What is an action verb word

Action verb definition: An action verb is a verb that a subject can complete.

What does action verb mean? An action verb is type of verb. An action verb is a verb that the subject can do.

If a subject can DO the action, it is an action verb.

Action verbs can be in any verb tense.

Action Verb Examples in Sentences

• He works
• They made
• We responded
• I thought about my response.

Common Action Verbs

• to do
• to make
• to walk
• to have
• to eat
• to say

In all of these example action verbs, the subject can do them.

Transitive, Intransitive Verbs are Action Verbs

Transitive verbs and intransitive verbs are both action verbs.

Transitive verbs “transfer” the action to an object. That is, the subject does something to someone or something else through a transitive verb. Transitive verbs will answer the question “to what?” or “to whom?”

Examples of Transitive Verbs:

• Fred hit Ginger. (Fred hit whom? Ginger.)
• Sarah answered the question. (Sarah answered what? The question.)

Intransitive verbs do not transfer action and will not have direct objects. Intransitive verbs will not answer the question “to what?” or “to whom?”

Examples of Intransitive Verbs:

• The plane landed at the airport.
  • “At the airport” does not answer “what?” or “whom?”.
  • “landed” is an intransitive verb.
• We swam in the pool.
  • “in the pool” does not answer “what?” or “whom?”.
  • “swam” is an intransitive verb.

Both transitive and intransitive verbs are action verbs, however. In each example sentence above, the subject is DOING something.

Action vs. Non-action Verbs

Non-action verbs, or stative verbs, do not refer to an action. Rather, they express a state of being, opinion, need, preference, or sense.

Common Non-action Verbs Include:

• to be
• sensory verbs: to look, to smell, to taste, to sound
• to believe
• to consider
• to posses
• to prefer
• to like
• to want
• to need
• to own

Examples in Sentences:

• I own the house.
• She considers her answer.
• We need a new car.

As you can see, there is not action taking place in these sentences. Rather, they are more descriptions of reality, a state of being, a preference, etc.

Action Verbs and Progressive Tenses

Because action verbs are something a subject can do, only action verbs (not non-action verbs) can take on the progressive tense.

Non-action verbs cannot be used in the progressive tense. This is because the progressive tense itself is used for ongoing action. Only an action verb can be used in the progressive tense.

Examples:

• Incorrect: He is wanting dinner.
• Incorrect: They are seeming friendly.
• Incorrect: She is needing a new phone.

Rather, non-action verbs use the simple present tense.

• Correct: He wants dinner.
• Correct: They seem friendly.
• Correct: She needs a new phone.

Summary: What are Action Verbs?

Define action verb: The definition of action verb is a verb that expresses the action of the subject; a verb that does something and the subject can complete.

In summary,

• Action verbs are any verb that a subject can do.
• Action verbs can be transitive or intransitive verbs.
• Additionally, only action verbs (not non-action verbs) can be used in the progressive tenses.

Contents

• 1 What is an Action Verb?
• 2 Action Verb Examples in Sentences
• 3 Common Action Verbs
• 4 Transitive, Intransitive Verbs are Action Verbs
• 5 Action vs. Non-action Verbs
• 6 Action Verbs and Progressive Tenses
• 7 Summary: What are Action Verbs?

This post helps us understand what an action verb is, how it looks like, and different types of action verbs in English.

What is an action verb in English?

An action verb is a main verb that refers to an action that the subject performs. One has to use ones body in performing an action. The amount of efforts in performing an action might vary from verbs to verbs. It is also known as a dynamic verb.

Here are some of the most common action verbs in English:

• Talk
• Walk
• Run
• Eat
• Cut
• Drink
• Hug
• Kiss
• Sit
• Dance
• Sing
• Fight
• Slap
• Ride
• Write
• Sleep
• Exercise
• Teach
• Throw
• Scratch
• Open
• Close
• Mop
• Clean
• Wait
• Smile
• Laugh
• Cry
• Talk
• Cook
• Peel
• Mash
• Give
• Take

There are thousands of action verbs in English, but these are some of the most common action verbs everyone performs in their life. All action verbs have 4 forms they are used in: Base form, Past form, Past Participle form, and Present participle form.

Action verb	Base form	Past form	Past participle	Present participle form
Talk	talk	talked	talked	talking
Walk	walk	walked	walked	walking
Run	run	ran	run	running
Eat	eat	ate	eaten	eating
Cut	cut	cut	cut	cutting
Drink	drink	drank	drunk	drinking
Hug	hug	hugged	hugged	hugging
Kiss	kiss	kissed	kissed	kissing
Sit	sit	sat	sat	sitting
Dance	dance	danced	danced	dancing
Sing	sing	sang	sung	singing
Fight	fight	fought	fought	fighting
Slap	slap	slapped	slapped	slapping
Ride	ride	rode	ridden	riding
Write	write	wrote	written	writing
Sleep	sleep	slept	slept	sleeping
Exercise	exercise	exercised	exercised	exercising
Teach	teach	taught	taught	teaching
Throw	throw	threw	thrown	throwing
Scratch	scratch	scratched	scratched	scratching
Open	open	opened	opened	opening
Close	close	closed	closed	closing
Mop	mop	mopped	mopped	mopping
Clean	clean	cleaned	cleaned	cleaning
Wait	wait	waited	waited	waiting
Smile	smile	smiled	smiled	smiling
Laugh	laugh	laughed	laughed	laughing
Cry	cry	cried	cried	crying
Talk	talk	talked	talked	talking
Cook	cook	cooked	cooked	cooking
Peel	peel	peeled	peeled	peeling
Mash	mash	mashed	mashed	mashing
Give	give	gave	given	giving
Take	take	took	taken	taking

• Are you laughing at me?

Laughing is an action verb here, in a progressive form. The action uses a specific part of the body: mouth. The action is happening in the present as the verb phrase is in the Present Continuous tense.

• I exercise everyday in the morning.

Exercise is an action verb here. We need to move and twist our body in different ways to exercise. The verb is in the Simple Present tense, meaning the action happens everyday.

• The teacher slapped Rohan in the seminar hall.

The teacher performed the action of slapping. We use our hand for this action. The verb is in the Simple Past tense, which means the action happened at a certain time in the past.

• I have cut all the vegetables.

Cut is the action verb here. We need a knife or something sharper like a knife to cut something or someone. The verb phrase is in the Present Perfect tense here.

• I was not singing at the function.

Sing is the action verb here. It is an action that involves your mouth. The verb phrase refers to the Past Continuous tense, and it refers to the non-continuation of the action in the past.

More examples:

• I have invited her to the party.
• What are you watching?
• We have prepared a special dish for you.
• The management will take a strict action against you.
• Why are you shouting at me?
• We boarded the train at 9 pm.
• Could you please give this paper to Jon?
• Can I have what he is having?
• You cooked amazingly well today.
• They will beat you easily.
• The people from the HR department wrote the boss a letter in which they complained about the ways they have been treated lately.
• Would you work with me?
• I don’t party after 8 pm.
• Don’t touch anyone’s bag on the train.
• You are swinging my hand like it is a baseball bat.
• Because of being sick, Jon could not come to the office.
• I don’t want to smell what you are eating.
• Jon scared the kids who were playing in the park.
• Some students are waiting for you at the cafe.

Some verbs can act as both a stative verb and action verb

Here are the verbs that can be both stative verbs and action verbs:

1. Smell
2. Taste
3. See
4. Have
5. Think
6. Look
7. Weigh
8. Measure
9. Be
10. Feel
11. Appear

Verbs	Stative	Action
Smell	Meaning = the condition of something in terms of its smell • The fish smells awful. (In other words, the fish is awful in terms of its smell.) • You smell nice. (The smell coming from you is nice.)	Meaning = the action of using your nose • He smells the fish before packing them. • Can you smell the cake and tell me if it’s still edible?
Taste	Meaning = the quality of taste of something • The food tastes delicious. (In other words, the food is delicious.) • The fish you cooked last night tasted terrible.	Meaning = to eat something to find out its taste • Let him taste the food. • The chef is tasting the food.
See	Meaning = To perceive through your eyes • Can you see me? (You see objects without trying to look at them. So, there is no dynamic action here.) • I don’t see any problem in this report.	Meaning = to check or date a person • The doctor is seeing someone right now. (checking) • She is seeing someone these days. (dating) • You should see a doctor now. (get checked up by a doctor)
Have	Meaning = to possess or own • Jon has a ship. • I don’t have much time.	Meaning = to eat, take, or taste • You can have (eat) my lunch. • What are you having (drinking)?
Think	Meaning = to talk about your opinion • I think he should try teaching. • We don’t think this plan is going to work out.	Meaning = to have/process something in your mind • I was thinking about our conversation. • I thought about your proposal a lot last night.
Look	Meaning = to appear • You look dapper in the suit. • She looked tired in the class.	Meaning = to direct your eyes in a direction deliberately and notice something/someone • They are looking at you. • Why did you look at my sister angrily?
Weigh	Meaning = the weight possessed by something/someone • My phone weighs 200 grams. (My phone is 200 grams in weight) • You weigh higher than me.	Meaning = to measure the weight • The conductor is weighing the goods. (measuring the weight) • Let’s weigh all the items we got.
Measure	Meaning = the measurement of an object • The TV screen measures 42 inches. • The wall measures 12 feet vertically.	Meaning = to measure something • We can’t measure the statue without permission. • They are measuring the length of the house.
Be	Meaning = a state of being • My friends are supportive. • He is a doctor.	Meaning = a deliberate action to be in a state • He is being sarcastic. • You are being mean to me now.
Feel	Meaning = to have an opinion • I feel we are smart enough to pass the test. (I am of this opinion) • We feel that you are making a mistake here.	Meaning = to experience a feeling or emotion (through touching generally) • I am feeling something hot in my pocket. • Feel the quality of the glass before buying it.
Appear	Meaning = to make people believe something to be true • He appears to be a talented teacher. • It appears that you didn’t enjoy the match.	Meaning = to show up, come • Conor is appearing in the next show. • Did Dhoni’s wife appear at the match?

An action verbs is either transitive or intransitive

If a verb is transitive, it has an object. All action verbs are either transitive or intransitive. A transitive verb is an action verb that is acted upon an object: a person or thing. The object of a transitive verb comes right after it. On the other hand, an intransitive verb does not have an object; it is not acted upon an object directly.

Examples of action verbs (transitive):

• Simran is drinking milk. (drinking what = milk (object))
• Don’t touch my hand. (touch what = my hand (object))
• Jon and I cleaned the table properly. (cleaned what = the table))

The verbs highlighted are transitive. They take a direct object. You drink something. You touch something or someone. You clean something. A transitive verb is incomplete without its object. Can you just touch? You need something to touch, don’t you? Similarly, you drink something. The meaning of the verb completes when the object it acts upon is mentioned in the sentence.

Examples of action verbs (intransitive):

• I slept early last night.
• Why were you crying at the party?
• Don’t laugh at me.

These verbs can’t be acted upon an object. You can’t sleep someone or something, can you? Similarly, you can’t cry someone or something. Intransitive verbs are not directly followed by an object. It can be followed by a preposition and the object of the preposition.

All action verbs are either regular and irregular

Regular verbs are action verbs or stative verbs that end in a certain pattern; they generally end with ed, and ied when used in the past form and past participle form.

Action verbs (regular)	Base form (singular/plural)	Past form (V2)	Past participle (V3)
Kick	kick/kicks	kicked	kicked
Lick	lick/licks	licked	licked
Call	call/calls	called	called
Spam	spam/spams	spammed	spammed
Live	live/lives	lived	lived
Cry	cry/cries	cried	cried
Apply	apply/applies	applied	applied
Dry	dry/dries	dried	dried
Supply	supply/supplies	supplied	supplied

Irregular verbs are action verbs or stative verbs that don’t end in a certain pattern.

Action verbs (irregular)	Base form (singular/plural)	Past form (V2)	Past participle (V3)
Go	go/goes	went	gone
Drink	drink/drinks	drank	drunk
Eat	eat/eats	ate	eaten
Do	do/does	did	done
Fall	fall/falls	fell	fallen
Give	give/gives	gave	given

Related lessons:

• All verbs in English
• Main verbs masterclass
• Helping verbs masterclass
• Transitive and intransitive verbs
• Ditransitive verbs
• Stative verbs in English
• Linking verbs in English
• Stative verbs vs linking verbs

We, now, know what an action verb in English is, how it looks like, how to identify it, and how to use it correctly in a sentence. Feel free to share your doubt, question, and feedback in the comment section. Also, share the post with others to help them.

Contact at [email protected] for one-on-one classes.

Lights, camera, action! It takes a lot of hard work to make a movie. Directors tell everyone what to do. Actors memorize all of their lines. The crew makes all the scenery and props. Camera operators film all the exciting scenes and dramatic moments. Stunt people perform dangerous antics. The producer manages the entire project. Everybody has a job that they must do.

Don’t worry, we aren’t making a movie. Instead, we are going to learn a bit more about all the exciting words that we used to describe the work that goes on behind the scenes. All of these words are verbs, which are used to express actions or states of beings. While there are many types of verbs that we use in sentences and clauses, we are going to shine the spotlight on the verbs that really want to be action stars: action verbs.

What is an action verb?

An action verb is a verb that expresses something that a person, animal, object, or process in nature (such as a storm) can do rather than expressing a state of being. What exactly does this mean? Let’s look at this example:

• Andre plays rugby.

In this sentence, the verb plays expresses an action that Andre does: Andre physically plays the sport of rugby. That is why plays is an action verb.

Action verbs are often contrasted and should not be confused with two other types of verbs: stative verbs and linking verbs. Unlike action verbs, stative verbs express states of being or conditions. Stative verbs are typically used to provide more information about the subject rather than say what the subject does. For example, the sentence The skunks smells really bad uses the stative verb smells to say what kind of odor the skunk has and the sentence Paula hates pineapple on pizza expresses an opinion that Paula has. These sentences both use stative verbs to provide more information about the subject rather than express an action that the subject did.

Grammatically, linking verbs are used differently than both stative and action verbs. A linking verb “serves as a connecting link or establishes an identity between subject and complement.” For example, the sentence The blanket is green uses the linking verb is to link the subject the blanket with the adjective green that provides information about the subject. The following sentences show the difference between action and linking verbs:

• The children happily opened their gifts. (In this sentence, opened is an action verb.)
• Tomorrow is Thursday. (In this sentence, is is a linking verb. The verb is linking the subject with a subject complement rather than expressing an action.)

Study the differences between action and linking verbs (and more) in our guide on the types of verbs.

It is possible for some verbs to be used as either action or stative verbs depending on meaning or context. For example, the following two sentences use the verb think as an action and stative verb:

• Nicole thinks that Freddy is a hard worker.
• Albert is thinking of funny jokes to tell his nieces.

In the first sentence, thinks is a stative verb that expresses an opinion that Nicole has. In the second sentence, the verb thinking is expressing a mental action that Albert is doing. Lots of verbs have multiple meanings, which means it is a good idea to stop and think—like Albert—for a little bit about what the verb is actually referring to in order to determine if it is an action or stative verb.

List of action verbs

There are many examples of action verbs. Action verbs come in two main types: verbs that refer to physical actions and verbs that refer to mental actions.

Physical action verbs

Generally speaking, we say that an action verb describes a physical action if it refers to an action that requires movement of bodies or objects. Here are examples of action verbs that refer to physical actions:

• ask, bend, climb, drive, eat, frolic, go, hang, inch, jiggle, kick, leap, mumble, nod, open, pull, quake, run, swim, tumble, unlock, vibrate, walk, yell, zip

Mental action verbs

Action verbs that refer to mental actions are a bit trickier. At first glance, many of these verbs may not seem like action verbs at all. However, all of these verbs can still refer to things that a person can do. Rather than physical activities, these verbs refer to actions that you can use your brain to do. It may not surprise you to learn that many of these verbs can also be used as stative verbs to express states of being or conditions:

• consider, dream, imagine, ponder, think, remember, forget, memorize, learn, doubt, condemn, analyze, review, dread, worry, fear, fantasize, appreciate, evaluate

Action verb examples

Let’s look at sentences that use action verbs. Remember, an action verb expresses something that a person or thing can do, either physically or mentally. As you read each example, consider if each action verb is referring to a physical or mental action.

• I ride my bicycle to work.
• The teacher asked Zach for the answer, but he forgot what it was.
• Our grandparents will visit us next week, so we are preparing the guest room.
• The art collector has spent millions of dollars on fabulous masterpieces.
• The cunning thieves formulated a plan to steal the diamonds.
• The angry queen exiled the corrupt minister from the country.
• Brianna was smiling because the university accepted her application.
• Lord Horatio passionately argued that the government should lower taxes, but Duchess Cecilia fiercely rebutted his position.

Action verbs in grammar vs. résumés

Now you know what an action verb means when we’re speaking about grammar. But the phrase action verbs is also used in the process of writing and editing résumés, and it refers to writing that is vivid and effective. A résumé filled with action verbs uses verbs that are powerful enough to convey not only what an applicant did on the job, but also how they excelled at tasks and on-the-job challenges. The verbs are both effective and specific. To learn more about writing a résumé take a look at our comprehensive list of the most effective action verbs to include.

Action verb rules & best practices

Now back to grammar: by now you’ve realized we use many different action verbs when we speak or write sentences. An action verb is a specific type of verb, but it follows other general rules of verbs. For example, action verbs can be used in the active or passive voice and can be used in all 12 of the verb tenses.

Let’s put your understanding of action verbs to the test. Carefully read each of the following sentences and see if you can tell if the bolded verb is or is not an action verb. (Check your answers below!)

1. The busy squirrels quickly climbed the tree.
2. That idea sounds foolish.
3. Romeo loves Juliet.
4. Tabitha remembered the right answer.
5. My mom remembers every bad decision I make.

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Answers: 1. Action verb 2. Not an action verb (linking verb) 3. Not an action verb (stative verb) 4. Action verb (Remembered is an action verb because it refers to a mental action that Tabitha did.) 5. Not an action verb (Remembers is a stative verb that is referring to the mom’s ability to retain information for future use.)

What is Action Verb? Action Verb List and Example Sentences

Action Verbs List

Verbs are the words that describe the actions of each noun, the situation they belong to, and what they have been impacted from. Verbs are classified into categories based on their meanings. One of these is the use of action verbs.

Action Verb: What Is It and How Do I Understand It?

Action verbs are verbs that are used to describe a specific job or activity. In the sentence, there is a subject who performs the task and an object who is influenced by the request. These verbs are also referred to as transitive verbs because they take an object as their subject.

Specifically, action verbs respond to the questions of “what” and “who”. As a result, by asking these questions to verbs, it is possible to identify if they are action verbs or not such as delete, tell, clean, write, take, lift, and drink.

The following are some examples of sentences with action verbs:

I watched as my mother threw the stone she was holding into the water.

In this sentence, the word throw is used as an action verb. The action of throwing has taken place on an object. Alternatively, the question “what” can be answered.

To tell the truth, I finally broke down and said it to him

The thieves stole a large sum of money from my home

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that this is the correct answer.

My father painted the walls of the house.

He watched the championship game again.

They removed the board from the wall.

He did an excellent job of explaining the subject.

Additionally, it will clean the floors.

Make a note of what I said.

He went to the market and bought 2 kilos of apples.

She is being dragged by her bag against her will.

He bent down and lifted the boy into the air.

He wore his necklace around his neck as if it was his.

These papers should not be used.

They will pick up the trash that is on the ground.

The alarm went off at eight o’clock.

Toss the salad together.

He combed the back of his hair.

Open the door for me.

He slid the lid back into place.

He conducted extensive research on the subject.

He scratched his pen against the white paper.

He was able to pay off his debt.

Let’s take care of the cats.

Don’t cut down any trees.

It made my heart ache.

Maintain a healthy balance between giving and taking.

Pay attention to the music.

They noticed you the day before.

He had finally discovered what he had been looking for.

Please don’t interrupt me during my speech.

Studying is something I enjoy doing.

We dug a hole for ourselves.

He hung up the phone on me without saying goodbye.

We cleaned the house well before moving the items.

The little girl carried the big sack on her back across the road.

Although it was difficult, I finally opened the lid of the jar.

Last night I dreamed that I was the top student at my school.

The teacher did not know the answer to this question.

The poet answered the questions asked to him sincerely.

The car almost hit the small child.

Together with my father, we planted trees in every corner of the garden.

Most Common Action Verbs List

collar
analyze
fan
whack
shoot
maul
generate
led
expose
scruff
repulse
file
define
sculpt
prove
gather
direct
scrawl
initiate
reorganize
prepare
imitate
cure
manage
maim
structure
hitch
spur
meet
bow
collide
hurtle
advocate
mock
remove
pummel
derive
systematize
obtain
listen
appropriate
abscond
bathe
log
link
advance
campaign
mimic
rock