject Agreement Table

3. Using Has and Have for Possession

4. Using Had for the Past

5. Has, Have and Had as Helping Verbs

Has and Have

Had

6. Negative Sentences and Questions

7. Common Mistakes

Practice Quiz

1. She ___ a beautiful dress.

2. I ___ two brothers.

3. They ___ a small house ten years ago.

4. He ___ finished his homework.

5. Choose the correct question.