What Are Verbs?
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Basics on the topic What Are Verbs?
Verbs – Definition
First, let’s have a look at the definition to answer the question “what are verbs?”.
In English grammar, there are different types of words. One big and important group of words is verbs. Verbs are action words that tell us what someone or something is doing.
Verbs appear in different tenses to describe if an action takes place now, in the future or if it took place in the past.
The verb in its base form is called the infinitive. The change in form of the verb is called conjugation.
- Infinitive: (to) sleep
- conjugated verbs: I sleep, you sleep, he / she / it sleeps, we sleep, you sleep, they sleep
Verbs in Sentences – How to Spot Verbs
Here are some tips for finding verbs in sentences!
- Look for action. The verb is usually an action word that tells you what's happening in the sentence. For example, in the sentence Pip jumps on the bed every night, jump is the verb, showing the action of jumping.
- Not all actions are very active! Words like sit, sleep or lie are verbs, even though they don’t sound like a lot of action!
- Find the Subject. Identify the subject, which is the person or thing doing something in the sentence. The verb usually comes after the subject in sentences (although it’s in different places in questions).
- Look for helping verbs. In some sentences, there might be more than one verb. A helping verb, like is, has, or must, can help you identify the main verb. In the sentence Pip can jump on the bed every night, the helping verb is can and jump is the main verb.
By using these tips, you'll become a pro at finding verbs in sentences!
Types of Verbs – Overview
There are a lot of different types of verbs in the English language. The overview chart below features a first look at the different types of verbs with some examples for each verb type:
| Type of Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| Action verbs | walk, dive, drink, yawn, talk, pour, … |
| Linking verbs | am, is, are, feel, look, … |
| Helping verbs | be, have, can, must, may, … |
| Reflexive verbs | myself, yourself, himself, herself, … |
| Phrasal verbs | bring up, turn down, run out, … |
Action Verbs – Examples
Action verbs show movement or change. Examples of action verbs are:
- run
- swim
- eat
- sneeze
- sing
- shine
They tell us what someone or something is doing.
Linking Verbs – Examples
Linking verbs connect the different parts of a sentence. Some other names for them are copular verbs, verbs of being or state verbs.
Linking verbs are often forms of the verb to be. This is an irregular verb, which means that it is a verb that doesn’t follow the usual rules of verb conjugation.
The table below features an overview of the forms of the verb to be in its different tenses and aspects. As you can see, most of them look very different from the infinitive form of to be! That’s because it’s an irregular verb.
| Simple | Progressive | Perfect | Perfect Progressive | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Past | was / were | was / were being | had been | had been being |
| Present | am / are / is | am / are / is being | have / has been | have / has been being |
| Future | will be | will be being | will have been | will have been being |
Many linking verbs can be replaced by a form of to be without changing the meaning of the sentence much. For example, let’s look at the sentence:
I felt tired.
You can replace the word felt with was (a form of to be) without really changing the meaning of the sentence.
I was tired.
Other examples of linking verbs are seem, taste and smell.
What are Verbs? – Summary
Verbs are a special sort of words that express action in a sentence. That means verbs show you what someone or something in a sentence is doing. Verbs are modified to express different tenses and aspects.
You can find more information below about verbs in English grammar. Watch the video for a fun story about verbs for kids, print out the worksheets or complete our interactive exercises to consolidate your learning about verbs!
Quick Exercises on Verbs – Check your Understanding!
Frequently Asked Questions – What are Verbs?
Transcript What Are Verbs?
Koko is just settling down for a quiet afternoon with tea to paint but what is this? Who is calling her? "Koko, it's Pip and I'm lost, I can't see anything!" "It's okay Pip, stay calm and tell me what you hear around you so I can help work out where you are." "How?" "You can use verbs!" Let's help Pip learn what are verbs to tell Koko where he is! You might have heard about verbs before. Verbs are action words, that tell or show what someone or something is doing. Verbs can be used in the past to show something that already happened, the present to show something that is happening now or in the future to show something that will happen. You can identify, or find the verb in a sentence by looking for a word that says what someone or something is doing. Try to find the action. For example, here Koko is drinking. This is the action she is doing so the verb is drink. Now that we have learned a bit about verbs, let's help Pip! Pip needs to describe what he hears around him to help Koko work out where he is. He hears a dog running. How can he describe that in a sentence to Koko? He can say 'I can hear a dog running!' Which is the verb in this sentence? Let's look for the action, or what the person or animal is doing. What is the dog doing in this sentence? The dog is running. So the verb in this sentence is, running, or run. Next, Pip hears splashing water, as if someone is swimming in a pool. He tells Koko, 'I can hear someone swimming in a pool.' What is the verb in this sentence? Let's look for the action, or what the person or animal is doing. Someone is swimming which is an action so the verb is swim. Let's help Pip one last time to see if Koko can work out where he is. This time he tells Koko 'a ball bounces.' What is the verb in this sentence? Remember, you can find the verb by finding the action or what someone or something is doing. The verb is bounces because it's what the ball is doing! Before we see if Koko found Pip, let's review. Today we learnt all about verbs! Verbs are action words that tell or show what someone or something is doing. Verbs can be used in the past to show something that already happened in the present to show something that is happening or in the future to show something that will happen. To find a verb in a sentence you can look for the action word that shows what someone or something is doing. Now, did Koko find Pip? "I hear someone talking on the phone." "Me too! Wait a second, Pip? Are you under that pile of clothes?"
What Are Verbs? exercise
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What is a verb?
HintsAn example of a verb is bolded below.
The rabbit hops.
What is the rabbit doing?
SolutionVerbs are action words that tell or show what someone or something is doing.
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Sentences with verbs.
HintsWhat is Amari doing in the picture?
A verb is a word that tells what the person is doing.
Make sure to use the right verb form. For example, we could say:
- The kangaroo hops.
- The kangaroo is hopping.
SolutionAmari runs fast.
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Identifying verbs.
HintsWhat action can the monkey do?
Which words are not action words? These are not verbs.
SolutionThe verbs are:
- eats
- jumps
- falls
These verbs can be used in sentences to show an action. For example:
- The monkey eats the banana.
- The banana falls from the tree.
- The monkey jumps from branch to branch.
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What are they doing?
HintsWhat is the cat doing?
What is Jess doing?
What is happening with the ice cream?
Solution- The cat gently licks her fur clean.
- Jess trips over a little grey rock.
- The ice cream melts in the hot sun.
- The child stroked the dog's soft fur.
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Can you find the verb?
HintsVerbs are action words that tell or show what someone or something is doing.
What is the dog doing?
Look for the action word in the sentence.
SolutionThe dog swims in the lake.
Swims is the verb because it is the action that the dog is doing.
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Fill in the verb.
HintsWhat are the people doing in the image?
Look at the sentence to work out which tense to use. Do you need the verb in the past, present or future tense?
SolutionLast week, Marlon hiked up a mountain.
Emily sang loudly at the concert.
Jose walks his dog each day.
Alex is watering his garden.
Above, Below & Beside
Simple Preposition Words
What Are Verbs?
Comparative Adjectives
Synonyms
Synonyms — Let's Practise!
Antonyms — Let's Practise!
What are personal pronouns?
What are Personal Pronouns?— Let’s Practise!
Regular and Irregular Plural Nouns (-s, -es, -ies)
Irregular Plural Nouns
Pronoun Verb Agreement
Closely Related Verbs
What is a Preposition?
What is a proper noun?
Identifying Prepositional Phrases
What are Abstract Nouns?
Concrete Noun or Abstract Noun? — Let’s Practise!
Collective Nouns— Let’s Practise!
What are Possessive Pronouns?
What are Possessive Pronouns?— Let’s Practise!
Relative Pronouns: Who, Whose, Whom, Which and That
Closey Related Adjectives
Connecting Ideas with Conjunctions — Let's Practise!
Superlative Adverbs
Comparative Adverbs
Modal Verbs
Superlative Adjectives
