Word of the Day: Behave
The word “behave” is a verb used to describe a person’s actions and attitude.
| simple | past | past participle |
|---|---|---|
|
behave
|
behaved
|
behaved
|
- The students behaved well in class today.
- We expect everyone at the party will behave.
- You don’t have to worry about anyone behaving badly. (The word “behaving” is a gerund in this sentence.)
- Everyone behaves when the boss is in the office.
- David’s mother told him that if he didn’t behave she wouldn’t take him to the park.
- Faduma was not behaving properly at the dinner table.
- Please, behave. (This is a command.)
- Please behave yourself. (Said to one person.)
- Please behave yourselves. (Said to more than one person. Notice the use of reflexive pronouns with the word “behave.”)
- Those people clearly don’t know how to behave.
You can also use the word “behave” for an animal or a thing:
- My car has been behaving strangely lately.
- Rick’s puppy doesn’t know how to behave when it’s in the house.
- Plants and trees behave according to the environment in which they grow.
The word “behavior” is a noun:
- The boy’s behavior is so bad he can’t remain in school.
- His behavior is becoming an issue.
- The man’s behavior is embarrassing.
- He embarrassed himself with his bad behavior.
- We were offended by the behavior of a rude couple on the plane.
To be on one’s best behavior is a type of expression:
- The children are on their best behavior.
- He’s on his best behavior.
- She’s on her best behavior.
- You had better be on your best behavior today.
Essential English Dictionary
Visit the Popular English Words Beginning with B page to see the list of all words starting with letter B. For seeing the HiCafe dictionary, visit the Popular English Words with Meaning page.
