I have an English 10 Summer Assignment about grammar and such.
One of the questions is: In the following sentence, which words are verbs? Melissa was worried about her job interview.
a. was, worried
b. worried
c. worried, about
I know that it's not c., and I don't think it's a., but I don't know if was is a verb or an adverb, so I don't know. Can someone explain the adverb/verb thing, or, if was isn't an adverb, what type of word it is?
Also, if you could help me with the answer, I'd be much obliged :)
The verb is was worried.
Common helping verbs are:
is, are, was, were, am, been, have, had, has, would, could, should, must, may
To determine which words in the sentence are verbs, it's important to understand what a verb is. A verb is a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being. In this sentence, the verb is the word that indicates an action or state of being.
In the sentence, "Melissa was worried about her job interview," the words "was" and "worried" can potentially be verbs.
Now, let's analyze each option:
a. "was, worried" - In this option, "was" and "worried" are separated by a comma, suggesting they are two different words. "Worried" is a verb, as it describes Melissa's emotional state. "Was," on the other hand, is not a verb but a form of the verb "to be." In this particular sentence, "was" serves as the past tense of the verb "to be," functioning as the linking verb between "Melissa" and "worried."
b. "worried" - This option correctly identifies "worried" as a verb. It describes Melissa's emotional state.
c. "worried, about" - This option is incorrect because "about" is a preposition, not a verb. Prepositions are used to show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence.
So, the correct answer is b. "worried" because it is the only word in the sentence that functions as a verb, expressing an action or state of being.
Regarding your question about "was," it is a form of the verb "to be" and it functions as a linking verb in this sentence. Linking verbs connect the subject (Melissa) to a noun, pronoun, or adjective that describes or renames it.
I hope this explanation helps you with your assignment!