homework is a verb or not

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Definition of homework

Examples of homework in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'homework.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Cite this entry.

“Homework.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homework. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.

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Kids definition of homework, more from merriam-webster on homework.

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Definition of 'homework'

Video: pronunciation of homework

homework in British English

Homework in american english, examples of 'homework' in a sentence homework, cobuild collocations homework, trends of homework.

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• homeward journey
• homework assignment
• homework club
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• All ENGLISH words that begin with 'H'

Related terms of homework

• do homework
• school homework
• homework exercise
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Definition of homework noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

• acquire/get/lack experience/training/(an) education
• receive/provide somebody with training
• develop/design/plan a curriculum/course/program/syllabus
• give/go to/attend a class/lesson/lecture/seminar
• hold/run/conduct a class/seminar/workshop
• moderate/lead/facilitate a discussion
• sign up for/take a course/classes/lessons
• go to/start preschool/kindergarten/nursery school
• be in the first, second, etc. grade (at school)
• study/take/drop history/chemistry/German, etc.
• finish/drop out of/quit school
• graduate from high school/college
• be the victim/target of bullying/teasing
• skip/cut/ ( informal ) ditch class/school
• cheat on an exam/a test
• get/be given a detention (for doing something)
• be expelled from/be suspended from school
• do your homework/a project on something
• work on/write/do/submit an essay/a dissertation/a thesis/an assignment/a paper
• finish/complete your dissertation/thesis/studies
• hand in/turn in your homework/essay/assignment/paper
• study/prepare/review/ ( informal ) cram for a test/an exam
• take/ ( formal ) sit for a test/an exam
• grade homework/a test
• do well on/ ( informal ) ace a test/an exam
• pass/fail/ ( informal ) flunk a test/an exam/a class/a course/a subject
• apply to/get into/go to/start college
• leave/graduate from college (with a degree in computer science)/law school
• study for/work towards a law degree/a degree in physics
• major/minor in biology/philosophy
• earn/receive/be awarded/get/have/hold a master's degree/a bachelor's degree/a Ph.D. in economics

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• English Only

"I am doing homework?" Why not, "I doing homework?"

• Thread starter Evlesoa
• Start date Jun 5, 2013
• Jun 5, 2013

Now I know English isn't my native language, but I learned it when I was 10 and I am completely fluent in it (on the native level). I also teach it, and I'm certified in TESOL (by SIT Graduate Institute). I also teach grammar, although not on the completely fundamental levels like modals or what not. Although I have a pretty good idea of what modals are, I don't find that using such fanciness is required. I believe in simplicity like "auxiliary verb that expresses possibility." Anyway, I digress. To get on this topic, I'd like to know this. I am doing homework = Subject + (Auxiliary-like, but not really) Verb (unless you have a better term for it) + Present Participle (modifies homework) + Object However! Considering that a present participle is a verb at base, one could also say: I doing homework. Why not? And my last point: if "doing" is a verb at base of "to do," then you would never say, "I am do homework." Would you? Someone, please clear this up for me. Thanks so much in advance.  

Senior Member

However! Considering that a present participle is a verb at base, one could also say: I doing homework. Why not? Click to expand...

The only suggestion (other than Sdgraham's excellent suggestion to research 'present continous') is that when we use 'am' we are stating our current state of 'being'. We need the subject + state of being (+ verb). "I am running beside you." "I am moving out of my apartment." "I am falling out of my chair with laughter!" Subject + state of being = essential.  

Thanks. Well, the problem is that I have spent several hours and I have had no luck finding the answer. They all say you have to use "to be + participle" but they never mention why you have to. That's what bothers me. Edit - Then that doesn't answer the question as to why you can't say "I am run to you," seeing how "am" is a state.  

Evlesoa said: Thanks. Well, the problem is that I have spent several hours and I have had no luck finding the answer. They all say you have to use "to be + participle" but they never mention why you have to. That's what bothers me. Click to expand...

Evlesoa said: Subject + (Auxiliary-like, but not really) Verb (unless you have a better term for it) + Present Participle ( modifies homework ) + Object Click to expand...

Considering that a present participle is a verb at base, one could also say: I doing homework. Why not? Click to expand...

That's not a good enough answer. There has to be a reason why. It's like in America, where we say, "You better go." Why? Because we believe that "better" is an adverb modifying "go" or that it is a comparison to another situation. But seriously, I don't mean to be knocking you guys for this, considering I'm learning Chinese and they have the oddest grammar ever. I'd like to get to the bottom of this with a reason why it is so in English.  

Evlesoa said: But seriously, I don't mean to be knocking you guys for this, considering I'm learning Chinese and they have the oddest grammar ever. I'd like to get to the bottom of this with a reason why it is so in English. Click to expand...

Evlesoa said: That's not a good enough answer. There has to be a reason why. It's like in America, where we say, "You better go." Why? Because we believe that "better" is an adverb modifying "go" or that it is a comparison to another situation. But seriously, I don't mean to be knocking you guys for this, considering I'm learning Chinese and they have the oddest grammar ever. I'd like to get to the bottom of this with a reason why it is so in English. Click to expand...

Evlesoa said: It's like in America, where we say, "You better go." Why? Because we believe that "better" is an adverb modifying "go" or that it is a comparison to another situation. Click to expand...

lucas-sp said: The bold part is wrong. The verb here is "to do," conjugated to put it in the present progressive tense. We form the present progressive with the "helper" verb "to be" and the present participle of the main verb (so, for "to do," the present progressive looks like "am doing"/"are doing"/"is doing"). In other words, the participle "doing" does not modify"homework" - I do homework; the homework itself does nothing. Click to expand...

lucas-sp said: Now, other words - like "application" or "lovingly" - are "verbs at base," since they're derived from verbs. But you wouldn't say "I application" or "I lovingly," would you? Click to expand...

Evlesoa said: You could also say, "Doing homework, I was." Grammatically, there's nothing wrong there. It sounds odd, but it's not incorrect. All you are doing is moving the object to the front. Click to expand...

Those are nouns, though. There is no "love" or "apply" in there. Those are completely different forms. Click to expand...

entangledbank

A main clause requires one (1) finite verb - a verb inflected for tense and person. If there is a sequence of verbs, the first verb must be finite and the remaining ones are non-finite - they have subordinate forms, depending on the verb immediately preceding them. In 'I do homework', 'do' is present tense and non-third-singular person. In 'I am doing homework', 'am' is present tense and first-singular person. In 'I had been doing homework', 'had' is past tense, which is generally not distinguished for person. These are the finite verbs. The subsequent verbs are dependent on them, so they have reduced inflection. The tense does not need to be repeated on each verb. (This is a very common feature of many languages.) Any form of progressive 'be' is followed by the gerund-participle ('I am doing', 'I will be doing', 'I will have been doing'). Any form of perfect 'have' is followed by the past participle ('I had done ', 'I had been doing', and so on). And so on.  

Hmm. Okay. This makes me question everything I know. Just to let you guys know, this was a grammarian out in another state who told me this and I decided to investigate his claims. What a pity that I believed him for a second. Edit - I also find it weird that my dictionary says "doing" is a present participle of "do." Is it, or is it not? If it's not, what the hell is it? Edit 2 - If application is a verb, then you can say, "I am applicationing" and "I am application this right now" because it's as much of a verb as the present participle that requires the usage of a non-finite.  

lucas-sp said: The bold part is wrong. The verb here is "to do," conjugated to put it in the present progressive tense. We form the present progressive with the "helper" verb "to be" and the present participle of the main verb (so, for "to do," the present progressive looks like "am doing"/"are doing"/"is doing"). In other words, the participle "doing" does not modify "homework" - I do homework; the homework itself does nothing. Click to expand...

Evlesoa said: Then that loops back: why can't you say "I doing homework?" From one point of view, "doing" is a present participle because it is the state of "do"; therefore, it has to be a participle. Click to expand...

lucas-sp said: We form the present progressive with the "helper" verb "to be" and the present participle of the main verb (so, for "to do," the present progressive looks like "am doing"/"are doing"/"is doing"). Click to expand...

But that's not a reason, though. That's a rule. What's the reason for the rule? Is there one? Or is this just a concrete "has to be this way?" Sorry to give you so many headaches, guys. Just trying to get this cleared up in my head after what I've heard.  

"Doing" is a word with multiple meanings. It can be... a present participle: "Michael, studiously doing his homework in the library, didn't hear the commotion outside." a present participle as part of the continuous verb form: "You can't come in right now. I'm doing homework." a gerund: "Every day you should set aside at least an hour for doing homework." an onomatopoeia: "The spring exploded out of the tube with a loud DOING! sound." What "grammarian," from what state, argued that all verb forms are equally good for all purposes? Maybe if you could present his argument here we could comment on it. Either he is sorely wrong - and not a grammarian at all - or you might have misunderstood his claims.  

sdgraham said: Because that's English. Click to expand...

Just some guy who told me something over chat on grammar. He is a college professor. He argued that because "doing" is a continuous action, it does not require a state before it (to be). He told me that it was perfectly clear to say that, even though no one says it in actual speech. His only argument was that it was a present participle, and as all participles are, it continues in the present -__- ... and told me that meaning wise, "I am doing homework" vs "I doing homework," there is no difference whatsoever. He also argued that grammar is kind of "non-existent." You can google that and you'll find many people saying the same. I also heard from another professor, an article actually, that "Strunk and White" is a load of bullshit. I can find the link if you want. @Boozer Yeah, I see that. Languages are just languages. I guess it's really more down to style than grammar itself. Why why why. I want answers, but it seems there are none. Oh well. Edit - Here it is. Strunk and White: 50 Years of Stupid Grammar ( http://chronicle.com/article/50-Years-of-Stupid-Grammar/25497 )  

Evlesoa said: What's the reason for the rule? Is there one? Click to expand...

Evlesoa said: But that's not a reason, though. That's a rule. What's the reason for the rule? Is there one? Or is this just a concrete "has to be this way?" Click to expand...

Got it. Well, thanks for answering my questions. I think I'm just better off to sticking to what I know and not think too much about it or listen to other people. This stuff has been bothering me for years since the time that I heard it from others, and now I know that not everything has a reason after-all. I overestimated English's potential.  

Evlesoa said: He is a college professor. He argued that because "doing" is a continuous action, it does not require a state before it (to be). He told me that it was perfectly clear to say that, even though no one says it in actual speech. His only argument was that it was a present participle, and as all participles are, it continues in the present -__- ... and told me that meaning wise, "I am doing homework" vs "I doing homework," there is no difference whatsoever. Click to expand...

Evlesoa said: I know that not everything has a reason after-all. I overestimated English's potential. Click to expand...

I see. So there's no logic in English, and I noticed that it has fixated phrases that have no origins to their creations (such as "nevertheless" -- how can "never" be put together with "the less" and mean "all the same?" -- a rhetorical question, if you will). Arbitrary is true. Chinese must be the worst. All of their adjectives are stative verbs. Strunk and White is a problem of style, not grammar, then? To answer your question, no, I can't. I don't really understand Russian. I only use it. I have no idea why I say what I say, I only know that it makes sense. It's a strange language because there are about 6 different versions of a verb that are changes based on the subject and specific conditions. Haha. I know, that's terrible. As for underestimating, I meant I overestimated English's ability to have a logical reason for everything. It clearly doesn't have such. The language we use, though, is powerful enough to describe the strangest things. No doubt about that. Wonder what the phrase "I can't describe it using words" really means then.  

Evlesoa said: Strunk and White is a problem of style, not grammar, then? Click to expand...

Evlesoa said: I see. So there's no logic in English, Click to expand...

and I noticed that it has fixated phrases that have no origins to their creations (such as "nevertheless" -- how can "never" be put together with "the less" and mean "all the same?" -- a rhetorical question, if you will). Click to expand...

Arbitrary is true. Chinese must be the worst. All of their adjectives are stative verbs. Click to expand...

Evlesoa said: Considering that a present participle is a verb at base, one could also say: I doing homework. Why not? Click to expand...

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of homework in English

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• The kids are busy with their homework.
• My science teacher always sets a lot of homework.
• "Have you got any homework tonight ?" "No."
• I got A minus for my English homework.
• For homework I want you to write an essay on endangered species .
• academic year
• access course
• Advanced Placement
• asynchronous
• foundation course
• immersion course
• interdisciplinarity
• on a course
• open admissions
• open classroom
• work placement

homework | American Dictionary

Homework | business english, examples of homework, translations of homework.

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singing or playing notes that are at the right pitch (= level) or that agree with others being sung or played

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• do your homework
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do in English – auxiliary and main verb

Is do an auxiliary or a main verb.

The verb do can be an auxiliary verb or a main verb in English.

1. do as a main verb

1.1. do as a main verb in simple present (do, does, don't, doesn't), 1.2. do as a main verb in simple past (did, didn't), 1.3. do as a main verb – past participle (done), 1.4. do as a main verb (present progressive, gerund, present participle) – (doing), 2. do as an auxiliary, 2.1. do as an auxiliary in negations in the simple present.

I do n't do my homework in the evenings.*

2.2. do as an auxiliary in negations in the Simple Past

I did n't do my homework yesterday evening.**

2.3. do as an auxiliary in quesions in the Simple Present

Do you like rugby? – Does he like rugby?

2.4. do as an auxiliary in quesions in the Simple Past

Did you see Peggy yesterday? When did you get up this morning?

2.5. do with the negative imparative

Do n't sing under the shower.

* Here we use do in the negative sentence as an auxiliary and do as a main verb .

** Here we use did in the negative sentence as an auxiliary and do as a main verb .

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• Grammar Explanations
• Modal Auxiliaries

Verbs vs. Adverbs: What’s The Difference?

• What Is A Verb?
• What Is An Adverb?
• Verb Vs. Adverb

Verbs and adverbs are two of the major parts of speech and are often used alongside each other in sentences. These two very commonly used categories of words have similar names, but they are used quite differently from each other. 

In this article, we look at what verbs and adverbs are, explain the important functions they have in sentences, give some tips on how to tell them apart, and provide example sentences that show how we typically use both verbs and adverbs.

⚡ Quick summary

A verb fills the role of the predicate in a sentence and expresses physical action, mental action, or a state of being. An adverb is a modifier that provides more information about a verb, adjective, clause, or other adverb. Adverbs can act as conjunctions or describe frequency, time, place, manner, or quality.

What is a verb ?

A verb is a word that is used with a subject to state what action a subject performs, what state it is in, or the relation it has to something else. Verbs are used to fulfill the role of the predicate , which is needed to form a complete sentence. While the subject tells us who or what is doing something, the verb/predicate tells us what they do. For example:

• Dogs (subject) bark (predicate, verb). 

In general, there are three major types of verbs: verbs that refer to physical actions, verbs that refer to mental actions, and verbs that refer to states of being. In brief, physical actions refer to actions that bodies or objects perform, mental actions refer to actions the brain performs, and states of being describe someone’s or something’s existence or qualities they have.

Here are some examples of each type:

• Physical action: jump, run, cry, eat, swim, climb, play, read
• Mental action: think, consider, believe, hope, doubt, wonder
• State of being: be, exist, become, have, turn, continue

We have only scratched the surface of verbs. To learn a lot more about verbs, check out our detailed guide to verbs here .

List of verbs

There are a huge number of verbs out there. This list gives examples of just a tiny number of them:

• appear, bounce, catch, deny, envision, fasten, grab, hang, imagine, jiggle, kick, laugh, make, notice, open, pounce, quake, ride, sing, tickle, unlock, vex, worry, xerox, yell, zoom

Examples of verbs in a sentence

The following sentences show how we typically use verbs in sentences:

• Birds fly .
• I think the movie starts at eight.
• My sister is a psychiatrist.
• The milk turned sour because he left it out overnight.
• They washed , dryed , and ironed the clothes.

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What is an adverb ?

An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, adjective, clause, or another adverb. Like adjectives , adverbs provide more information about the words that they modify. For example, the sentence Jack ran quickly uses the adverb quickly to modify the verb ran. The adverb describes how Jack ran.

Generally speaking, adverbs can be divided into several different types. These are:

• Conjunctive adverbs: Adverbs that act as conjunctions to grammatically join two sentences/clauses together. Some examples include however , therefore , meanwhile , thus , and consequently .
• Adverbs of frequency: Adverbs that say how often something happens. Examples include frequently , never , always , and sometimes .
• Adverbs of time: Adverbs that say when something happens. Examples include now , yesterday , soon , eventually , and yet .
• Adverbs of manner: Adverbs that say how something happens. Examples include weakly , skillfully , amazingly , slowly , and surprisingly .
• Adverbs of degree: Adverbs that describe intensity or quality. Examples include very , really , extremely , somewhat , less , and most .
• Adverbs of place: Adverbs that say where something happens. Examples include here , there , nowhere , under , up , left , and right .

To learn much more about adverbs and how we use them, check our detailed guides to adverbs by clicking here .

List of adverbs

The following list gives some examples of the many different adverbs we use.

• apologetically, badly, creepily, down, everywhere, forward, greatly, hungrily, in, joyously, kinetically, lazily, more, needlessly, over, perfectly, quietly, really, seriously, there, underground, very, where, yearly, zestily

Examples of adverbs in a sentence

The following sentences give examples of how we typically use adverbs.

• She sadly walked away .
• Thankfully , we got there early .
• He was really tired yesterday .
• When I harshly grabbed the very old door, the handle fell off .
• I’d never eaten a durian before because I’d heard it smells bad . Nevertheless , I tried eating the really stinky fruit anyway .

Discover more about adverbs in this guide about adverbs vs. adjectives.

verb vs. adverb

While verbs and adverbs are both major parts of speech, we use them in different ways. 

How to differentiate between verbs and adverbs

Verbs and adverbs serve completely different grammatical functions. Verbs perform the job of the predicate, and adverbs are modifiers . 

Because a predicate is required to form a complete sentence , every sentence must have a verb. As the predicate, the verb says what the subject is doing or what its condition is. If a word is expressing an action (physical or mental) or state of being, it is a verb and not an adverb. In the sentence Cheetahs run fast the word run is a verb and not an adverb. It is expressing what action the subject cheetahs performed.  

The other main difference between verbs and adverbs is that adverbs are modifiers and verbs are not. That means it is possible that a sentence may not have any adverbs in it. Adverbs answer questions like “How?” “Where?” or “In what way?” rather than express action. If a word is providing more detail about a verb, adjective, or adverb, that word is an adverb and not a verb. Looking at the sentence cheetahs run fast again, the word fast is an adverb because it is telling us how the cheetahs run. Fast is modifying the verb run so it must be an adverb.

Examples of verbs and adverbs used in a sentence

To finish things off, let’s look at some examples that show how we often used verbs and adverbs together to make interesting sentences.

• Luckily , I recovered quickly from my sprained ankle.
• The queen magically transformed into a dragon.
• He has never been here before .
• Yesterday , we got really lost .

There are so many types of verbs ... how about start by learning about phrasal verbs.

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Grammar: When to Use Do, Does, and Did

3-minute read

• 12th August 2022

Verbs are essential to creating complete sentences, as they help us express physical actions ( She jumped in the puddle) , mental actions ( He thought about puppies) , and states of being ( I am hungry) .

There are several types of verbs that can each be written in different tenses, so they can be tricky to work with, especially if English isn’t your first language . We’ve put together a guide to help you use one of the most common verbs, do , in your writing . Read on below to learn more!

Action Verbs

As the name suggests, action verbs are used to express actions completed by the subject of a sentence. The base verb do is conjugated according to the tense:

1. Present Tense

In the present tense, do takes the form do or does, depending on the subject:

Consider the following examples:

We do our homework every night.

   She does her homework every night.

2. Past Tense

In the simple past tense , the base verb do takes the form did with all subjects:

   We did our homework last night.

   She did her homework last night.

Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary , or helping verbs, are used with another base verb to create negative sentences, questions, or add emphasis. Here’s how do should be used as an auxiliary verb:

1. Negative Sentences

Following the same subject–verb pairings introduced above, we combine the auxiliaries do , does , and did with the adverb not to create negative sentences:

   We do not do our homework every night.

   She did not do her homework last night.

Note that we can combine the auxiliary and the adverb to create the contractions don’t , doesn’t , and didn’t . You simply remove the space between the two words and replace the letter o in not with an apostrophe (’).

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Contractions are more common in conversations and informal writing and typically shouldn’t be used in formal writing (e.g., academic or business).

2. Questions

To create questions, the auxiliary is combined with the infinitive of another verb in this way: auxiliary verb + subject + infinitive verb .

●  Simple present questions:

Do they sell children’s books?

Does he speak English?

Note that the third person verb speaks isn’t spelled with the s when paired with the auxiliary to form a question.

●  Simple past questions:

Did you buy anything at the bookstore?

Did he learn how to speak English?

Note that did indicates the past tense, so the main verbs don’t also take the past tense (i.e., bought and learned ).

3. Emphasis

In positive sentences, we can also combine the auxiliaries do , does , and did with the main verb to emphasize that something is true:

   We do sell children’s books.

   He did learn to speak English.

Try saying these sentences aloud and adding emphasis to the auxiliary terms with your tone. It adds a dramatic effect!

Proofreading and Editing Services

Hopefully, this guide will help you feel more confident when using different forms of the verb do in your writing. If you’re still learning or want to be sure your work is error-free, our editors are ready to help. You can upload a free trial document today to learn more!

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Is homework a noun or a verb?

Homework is a noun. Ex:

I am doing my homework .

Go do your homework .

You have homework tonight.

It is a noun because it is a thing YEY.

The word homework is a noun ; a word for a form of study or preparation; a word for a thing.

Example: I hate this stupid homework. ( homework is the noun and stupid is the adjective that describes the homework)

No, the word 'homework' is a noun , a word for a thing.

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun in a sentence.

I do have some homework but it is almost finished. (the pronoun 'it' takes the place of the noun 'homework' in the second part of the sentence)

The word 'task' is a noun and a verb.

• The noun 'task' is a word for a piece of work to be assigned or done; a word for a thing.
• The verb 'task' means to assign a piece of work; a word for an action.

Each volunteer will be assigned a task . (noun)

I can task the purchasing manager to finding the unit. (verb)

The word homework is a noun, a common, abstract, compound noun; a word for a form of study or preparation, a word for a thing.

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What is a objective noun?

An 'object noun' is a noun that functions as the object of a verb or a preposition.Examples:The dog ate my homework. (the noun 'homework is the direct object of the verb 'ate')I gave the teacher flowers. (the noun 'teacher' is the indirect object of the verb 'gave'; the direct object is the noun 'flowers')The teacher gave me an A for effort. (the noun 'effort' is the object of the preposition 'for')

Is finish a possessive adjective?

No, the word 'finish' is a noun (finish, finishes) and a verb (finish, finishes, finishing, finished).Examples:The finish on her table is in perfect condition. (noun)I can finish my homework after work. (verb)A possessive adjective is a pronoun that is placed before a noun to describe that noun as belonging to someone or something.The possessive adjectives are: my, your, our, his, her, their, its.Examples:The finish on her table is in perfect condition. (noun)I can finish my homework after work. (verb)

What is the plural form of the word homework?

The collective noun for the noun 'homework' is a slew of homework.

Is does followed by singular verb?

No.Does is a singular verb, it is the third person singular form of do. Use does with third person singular pronouns - he she it - or singular noun subjects eg:He does his homework every night.The boy does his homework every night.

What is the abstract noun for please?

The abstract noun form for the verb to please is the gerund, pleasing.A related abstract noun form is pleasure.

Is homework a action verb?

No, homework is not a verb. The word homework is a noun, an uncountable, common, compound, abstract noun, a word for a thing.

What part of speech is copies?

Copy can be a verb or a noun. Verb: Please copy the homework assignment from the board. Noun: You must provide a copy of your license.

What is the noun form of debate?

The word debate is both a noun and a verb; for example: Noun: Frank will participate in the debate with Springfield High. Verb: They will debate the positives and the negatives of homework. Noun forms for the verb to debate are debater and debatement.

Is 'did' a noun?

No, did is the past tense for the verb do. Example use:I do want to go to the movie.I did go to the movie.No, the word 'did' is the past tense of the verb to do.Examples:When are you going to do your homework?I already did my homework. (Honest!)

What does the french word devoirs mean?

It can be the verb 'must' or as a noun it can mean duty, les devoirs usually means homework (from school).

Is the contraction who've a noun pronoun or verb?

The contraction who've is a short form for the pronoun who and the verbhave. The contraction functions as a subject and verb (or auxiliary verb) in a sentnece. Example:Students who have handed in their essay will have no homework this weekend.ORStudents who've handed in their essay will have no homework this weekend.

Is help a verb?

Yes, help is used as a verb and also as a noun.I help my kids with their homework whenever I can. (verb)I offered help when my neighbor's car wouldn't start. (noun)

What is the collective for homework?

What is the french 'devoir' in english.

noun: "les devoirs" means "homework." Verb devoir means: Should or must

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'Do Your Homework' or 'Do The Homework'. Which Is Correct?

The expression “do homework” refers to the work that a teacher gives a student to do at home.

The expression “ do homework ” refers to the work that a teacher gives a student to do at home.

Doing homework is a boring activity for some students.

Use the article “the” or a possessive pronoun (my, your, his, etc.) to be more specific.

Have you done your math homework ?

Since homework is an uncountable noun, it is not possible to use the indefinite article a/an.

The history teacher gave us some homework to do by Monday.

The history teacher gave us a homework to do by Monday.

1. Homework Is Uncountable

2. using other determiners with ‘homework’.

“ Homework ” is an uncountable noun; therefore, it does not have a plural form.

I have some homework to do.

I have three homeworks to do.

Being uncountable, " homework " is always followed by a singular verb.

The science homework was extremely difficult.

And you cannot put the article a/an in front of it.

You should do some homework today.

You should do a homework today.

But you can use the word “ assignment ” to mention separate pieces of homework.

Complete the three homework assignments .

Rebecca, you did an impressive job on the homework assignments .

Or just say “ a/one piece of homework ” or " a bit of homework ".

You still have one piece of homework left to do.

Note that we always say “ do homework ”. Avoid the verbs make or write with this word.

It’s worth doing a bit of homework before playing video games.

It’s worth making/writing a bit of homework before playing video games.

But you can use the verbs give or help (somebody).

The teacher gave us some homework to do by Friday.

My mother used to help me with my homework .

Instead of referring to the work that a student is asked to do at home, you can use “ homework ” as a synonym of preparation.

Since we have done our homework , we are well prepared for the meeting with the investor.

Using "a" or "the" with common activities

We commonly add a possessive pronoun (my, your, his, her, our, their) before “ homework ”.

Do your homework before dinner.

Have the kids done their homework ?

Jennifer is very good at doing her homework .

But you can also use other determiners, such as:

• some (affirmative sentences)
• any (interrogative and negative sentences)

The teacher gives too much homework .

I don’t have any homework .

We can also omit the determiner to speak about homework in a general way.

Homework is boring.

Is it bad to do homework in bed?

For homework , finish the exercise on page 8.

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Poland’s children rejoice as homework is banned. The rest of the world watches on for results

O la Kozak is celebrating. The 11-year-old, who loves music and drawing, expects to have more free time for her hobbies after Poland ’s government ordered strict limits on the amount of homework in the lower grades.

“I am happy,” said the fifth grader, who lives in a Warsaw suburb with her parents and younger siblings. The lilac-colored walls in her bedroom are covered in her art, and on her desk she keeps a framed picture she drew of Kurt Cobain.

“Most people in my class in the morning would copy the work off someone who had done the homework or would copy it from the internet. So it didn’t make sense,” she said.

The government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk enacted the ban against required homework this month amid a broad discussion about the need to modernise Poland's education system, which critics say puts too much emphasis on rote learning and homework, and not enough on critical thinking and creativity.

Under the decree, teachers are no longer to give required homework to kids in the first to third grades. In grades four to eight, homework is now optional and doesn't count towards a grade.

Not everyone likes the change – and even Ola’s parents are divided.

“If there is something that will make students enjoy school more, then it will probably be good both for the students and for the school,” said her father, Pawel Kozak.

His wife, Magda Kozak, was skeptical. “I am not pleased, because (homework) is a way to consolidate what was learned,” she said. “It helps stay on top of what the child has really learned and what’s going on at school.”

(Ola's brother Julian, a third grader, says he sees both sides.)

Debates over the proper amount of homework are common around the globe. While some studies have shown little benefit to homework for young learners, other experts say it can help them learn how to develop study habits and academic concepts.

The rest of the world will be watching Poland’s results closely.

Poland's educational system has undergone a number of controversial overhauls. Almost every new government has tried to make changes — something many teachers and parents say has left them confused and discouraged. For example, after communism was thrown off, middle schools were introduced. Then under the last government, the previous system was brought back. More controversy came in recent years when ultra-conservative views were pushed in new textbooks.

For years, teachers have been fleeing the system due to low wages and political pressure. The current government is trying to increase teacher salaries and has promised other changes that teachers approve of.

But Sławomir Broniarz, the head of the Polish Teachers' Union, said that while he recognized the need to ease burdens on students, the new homework rules are another case of change imposed from above without adequate consultation with educators.

“In general, the teachers think that this happened too quickly, too hastily,” he said.

He argued that removing homework could widen the educational gaps between kids who have strong support at home and those from poorer families with less support and lower expectations. Instead, he urged wider changes to the entire curriculum.

The homework rules gained impetus in the runup to parliamentary elections last year, when a 14-year-old boy, Maciek Matuszewski, stood up at a campaign rally and told Tusk before a national audience that children “had no time to rest.” The boy said their rights were being violated with so much homework on weekends and so many tests on Mondays.

Tusk has since featured Matuszewski in social media videos and made him the face of the sudden change.

Education Minister Barbara Nowacka said she was prompted by research on children’s mental health. Of the various stresses children face, she said, "the one that could be removed fastest was the burden of homework.”

Pasi Sahlberg, a prominent Finnish educator and author, said the value of homework depends on what it is and how it is linked to overall learning. The need for homework can be “very individual and contextual.”

“We need to trust our teachers to decide what is good for each child,” Sahlberg said.

In South Korea, homework limits were set for elementary schools in 2017 amid concerns that kids were under too much pressure. However, teenagers in the education-obsessed country often cram long into the night and get tutoring to meet the requirements of demanding school and university admission tests.

In the US, teachers and parents decide for themselves how much homework to assign. Some elementary schools have done away with homework entirely to give children more time to play, participate in activities and spend time with families.

A guideline circulated by teachers unions in the US recommends about 10 minutes of homework per grade. So, 10 minutes in first grade, 20 minutes in second grade and so on.

The COVID-19 pandemic and a crisis around youth mental health have complicated debates around homework. In the US, extended school closures in some places were accompanied by steep losses in learning, which were often addressed with tutoring and other interventions paid for with federal pandemic relief money. At the same time, increased attention to student wellbeing led some teachers to consider alternate approaches including reduced or optional homework.

It's important for children to learn that mastering something "usually requires practice, a lot of practice,” said Sahlberg, in Finland. If reducing homework leads kids and parents to think school expectations for excellence will be lowered, “things will go wrong.”

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