What is a verb doing word

A verb is a word used to describe an action, state or occurrence. Verbs can be used to describe an action, that’s doing something. For example, like the word ‘jumping’ in this sentence: Or a verb can be used to describe an occurrence, that’s something happening.

What is verb example?

A verb is the action or state of being in a sentence. It happened in the past, so it is a past-tense verb. Example: You were a great singer. In this sentence, the verb is “were.” It shows a state of being that was in the past, so it is a past tense verb. Example: After lunch, I will call my mother.

What is a verb for kids?

A verb is a word that conveys ACTION, OCCURRENCE, or STATE OF BEING. Verbs are needed to form complete sentences or questions. In a sentence, a verb works as the main component of the predicate, the part of a sentence that indicates what the subject (person or thing) is or does.

What are all verb words?

Verbs – Vocabulary Word List

• accept. ache. acknowledge. act. add. admire. admit.
• babble. back. bake. balance. balk. ban. bandage.
• cajole. calculate. call. camp. care. carry. carve.
• dam. damage. dance. dare. deal. debate. decay.
• earn. eat. echo. edit. educate. elope. embarrass.
• face. fade. fail. fall. falter. fasten.
• garden. gasp. gather. gaze. gel. get.
• hail. hammer. hand. handle. hang. happen.

What is adverb in simple words?

An adverb is a word that modifies (describes) a verb (he sings loudly), an adjective (very tall), another adverb (ended too quickly), or even a whole sentence (Fortunately, I had brought an umbrella). Adverbs often end in -ly, but some (such as fast) look exactly the same as their adjective counterparts.

What is a adverb in English?

An adverb is simply a word that describes a verb (an action or a doing word).

How do you identify a verb?

Find the word in a sentence that describes action.

1. For example, in the sentence, “He ran to the beach,” the verb is “ran” because running is an action.
2. Think about other words that describe actions. “Walk,” “think,” “play,” and “drive” are all action words and work as verbs.

What are some adverbs words?

abnormally absentmindedly accidentally actually adventurously afterwards almost always annually anxiously arrogantly awkwardly bashfully beautifully bitterly bleakly blindly blissfully boastfully boldly bravely briefly brightly briskly broadly busily calmly carefully carelessly cautiously certainly cheerfully clearly …

Are all adverbs ly?

Because of their distinctive endings, these adverbs are known as -LY ADVERBS. However, by no means all adverbs end in -ly. Note also that some adjectives also end in -ly, including costly, deadly, friendly, kindly, likely, lively, manly, and timely.

What are not adverbs?

Although that is often true, some adverbs, such as fast, lack the ending. For this reason, they are known as flat adverbs. In addition, many words ending in -ly aren’t adverbs. Others, which do not have root words, include early and ugly (both adjectives and adverbs) and burly and grisly (which are only adjectives).

What part of speech replaces a noun?

Pronoun

What is a verb?

Verb Meaning / Definition

A verb is a doing word that shows an action, an event or a state. A sentence may either have a main verb, a helping verb or both. In other words, a verb is a word that informs about an action, an existence of something or an occurrence. The verb is the main word in a sentence. No sentence can be completed without a verb.

The word ‘verb’ derived from the Latin word ‘verbum‘.

Types of Verbs

1. Main Verbs (or Action Verbs)
2. Helping Verbs
3. Linking Verbs
4. – Transitive Verbs
5. – Intransitive Verbs

Main Verbs or Action Verbs

Main verbs or action verbs are used to express action; something that an animal, a person or a thing does. In each of the following sentences, we only have a main verb.

• The sun shines.
• The horse neighs.
• The monkey jumps.

Helping Verbs

As the name suggests, helping verbs help or support the main verb.

• We are learning about helping verbs. (are: helping verb; learning: main verb)
• We are in the Green House Club. (are: helping verb)
• You should complete the work by tomorrow. (should: helping verb; complete: main verb)

State of Being Verbs (Linking Verbs)

State of Being verbs state that something ‘is’. State of being verbs also known as linking verbs. Linking verbs explain a link between the subject of the sentence and a noun or adjective being linked to it.

List of Example Sentences

• The flowers are bright.
• Diamond is the hardest substance.
• I feel scared.

Understanding Verbs

The words: am, is, are, was, and were, belong to the verb “to be”. We use ‘am’ or ‘was’ with the pronoun ‘I’. We use ‘is’ or ‘was’ when the subject of the sentence is singular. We use ‘are’ or ‘were’ when the subject of the sentence is plural.

List of Example Sentences

1. I was late for school yesterday.
2. I am twelve years old.
3. She is a wonderful singer.
4. These questions are difficult.
5. He was planning to meet the doctor.
6. The Hollywood actors are famous.
7. They were winners last year.
8. It is a great feeling to win the trophy.

We use ‘is‘ with singular nouns and pronouns ‘he, she, it‘.

List of Example Sentences

1. My school is near my house.
2. This restaurant is closing down.
3. She is writing a postcard.
4. Dog is a faithful animal.
5. Ottawa is the capital of Canada.
6. He is acting strange today.

We use ‘are‘ with plural nouns and pronouns ‘we, you, they‘.

List of Example Sentences

1. The balloons are colourful.
2. They are best friends.
3. The kites are flying high in the sky.
4. They are planning to go by train.
5. We are going to win the match.
6. You are writing so untidily!

We use ‘are‘ when we join two or more nouns.

List of Example Sentences

1. John and Sam are brothers.
2. Joseph and we are neighbours.
3. Anne and Sue are enjoying the play.
4. Sharon and Jenny are competing for the gold medal.
5. Mrs. and Mr. Lee are planning to visit New Zealand.

Subject-Verb Agreement

It is very important to take care of the subject and verb agreement while framing a sentence. It is very important that a verb must be compatible and agree with its subject to make a correct and valid sentence.

Let us understand with the help of an example.

If we write:

• Phil is playing with a ball. (Correct)!
• Phil are playing with a ball. (Incorrect) X

In the first sentence, the subject (Phil) is singular, so we need a singular verb (is playing). The sentence is correct. In the second sentence, the subject (Phil) is singular, but the verb is plural (are playing). The sentence is incorrect.

Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement

Rule 1 – Subject-Verb agreement with a singular noun
If the subject is a singular noun or a pronoun (he, I, she, it), we must ensure that we use a singular verb to write a correct sentence.

List of Example Sentences

1. She is playing the guitar.
2. The postman is asking for your signature.
3. The movie has caught everyone’s attention.
4. Does he know the minister well?
5. She is cheering the team.
6. He enjoys music.
7. My mom drives carefully.
8. The moon revolves round the earth.
9. Is it raining?

Rule 2 – Subject-Verb agreement with plural noun
If the subject is plural (we, they, those, you), we need a plural verb to write a correct sentence.

List of Example Sentences

1. The boys were dancing in the corridor.
2. The children are playing in the garden.
3. The students were writing their exam.
4. Two of our girls have won the quiz.
5. We have finished our homework.
6. Both the boys have worked hard.
7. Philip and Luke are swimming.
8. The teachers are correcting the answer sheets.
9. Farmers work in the fields.

Rule 3 – Subject-Verb agreement with collective nouns
The collective nouns are considered as singular. We use singular verbs with them.

List of Example Sentences

1. The crowd was very noisy.
2. Our team has to win the match.
3. The audience is having a gala time.
4. The band is playing the school song.
5. The choir is singing beautifully.
6. My family is from Poland.
7. Our cricket team is the best in the whole town.
8. A bouquet of flowers was presented to the chief guest.

Rule 4 – Subject-Verb agreement with ‘either/or’ or ‘neither/nor’
The verb must agree with the noun or the pronoun that is closer to ‘either/or’ or ‘neither/nor’.

List of Example Sentences

1. Neither he nor I am guilty.
2. Neither Bob nor his friends want the party.
3. Either you or your sister is telling a lie.
4. Either Nancy or Mary is typing the letter.
5. Neither Julia nor her parents know the way to the passport office.

Rule 5 – Subject-Verb agreement with indefinite pronouns
Indefinite pronouns like ‘nobody’, ‘everybody’, ‘someone’, ‘somebody’, ‘one’ are always singular.

List of Example Sentences

1. Everybody is liking the new car.
2. Someone is calling for you.
3. Nobody is allowed to enter that room.
4. Everybody likes Mrs. Ola, the new History teacher.
5. One of the passengers was asking for tomato soup.
6. Somebody is knocking at the door.

Rule 6
We use singular verbs for uncountable nouns.

List of Example Sentences

1. There is sufficient food in the refrigerator.
2. Cold weather is a problem in this part of the country.
3. Sugar is yet to get over in the container.
4. Salt is obtained from sea water.
5. Milk with cornflakes is one of my favourite breakfast options.

Rule 7
A plural noun takes a singular verb when it is a name such as Paris, China, Arabian Nights, and so on.

1. China is the most densely populated country.
2. Norway is a very cold country.
3. ‘The Power of Positive Talk’ is a good book.

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Types of Action Verbs

There are two types of action verbs:

1. Transitive Verbs
2. Intransitive Verbs

Transitive Verbs

A transitive verb expresses an action directed towards a person, place or thing. The action expressed by a transitive verb passes from the doer or the subject to the receiver of the action. Words that receive the action of a transitive verb are called objects.

For example:

1. The teacher made the question paper.
2. Peter cut the cake.

In the above two sentences, we can see that the words in green colour ‘the question paper‘ and ‘the cake‘ complete the sense of the sentence or work as objects. The two sentences would not make complete sense without the objects.

1. The teacher made ……………….. what? (the question paper)
2. Peter cut ……………….. what? (the cake)

In the above sentences, the verbs ‘made‘ and ‘cut‘ are transitive verbs. A transitive verb needs a direct object to complete its meaning.

Example Sentences of Transitive Verb

1. Birds have feathers.
2. The teacher praised the pupil.
3. She is eating a pear.
4. I like English.
5. They are playing football.
6. The potter has made a beautiful pot.
7. Dennis bought a bicycle.
8. She is writing an essay.

Intransitive Verbs

A verb which does not need an object to make complete sense is called an intransitive verb. An intransitive verb expresses action (or tells something about the subject) without the action passing to a receiver or object. It can stand alone in the predicate because its meaning is complete.

Example Sentences of Intransitive Verb

1. Mr. Becker jogs every day.
2. The wicked hunter was hiding.
3. Anne looks very beautiful.
4. Mr. John speaks loudly.
5. The ship sank rapidly.
6. The department store opens at six o’clock.
7. Mr. Ben is driving carefully.
8. The wind blew strongly.

Interesting Grammar Facts about Verbs

To determine if a verb is transitive, ask yourself ‘Who?’ or ‘What?’ after the verb. If you can find an answer in the sentence, the verb is transitive.

Some verbs are always intransitive, such as: to snore or to fall. It is incorrect to say: She snores her nose.

For example: She snores a lot. In this example ‘a lot’ is not an object but an adverb. It doesn’t represent what the person snores but rather how or how much she snores.

Some verbs are always transitive, such as to recognise or to merit. It is somewhat incorrect to say: “Ah, yes, I recognise” or she certainly does merit.

Double Object

Some transitive verbs have two objects. Those things that you do for someone or you give to someone are called direct objects. The person who receives the thing is called the indirect object.

Examples of Double Object

1. The manager gave her the money.
2. Mother is reading Michael a story.
3. Nancy baked a cake for me.
4. Can you fetch me a cup and a plate?

In above examples:

• Verbs: ‘gave, reading, baked and fetch’.
• Indirect object: ‘her, Michael, me, me’.
• Direct object: ‘money, story, cake, cup and a plate’.

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To find answers to these questions, stay tuned and keep reading!

Definition

A verb can be defined as a doing or action word. It shows an action, event or state of being. Sentences in the English Language can have either a main verb, a helping verb or both. Another way to describe it is that a verb gives information about an action, something that exists, or an event that has just happened. Verbs convey actions, happenings, thoughts, feelings, speech and relationships. In every sentence, the verb is the main word. If a verb is not in a sentence, the sentence is considered incomplete.

The word ‘verb’ originates from the Latin word ‘verbum’ which means word. It is pronounced as ‘vuhb’. Every language in the world also has a group of words that fall in the class of verbs. In others however, they are not used in the same way. They could have different properties in different languages. For example, in the Chinese and Indonesian languages, verbs are unchanged for past and present tense unlike in English, where verbs are modified to describe the time of action.

In contemporary English, a verb in its basic form, having or not having the particle to is referred to as the infinitive. Verbs can then be changed from their basic form to encode tense, aspect, mood and voice. Verbs can also be modified to agree with the person, gender or number of some of its arguments whether it is a subject or object.

Verbs are usually preceded by nouns, or pronouns that are subjects in a sentence.

Functions of verbs

In speech and writing, verbs have different functions. Here are some of its main functions

1. Verbs show actions. (apart from the verb to be)
2. A verb gives us information about an act carried out by a subject in a sentence. E.g., Isaac hit the snake. Hit tells us what Isaac did.
3. A verb always forms a tense. (past, present, or future)
4. Verb forms show time, or action, or state of being.
5. A verb form tells how long an action takes place (aspect)
6. Verb forms give an idea of the speaker’s attitude (mood)
7. Verbs always have subjects in a sentence.
8. A verb is the most important part of a sentence. This is because a sentence is regarded as incomplete when there is no verb present.

Types of verbs

In the English language, verbs are categorized into two broad types which are mainly

1. Main verbs
2. Auxiliary verbs

MAIN VERBS

Main verbs are verbs that tell what the subject in a sentence is doing. They depict the main action, or state of being of the subject. Every main verb conveys the meaning in the word itself. Main verbs can be present in a sentence without needing a helping verb. These verbs are very important in a sentence as they provide vital information in the sentence and give an idea of emotion and sense of purpose. Main verbs can also tell the time that an event takes place.

Here are some examples of main verbs: watch, clean, sit, speak, run, see, smell, walk, climb, divide, collect, copy, faint, fight, smile, laugh, jump, dance, sing, play, beat, grow, plant, eat, drink, sow, reap, relax, work, etc.

Main verbs are further subdivided into the following groups

(A) Transitive verbs and intransitive verbs

(B) Regular and irregular verbs

(C) Finite and non-finite verbs

(D) Linking verbs

(E) Phrasal verbs

(A) Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

i. Transitive Verbs

Transitive Verbs give information about the action done by the subject on the object. In other words, it tells what the actor(subject) has done to something else(object). A transitive verb shows that the action passed from the subject to the object.

Whenever an action is directed towards another thing, or person, then a transitive verb is used.

This simply means that the transitive verb carries an action from the subject to the object. Here are some examples

• She reads a comic.
• They eat.
• The girl stopped the man.

ii. Intransitive Verbs

Intransitive connotes “not passing over”. Intransitive verbs are verbs that do not pass over from the subject to an object. In other words, these verbs would still make sense without an object.

For example:

• We dance.
• She runs.

 (B) Regular and Irregular verbs

I. Regular verbs

Regular verbs are main verbs that have their past and past participle forms when “-d”, or “-ed” is added to their base forms. Regular verbs can be seen in four different forms.

• Present form
  The present form is the base form, which is also known as the infinitive form. E.g., dance
• Past form
  The past form is the form produced after adding “-d”, or “-ed” to the base. It is used to describe events that happened in the near past. E.g., danced

• Past Participle
  The past participle form is the -ed participle which uses an auxiliary verb when talking about the past. E.g., I have danced

• -ing form
  The -ing form, or present participle is used to talk about something happening at the time of speech. It is formed when ‘-ing’ is added to the base form. E.g., dancing.

II. Irregular verbs

Irregular verbs are verbs that have their past and past-participle in four different ways.

• All alike: g., bet-bet-bet, cut-cut-cut, let-let-let
• Change in middle: come-came-come,
• Change once: fight-fought-fought, breed, bred, bred
• Change twice: break-broke, broken, bite-bit-bitten

(C) Finite and Non-finite verbs

I. Finite Verbs
The word finite means something limited. Finite verbs then refer to verbs that are limited in number and person by the subject. Finite verbs usually have a tense.
The dog runs. (present, finite)
Amanda plays the trumpet. (present, finite)
She spoke Italian. (past, finite)

II. Non-finite, or Infinite verbs
Non-finite verbs are those verbs that are not limited by number, or person with the subject. These verbs do not express tense, they simply name the action. Non-finite verbs are not affected by tense changes. These are verbs with the form of infinitive, -ing, and -ed.

Examples;
Adults love to read. (infinitive, non-finite)
Eating too quickly is bad for your health. (-ing form, non-finite)
Leave as soon as you are asked. (-ed form, non-finite)

(D) Linking verbs

A linking verb is a verb that shows the relationship between the subject and the remaining part of the sentence. They connect the subject to its complement. A linking verb such as “be”, or “become” connect a subject with the adjective, or noun that describes it (the complement). In a sentence, a linking verb is usually followed by a word, or a group of words that describes the subject. The linking verb is also known as a copula and is only used to connect a subject to a complement, or adjective and not an object.

The most common linking verb is “to be” such as: is, are, was, or were.
Some other linking verbs include;
appear, feel, grow, seem, stay, continue, look, smell, remain, sound, become, look, smell, taste, etc

Examples

He became angry.
She looks amazing.
He feels sad.

(E) Phrasal verbs

A phrasal verb is a combination of words (a verb + a preposition ,or verb +adverb) that takes on a different meaning to that of the ,original verbs used when used together.

e.g., break down, check in, deal with, leave out.

The car broke down in the traffic. (Here, break down means that the car had a fault)

AUXILIARY VERBS/ HELPING VERBS

For the meaning of a verb in a sentence to be clearer, it often needs a helping verb. Helping verbs, or auxiliary verbs are used to help the main verb form its tense, voice, or mood. The verbs are always used before the main verb in the sentences.

Auxiliary verbs are of two major types;

(A) Primary Auxiliary Verbs
(B) Modal Auxiliary Verbs

(A) Primary Auxiliary Verbs

1. The primary auxiliaries are be, have and do. They differ from each other and are the base form other auxiliaries. The verb be, have and do can be used as main verbs, or auxiliary verbs.

i. ‘be’

The verb “be” is an auxiliary verb to form continuous tenses.
He is hitting the ball. (is [auxiliary verb], playing [main verb])

The verb “be” is used as the main verb to state what someone, or something is like, or that something, or someone exists. E.g.,
He is a great artist.

ii. ‘have’

The verb “have” is an auxiliary verb used to form perfect tenses.
I have completed my work. (have [auxiliary verb], completed [main verb])

The verb “have” is used as a main verb to show possession.
I have a book.

iii. ‘do’

The verb “do” is used as an auxiliary verb for questions, negatives and emphasis.
Do you go to school? (do [auxiliary verb], go [main verb])

‘do’ can be used as a main verb to show activity. E.g.,
I do my work.

(B) Modal Auxiliary Verbs

Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs succeeded by main verbs in a sentence used to express doubt, probability, obligation, ability, necessity, intention, permission, or opinions.

Modal verbs are followed by the main verb without to. The exceptions are, “ought to” and “used to”.

We should help the poor. (Obligation)
It may be right. (Probability)
I can play football. (Ability)
You must work hard to get the job. (necessity)

When we need to decide a modal auxiliary verb, context is extremely important. The difference between two following sentences is critical.

• They may clean the garden.
• They can clean the garden.

“May” tells cleaning the garden is a possibility;
“Can” gives the idea that they have the ability to clean the garden.

Characteristics of verbs

Verbs are generally known to have the following characteristics that determine how a verb will be modified and its use in any sentence.

1. Number and person

A verb changes according to person and number. Person indicates who is doing, or being the verb. Number indicates how many are doing, or being. The table below is often used to help conjugate verbs according to person and number (pronouns are added as sample subjects):

Point of view	Singular	Plural
1st person	One person – me/I	Multiple persons – we/us
2nd person	One person – you	Multiple persons – you
3rd person	One person – he/she/it	Multiple persons – they

Verbs can then be modified according to both person and number. Example (to run)

Point of view	Singular	Plural
1st person	I run	We run
2nd person	You run	You run
3rd person	He/She/It runs	They run

2. Voice

The voice of a verb refers to whether the subject carries out an action, or the subject is acted upon. There are two types of voice, called the active and passive voice.

Active voice

Active voice shows that the subject is the one carrying out the action.

Example: Dr George gave us some money. The subject of this sentence “Dr George” carries out the action “gave.”

Passive voice

Passive voice shows that the subject was not performing the action. In passive voice, the object of the action has become the subject of the sentence. Passive voice is formed by adding a “to be” verb to the past participle.

Example: We were given some money.

The subject of this sentence ‘we’ did not perform the verb – it did not do the giving. It was the object of the verb.

The passive voice has to be used carefully. It makes writing weaker because it hides the actor in the sentence. It is best used to emphasize the object of the action.

3. Mood

Mood refers to the attitude of a speaker. It indicates the state of mind of the speaker as at the time of speech. There are three moods which include

i. Indicative

ii. Imperative

iii. Subjunctive

Indicative mood

Verbs are often used in the indicative mood – the mood that indicates the verb is acting, or being:

Example:

We played video games all day.

John is a bartender in that club.

I took the boys to the mall.

Imperative mood

Verbs in the imperative mood are used when commands are given.

Example: Call the police!

Please pass the salt

Get your hands off me!

Subjunctive mood

Verbs are used in the subjunctive mood to express something that is hoped to happen.

A subjunctive verb can indicate a hypothetical situation, a desire, a reality that is not fact, or a demand.

Hypothetical: If Charlie were to pass his exams, we would go for a vacation

Desire: I wish I were an astronaut.

A reality that is not fact: If I were the governor, I would have education free for all.

Suggestion: You should stay on the right side of the road.

Demand: Mary insisted that John should take her home.

4. Tense

This is used to refer to how verbs change form to convey their meanings. The tense shows the time that an event happens.

The three main kinds of tenses are the Present tense, the past tense and the future tense.

The tense of a verb indicates when in time the action, or being of the verb occurred.

Regular verbs in English change their form into six tenses:

1. Present
2. Past
3. Future
4. Present perfect
5. Past perfect
6. Future perfect.

Each of the tenses is made up of one of, or a combination of the four forms (past, present, past participle, present participle). The first three tenses (past, present, and future) can also take progressive forms.

PRESENT

Present indicates that something occurs, or is now, at the current time.

Present verbs take the present verb form.

Example:

I sing in the choir.

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

Present progressive indicates that something is in the act of occurring now.

Present progressive takes the present tense “to be” + present perfect form.

I am singing in the choir.

The sun is rising in the east and setting in the west.

PAST

Past is used to tell that something occurred at a fixed time before the present.

Past verbs take the past form.

Example:

The dog ate meat yesterday

I slept on the couch last night.

Past progressive indicates that something occurred over time in the past.

Past progressive verbs take the past tense “to be” + present participle form.

Example:

The dog was eating meat.

I was sleeping on the couch.

FUTURE

Future is used to show that an event will take place, or happen at a time after the present.

Future verbs take “will” + present form, or present tense “to be” + “going to” + present form.

Example:

The players will train tomorrow morning.

I am going to the mall later in the afternoon.

Future progressive indicates that something will be happening over time in the future.

Future progressive takes “will be” + present participle, or present tense “to be” + “going to be” + present participle. I am going to be cleaning the garage sometime soon.

Note: Note that, in formal English, “will” is sometimes replaced by “shall” (Example: The players shall play the match tonight).

There are some irregular verbs that do not behave this way. The most significant of these is “to be” A good English dictionary will indicate the remainder of the irregular verbs. “Progressive” verb forms are also often called “continuous”.

PAST PERFECT

Past perfect indicates that something in the past occurred before something else in the past.

Past perfect is formed by past tense “to have” + the past participle.

Example:

I had gone to the store to get some apples when the shooting started.

The earrings had been red before they were stolen.

Past perfect progressive indicates that something had been happening in the past before something else. Past perfect continuous is formed by “had been” + present participle

Example: I had been getting tomatoes at the mall before it closed.

Ticket sales had been increasing until the pandemic.

PRESENT PERFECT

Present perfect is used to show that something happened in the past and continues up to the present.

Present perfect is formed by present tense “to have” + past participle form

Example:

I have worked tirelessly to this minute.

Bono has spent thousands of dollars on this house.

FUTURE PERFECT

Future perfect tense shows that something in the future happens before something else in the future.

Future perfect tense is formed by EITHER using “will have” + past participle form, or using present tense “to be” + “going to have” + the past participle.

Example:

Marcus will have done the dishes once I get home.

She is going to have eaten when we reach her in the office.

Future perfect progressive is used to show that something will be happening up to a particular point in time in the future.

Future perfect continuous is formed EITHER by using “will have been” + the present participle, or by using present tense “to be” + “going to have been” + the present participle.

Example:

I will have been cooking before they arrive.

I am going to have been playing games before my sisters return.

This table gives a summary of all the forms of tenses.

PAST TENSE	Simple past	Past progressive	Past perfect	Past perfect progressive
Past I stayed at home.	Past tense ‘to be’ + present participle I was staying at home.	‘had’ + past participle I had stayed at home.	‘had been’ + present participle I had been staying at home.
PRESENT TENSE	Simple present	Present progressive	Present Perfect	Present perfect progressive
Present I stay at home.	Present tense ‘to be’ + present participle I am staying at home.	Present ‘to have’ + past participle I have stayed at home.	‘have been’ + present participle I have been staying at home.
FUTURE TENSE	Simple future	Future progressive	Future perfect	Future perfect progressive
Future “Will” + present, or present tense “to be” + “going to” + verb  I will stay at home. I am going to stay at home.	“will be” + present participle, or present tense “to be” + “going to be” + present participle I will be staying at home. I am going to be staying at home.	“will have” + past participle, or present tense “to be” + “going to have” + past participle I will have stayed at home. I am going to have stayed at home.	“will have been” + present participle, or present “to be” + “going to have been” + present participle I will have been staying at home. I am going to have been staying at home.

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What is a verb?

Physical Verbs – Definition and Examples

Physical verbs are action verbs. They describe specific physical actions. If you can create a motion with your body or use a tool to complete an action, the word you use to describe it is most likely a physical verb. For example, Joe sat in his chair, the dog breathes quickly after she chases her ball, and should we vote in the election? Even when the action isn’t very active, if the action is done by the body or a tool, consider it a physical verb.

Physical Verb Examples

The physical verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

• Let’s run to the corner and back.
• I hear the train coming.
• Call me when you’re finished with class.

Mental Verbs – Definition and Examples

Mental verbs have meanings that are related to concepts such as discovering, understanding, thinking, or planning. In general, a mental verb refers to a cognitive state.

Mental Verb – Definition and Examples

Mental verbs have meanings that are related to concepts such as discovering, understanding, thinking, or planning. In general, a mental verb refers to a cognitive state.

Mental Verb Examples

The mental verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

• I know the answer.
• She recognized me from across the room.
• Do you believe everything people tell you?

States of Being Verbs – Definition and Examples

Also known as linking verbs, state of being verbs describe conditions or situations that exist. State of being verbs are inactive since no action is being performed. These verbs, forms of to be, such as am, is, are, are usually complemented by adjectives.

States of Being Verb Examples

The state of being verbs in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

• I am a student.
• We are circus performers.
• Please is quiet.

Types of Verbs

There are many types of verbs. In addition to the main categories of physical verbs, mental verbs, and state of being verbs, there are several other types of verbs. In fact, there are more than ten different types of verbs that are grouped together by function.

List of all Verb Types

Action Verbs

Action verbs express specific actions and are used any time you want to show action or discuss someone doing something.  It’s important to remember that the action does not have to be physical.

Action verb examples:

1. Run
2. Dance
3. Slide
4. Jump
5. Think
6. Do
7. Go
8. Stand
9. Smile
10. Listen.

The action verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

I run faster than David.

He does it well.

She thinks about poetry all day long

Transitive Verbs
Transitive verbs are action verbs that always express doable activities that relate or affect someone or something else. These other things are generally direct objects, nouns or pronouns that are affected by the verb, though some verbs can also take an indirect object, such as show, take, and make. In a sentence with a transitive verb, someone or something receives the action of the verb.

Transitive verb examples:

1. Love
2. Respect
3. Tolerate
4. Believe
5. Maintain.

The transitive verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

Gary ate the cookies.

The transitive verb is ate, Gary is the subject, because it is Gary who is doing the eating, and the cookies are the direct object, because it is the cookies that are being eaten. Other examples:

He kicked John.

John punches him.

They sold the tickets.

Examples of verbs used with both direct and indirect objects:

They sell him the tickets.

In this sentence, the tickets are the direct object while him is the indirect object.

Mary baked her mother a pie.

In this sentence, a pie is the direct object while her mother is the indirect object.

Intransitive Verbs

Intransitive verbs are action verbs that always express doable activities. They are different from transitive verbs because there is no direct object following an intransitive verb.

Intransitive verb examples:

1. Walk
2. Laugh
3. Cough
4. Play
5. Run

The intransitive verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

We travelled to London.

The intransitive verb is travelled, the subject is we, because we are doing the travelling, but London is not a direct object because London is not receiving the action of the verb. Other examples:

I sneeze in the morning.

He arrived with moments to spare.

Kathryn sat away from the others.

John eats before leaving for school.

The last example shows that the verb eats can be both transitive and intransitive depending on whether there is a direct object or not. If the sentence read: John eats the cookies before leaving for school, eats would be transitive as there is a direct object – the cookies.

By the way, some verbs can be both transitive and intransitive. These verbs include: start, leave, change, live, stop.

Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary verbs are also known as helping verbs and are used together with a main verb to show the verb’s tense or to form a question or negative. Common examples of auxiliary verbs include have, might, will. These auxiliary verbs give some context to the main verb, for example, letting the reader know when the action took place.

Auxiliary verb examples:

1. Would
2. Should
3. Do
4. Can
5. Did
6. Could
7. May

The auxiliary verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

I will go home after football practice.

The auxiliary verb will is telling us that the action of the main verb go is going to take place in the future – after football practice has ended. If the auxiliary verb will was removed, we get the sentence:

I go home after football practice.

In this case, there is no definite time frame for the action. The sentence suggests that going home after football practice is just something the subject I generally does. Other examples:

I may dance with you later.

We did consider Bryan’s feelings.

Jenny has spoken her final words.

In addition, we can sometimes use the auxiliary very before the pronoun to make a question:

Might you dance with me later?

Did we consider Bryan’s feelings?

Has Jenny spoken her final words?

Also, auxiliary verbs are used to help form negative statements, with the use of words like not and never. These will usually split the auxiliary and main verbs:

I may never dance with you again.

We did not consider Bryan’s feelings.

Jenny has not spoken her final words.

Stative Verbs

Stative verbs can be recognized because they express a state rather than an action. They typically relate to thoughts, emotions, relationships, senses, states of being, and measurements. The best way to think about stative verbs is that they are verbs that describe things that are not actions. The stative verbs are all expressing a state: A state of doubting, a state of believing, a state of wanting. These states of being are often temporary.

The stative verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

The doctor disagrees with your analysis.

Disagree is a stative verb here, as it describes the doctor’s state of being – disagreement.

John doubts the doctor’s opinion.

I believe the doctor is right.

She wanted another opinion.

Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that are used to express abilities, possibilities, permissions, and obligations.

Modal verb examples:

1. Can
2. Must
3. May
4. Should
5. Would

The modal verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

He can shoot a three-point shot easily.

The auxiliary verb can is expressing an ability, suggesting that shooting a three-point shot is a skill the subject possesses.

Please note that in the case of should and must in the examples below, the modal verbs are expressing obligations, whereas would and may are expressing possibilities.

I should go home.

You must not delay.

Sally would not recommend the sushi.

David may be late.

Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs aren’t single words; instead, they are combinations of words that are used together to take on a different meaning to that of the original verb. There are many examples of phrasal verbs, some of which have colloquial meanings, such as make up, hand in, bring up, point out, look forward to. Each time the verb takes the extra word(s) it takes on a new meaning. For example, make without the up expresses that something is being created, whereas with make up, the suggestion is that there are some lies or a fantastical element to the story and make out can mean either to grasp or see something difficult, or to kiss passionately.

Phrasal verb examples:

1. Run out
2. Go all out
3. Make out
4. Hand out
5. Bring out
6. Face up
7. Think through

The phrasal verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

Mary looked forward to her high school reunion.

The verb looked has taken on forward to to become a phrasal verb meaning to be excited about or eagerly await something.

He brought up the same points again and again.

Leroy handed in the wallet to the police.

I make up stories all the time.

She pointed out Donald’s mistake.

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs are those that don’t take on the regular spelling patterns of past simple and past participle verbs. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of irregular verbs in the English language. But don’t worry, while many are used often, the majority are not in common usage – or if they are, you will use them so often you will learn them quickly. Some of the most common irregular verbs include: say, make, go, take, come, know and see.

Irregular verb examples:

1. Eat
2. Think 
3. Bring
4. Hold
5. Bear
6. Buy
7. Lay
8. Catch
9. Drive
10. Paid
11. Feel
12. Redo

The irregular verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

I take my time when I go to the shops (present tense)

I took my time when I went to the shops (past tense)

Julie makes cake for the classroom (present tense)

Julie made a cake for the classroom (past tense)

She sees a silhouette shaped like a man in the window (present tense)

She saw a silhouette shaped like a man in the window (past tense)

We come to Aunt Jane’s for Thanksgiving each year (present tense)

We came to Aunt Jane’s for Thanksgiving each year (past tense).

You should also remember that auxiliary verbs ‘do’ and ‘have’ are also irregular verbs:

I do agree.

He does it often.

We have done our homework early.

They do their homework on Fridays.

I have a suspicion about Fran

Fran has a devious look.

We have no money left.

They have had a cough twice this winter.