Learning verbs is a vital step for anyone mastering English grammar, but it often comes with a fair share of challenges. Whether you’re a beginner or an educator, understanding these hurdles and knowing how to tackle them can make all the difference.
In this blog, I will explore the most common obstacles learners face with verbs and provide clear, practical solutions to help make the journey smoother.
Why Learning Verbs Can Be Difficult?
Verbs are the backbone of any sentence. They tell us what action is happening and when. However, learning verbs can be tricky for a few key reasons:
- Irregular verbs break the rules
- Tense changes confuse beginners
- Verb forms and conjugations can be overwhelming
Before we can tackle these problems, it’s important to first grasp their nature. Now, let’s take a closer look at each challenge one by one.
Struggling with Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs don’t conform to the regular “-ed” rule for past tense formation. For instance, the verb “go” changes to “went” instead of “goed.” These unusual changes can make them more difficult to remember.
Tips to Tackle Irregular Verbs
- Use flashcards with the base, past, and past participle forms.
- Group them by pattern. Sort them into groups with similar patterns. For example, “sing, sang, sung” and “ring, rang, rung” follow a similar pattern in their changes.
- Practice with simple sentences:
- I go to school. / I went to school.
- She sings well. / She sang beautifully.
The more you see and use these verbs in context, the more natural they will feel.
Confusion Over Verb Tenses
One of the hardest parts of learning verbs is picking the correct tense. With 12 different tenses in English, each one plays its own role.
How to Simplify Verb Tenses
- Start with the basic three: Present, Past, and Future.
- Create timelines to visualize actions over time.
- Use time indicators like “yesterday,” “now,” or “tomorrow.”
For example:
- Present: I eat lunch at 12.
- Past: I ate lunch at 12.
- Future: I will eat lunch at 12.
Once learners are confident with the basics, introduce the perfect and continuous tenses gradually.
Helping Verbs Made Easy: Simple Sentences for Beginners
Helping verbs (also called auxiliary verbs) assist the main verb and are essential for forming questions, negatives, and various tenses.
Examples of Helping Verbs
- Be (am, is, are, was, were)
- Have (have, has, had)
- Do (do, does, did)
Easy Sentences Using Helping Verbs
- She is running.
- They have finished their work.
- I do not like spinach.
These verbs are best learned through repetition and usage. Encourage learners to build simple sentences daily.
Read More:
- Helping Verbs Made Easy: Simple Sentences for Beginners
- 160 Basic English Words for Daily English Conversations with Examples
Memorizing Verb Forms
Many learners feel overwhelmed by having to remember the base, past simple, and past participle forms of verbs.
Simple Strategies to Remember Verb Forms
- Make a verb table for daily review.
- Use songs and rhymes that feature verbs.
- Practice with fill-in-the-blank exercises.
Example:
- Base: write / Past: wrote / Participle: written
- Sentence: He has written a letter.
Patterns and repetition are key to locking in the correct forms.
Understanding Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs (verb + preposition/adverb) like “look up” or “give in” often confuse learners because their meaning changes.
How to Master Phrasal Verbs
- Learn in context, not isolation.
- Group them by verb: “look for,” “look after,” “look out.”
- Use them in short dialogues or daily journaling.
For example:
- She looked after her little brother.
- He gave up smoking.
Start by learning the phrasal verbs people use most often in daily speech.
Tips for Educators Teaching Verbs
Educators can ease the process of learning verbs by:
- Using real-life examples and stories.
- Creating interactive activities like role-plays or verb charades.
- Providing immediate feedback to correct misuse.
Also, encourage a positive and patient learning environment where students feel comfortable making mistakes.
Conquering the Challenges of Learning Verbs
Mastering verbs might take time, but if you stay consistent and use helpful techniques, it becomes much easier. By breaking down each challenge—whether it’s irregular forms, tense confusion, helping verbs, or phrasal verbs—learners can build a strong foundation in English grammar. Remember, the key to success in learning verbs is practice, patience, and a little creativity.
Keep practicing, stay curious, and most importantly, enjoy the process of learning verbs!