what is a main verb?
A main verb is the word that shows the action or state of being. The main verb in each of these sentences is in boldface.
I wanted pizza for dinner.
I have wanted pizza about once a week for years.
Mrs. Orange had been a teacher for about 30 years.
Derek could have been lying about his experience.
Derek could have been lying about his experience.
A main verb, also known as a base verb or lexical verb, is the key verb in a sentence that expresses the action or state of being of the subject. It is the main focus of the sentence and provides the main idea or meaning. To identify the main verb in a sentence, you can follow these steps:
1. Identify the sentence's subject: The subject is the noun or pronoun that performs the action or is being described in the sentence.
2. Look for the action or state of being: The main verb will directly follow the subject and can be an action verb (e.g., run, eat, write) or a linking verb (e.g., be, seem, become) that connects the subject to a describing word or phrase.
For example, in the sentence "She is running a marathon," the subject is "She," and the main verb is "running," expressing the action performed by the subject.
It's important to note that some sentences may have more than one verb (e.g., auxiliary or helping verbs), but the main verb is always the primary one that carries the main meaning of the sentence.