Ministry of Higher Education and

Scientific Research
University of Samarra
College of Education
Department of English
4th Grade
Evening Studies
Subject : Grammar

‫اسم الطالب‬
‫رياض عبد عطاهللا‬
‫عنوان التقرير‬
Semantic and Syntactic Types of
Verbs
‫المشرف‬
‫ياسر محمد صالح‬
Introduction
A verb, from the Latin verbum meaning word, is a word that in syntax
conveys an action, an occurrence, or a state of being. In the usual description
of English, the basic form, with or without the particle to, is the infinitive. In
many languages, verbs are inflected to encode tense, aspect, mood, and
voice.
Classifications of Verbs
Verb in English can be classified into various classes. Each classification is
based on a definite criterion, one of these’ criteria classifies verbs into
semantic and Syntactic.
Semantic Types of Verbs
Verbs can be divided according to the meaning they convey in a sentence.
The grammar-expert's way of saying this is that we can divide verbs
semantically:
 Dynamic Verbs
 Stative Verbs
Dynamic Verbs:
Dynamic verbs express activity and processes (e.g. run, come, buy, read).
When they express something that is actually in progress, the progressive
form of the verb can be used, for example:
She is reading the paper.
Some English verbs such as have and think, can be used statively,
describing a state, or dynamically, describing an action or activity, for
example: statively: I have a really bad headache. (state)
dynamically: We are having a party tonight. (activity)
statively: I think it’s going to rain. (opinion, mental state)
Stative Verbs:
Stative verbs usually refer to a state (an unchanging condition). They
express emotion, knowledge, belief (e.g. love, hate, know) and show
relationships (e.g. belong to, equal, own). As stative verbs describe a state of
affairs, they do not occur in the progressive form, for example:
Monica owns a house.
not
*Monica is owning a house.
Syntactic Types of Verbs
Verbs can be classified according to the job they do in a sentence. The
grammar-expert's way of saying this is that we can divide verbs
syntactically:
 Transitive verbs
 Intransitive verbs
Transitive Verbs
A main verb, which requires an object to complete its meaning. For
example, the verb make is transitive, since the object cannot be omitted in
sentences such as: The new bakery on 4th Street makes excellent bagels.
(*The new bakery on 4th Street makes is not a complete or acceptable
sentence.) If no object or complement follows, as in The first attempt failed.
Transitive verbs are classified into :
1- Mono transitive : a verb which takes an object. For example:
- They saw the accident.
2- Ditransitive verb : verb which takes an indirect and a direct object ,
for example :
- I gave the money to my mother.
3- Complex Transitive : A verb which takes a direct object and an object
complement, for example :
- We elected Mary chairman.
Intransitive Verbs
A verb which does not need an object to make complete sense is called
an intransitive verb. An intransitive verb expresses action (or tells something
about the subject) without the action passing to a receiver or object. It can
stand alone in the predicate because its meaning is complete.
- Anne looks very beautiful.
- Mr. John speaks loudly.