Verb Phrases

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Verb Phrases

• 3-2
• P. 104

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• Often the verb in a sentence is made up of more
  than one word.
• A group of words that acts as a single verb is
  called a verb phrase.
• A verb phrase consists of one or more helping
  verbs followed by a main verb.
• The main verb expresses the action or state of
  being.

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Some verbs can be either main verbs or helping
verbs.
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• Sometimes other words come between the parts of
  the verb phrase.
• The sun will soon have disappeared behind the
  clouds.
• Can you see any blue sky?
• I have not been outside lately.
• Dont go out in this weather.
• Notice in the last two examples that the word not
  and its contraction, nt are not part of the verb
  phrase.

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Find the verb phrases in the sentences below.
What are the main verbs? What are the helping
verbs?

• I have checked the weather report.
• Today should be clear and sunny.
• We can go to the park for our picnic.
• Large drops of rain have been falling for an
  hour.
• Dont you trust the weather report?
• The clouds and rain will not last long.

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Copy each verb phrase in the sentences below.
Underline the main verbs.

• 7. Hurricanes can produce violent winds.
• 8. The winds are usually accompanied by heavy
  rains and high waves and tides.
• 9.During some storms, coastal waters have risen
  as much as eight meters.
• 10. Hurricanes may cause great damage to coastal
  areas.
• 11. Rapidly dropping air pressure can create a
  storm surge.
• 12. During a storm surge, a huge wall of water
  can move toward land.
• 13. These towering waves and accompanying winds
  can devastate communities near the coast.
• 14. The city of Galveston, Texas, was struck by
  an incredible hurricane in 1900.

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Copy each verb phrase in the sentences below.
Underline the main verbs.

• 15. Has any worse disaster ever hit the
  Southwest?
• 16. That Galveston hurricane may be one of the
  worst storms in recorded history.
• 17. Hurricanes are sometimes called typhoons or
  cyclones.
• 18. The calm center, or eye, or the hurricane can
  travel along at about fifteen miles per hour.