FORMAL AND FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF VERBS

There are three types of verbs:

1. Action verbs (cselekvő igék) (which can be transitive (tárgyias igék) or intransitive ( tárgynélküli)

Example, eat,

Transitive verbs. This verb is always followed by a noun that’s receiving the action,

called the direct object.

Example: I read a book ( the object is the book that received the action)

When an action verb has no direct object, it’s called an intransitive verb. Intransitive

verbs can be followed by an adverb or adverb phrase, but there will never be a direct

object.

Example: He slept. ( You can not ask he slept what? So it has no noun)

2. Modal verbs (sometimes called helping verbs), (módosító segédigék)

Modal verbs help us understand more about the verb in question. They give us hints

on the possibility of something happening (can, should, etc.) or time (has, did, was,

etc.). When you add a modal or helping verb to your sentence, you’ve created a verb

phrase.

Example: She can drive

3. Auxiliary verbs (sometimes called linking verbs). (segédige)

Linking verbs connect the subject of your sentence to a noun or adjective that

describes your subject. The noun or adjective is called the “subject complement.”

( be, is, am, have, has had) Example: She is working ( Be + ing)

Auxiliary verbs are usually: