Harvey's Elementary Grammar and Composition · Lesson 15 · Part 1: Part I: The elementary course
13. The verb
Goal: Your child knows that a verb is a word which expresses action, being, or state, and can use verbs as predicates.
You'll need
- The book, open to this lesson
- Paper and a pencil (or a slate)
What's in the book
Lesson 15 is an oral lesson using "Fishes swim" and similar sentences, defines the verb, and lists twenty-four verbs to use in sentences.
The lesson, step by step
Review
Ask your child to analyze "Roses are fragrant" using the model from Lesson 13.
Notice something new
Write: Fishes swim.
Ask: What is the subject? What is said about fishes? Is there a joining word like "is"?
SayHere one word both joins and says. That's a verb.
The definition
Read:
A Verb is a word which expresses action, being, or state; as, George writes, I am, he dreams.
Oral practice
Act out verbs: your child does an action (hop, whisper, wave) and you say the sentence ("Anna hops"). Then switch.
Write sentences
Use some of the book's verbs as predicates. The model is:
Birds sing.
The list includes sail, look, loiter, whine, purr, limp, listen and cackle. Write eight short sentences like "Cats purr."
Check together
Read them back. Each one needs a subject, a verb, a capital and a period.
Use it today
The book says to point out all the verbs in your reading lesson. Do it for one paragraph today.
Answers to the book's problems
Sentences will vary, for example: Ships sail. Cats purr. Dogs whine. Hens cackle. Turkeys gobble. Wolves howl. Horses neigh. Farmers mow (or reap).
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.