How to Find The Main Verb in a Sentence

Elements of a Basic Sentence

A basic sentence must contain two main elements in order to be complete: a subject and a predicate. The subject of a sentence contains the person, place, or thing that is performing the action. The predicate contains the action or state of being within the sentence.

The dog \ ran home.

Subject=The dog; Predicate=ran home.

The Main Verb

The main verb is located within the predicate, and it expresses the main action or state of being of the sentence's subject. The main verb can stand alone, or it can be accompanied by words that add meaning and detail. For example,

Sally jumped over the fence.

Subject=Sally; Main verb (action)=jumped; Modifying phrase=over the fence.

Infinitives

Sometimes, a sentence will have more than one verb. Often, this verb will be part of an infinitive. Rather than being a true verb, an infinitive functions as a noun, adverb, or adjective within a sentence. An infinitive will almost always begin with the word to followed by the simple form of a verb. When the verb is part of an infinitive, you cannot add -s, -es, -ed, or -ing to the end. For example:

• to sleep
• to read
• to run

Danny wanted to watch the thunderstorm from his patio.

Subject=Danny; Main verb=wanted; Infinitive=to watch

Auxiliary Verb

Another type of verb that sometimes exists in a sentence and can cause some confusion is an auxiliary verb or helping verb. The purpose of an auxiliary verb is to add content to what is being expressed by the main verb of a sentence.

Auxiliary Verbs

• be (am, are, is, was, were, being)
• can
• could
• do (did, does, doing)
• have (had, has, having)
• may
• might
• must
• shall
• should
• will
• would

To identify whether a verb is an auxiliary verb, you can do the following:

• Subject-auxiliary inversion: Switch the verb in question with the subject of the sentence.
• Change the sentence to the negative form by inserting the word not immediately after the verb in question.

If the sentence can be inverted and can function in the negative form, then the verb in question is an auxiliary verb rather than the main verb. For example,

Sally will run the race.

Will and run are both verbs. To decide if will is the main verb or not, first try subject-auxiliary inversion. This means that you will switch places with the subject, Sally, and the verb in question, will.

Will Sally run the race?

Next, you will insert the word not immediately after the verb in question, will.

Sally will not run the race.

As you can see, the sentence allowed for both subject-auxiliary inversion, and it functioned in the negative form. Therefore, will is an auxiliary verb and run is the main verb.

Is the main verb can or go?

Finding the Main Verb

To find the main verb in a sentence, remember these important things:

1. A main verb will usually come right after the subject.
2. A main verb will express actions, emotions, ideas, or a state of being: Run, Love, Think, Play, Hope, Be, Is...

When you find the subject of the sentence, or the main person, place or thing, a good way to find the main verb is to ask What is he, she, or it doing?

Practice

Find the main verb in these sentences.

We can try to play basketball tonight.

Answer: Main verb=try; Auxiliary verb=can; Infinitive=to play

Are you going to the movies tonight?

Answer: Main verb=going; Auxiliary verb=are

Note: In this sentence, to the movies is a phrase rather than an infinitive because to is not followed by a verb.