Frequent Verbs

Goal: To introduce a subset of common lexical verbs (known as mental verbs) within the context of the Literacy Narrative and discuss the function of these verbs in that context.

To the Instructor: This activity would be helpful to introduce as students are brainstorming ideas for their Literacy Narrative.

Activity 2, Part I: Frequent Verbs

In our collection of Literacy Narratives, three of the most common lexical verbs (verbs that are not be, do, have) are felt, thought, and know. These verbs are known as “mental” verbs because they help us to talk about our thoughts and feelings. Below you can see the verbs with various forms (note that some of these are noun forms too).

Questions for Activity 2, Part I

  1. What information can you find in this chart?
  2. What do the frequencies in the “Normed (per 1 million)” tell you about the kinds of statements made in literacy narratives?
  3. Why do you think “think/s”, “thought”, “thinking” are used so frequently in the literacy narrative? What about “know” verbs or “feel” verbs?
  4. Who do you think the subject of these actions might be in a Literacy Narrative?

Activity 2, Part II: Verbs in Context

Now, let’s look at some examples from Literacy Narratives that include these words.

Examine the examples below (called concordance lines). The key word (think, know, or feel) is highlighted. First, decide whether the highlighted word is a verb (some are nouns). Next, use the “Sort by the word before” and “Sort by the word after” function to explore patterns of language use.

Questions for Activity 2, Part II

  1. What words are commonly found before or after the highlighted verb?
  2. Examine the surrounding context to see why the writer is using that word.
  3. What is the function of the verb in this context?
  4. How does it help the writer to fulfill the purposes of a Literacy Narrative?

Activity 2, Part III. Your turn!

Now, write one sentence for each of these verbs, thinking of your own literacy narrative and the thoughts and feelings you plan to convey in your narrative. Make sure to think about how the language before or after the verb might change depending on the verb you are using.