Verbs

What is a verb?

A verb is the engine of a sentence. It tells what the subject does or what the subject is. Every complete sentence needs a verb.

• The kite soars. (action)
• The kite is red. (state of being)

If you can put I, you or they in front of a word and make sense (they soar), it is probably a verb.

Three kinds of verbs

Action verbs

Action verbs show something being done. The action can be physical or mental.

• Physical: run, throw, swim, build, laugh
• Mental: think, remember, wonder, believe, decide

Linking verbs

Linking verbs do not show action. They link the subject to a word that describes or renames it.

• The soup is hot. (describes the soup)
• My aunt became a nurse. (renames my aunt)
• You seem tired.

The most common linking verbs are forms of be: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been. Others include seem, become, appear, feel, look, smell, taste, sound.

Test: If you can swap the verb for is or are and the sentence still makes sense, it is a linking verb. The milk smells sour → The milk is sour. ✓

Helping verbs

Helping verbs (also called auxiliary verbs) stand in front of the main verb to add meaning.

• She is writing.
• We have finished.
• They will arrive soon.
• You can swim.
• I should practise.

A verb phrase is the helping verb plus the main verb: will arrive, has been sleeping.

Verb tenses

Tense shows when an action happens.

Each tense also has a continuing form: I was walking, I am walking, I will be walking.

Regular and irregular verbs

Regular verbs add -ed for the past: jump → jumped, play → played, carry → carried.

Irregular verbs change in their own way:

Irregular verbs must be memorized. Reading a lot helps them sound right.

Subject-verb agreement

The verb must match the subject. This is called subject-verb agreement.

• One subject (singular): The dog barks. She has a pen.
• More than one (plural): The dogs bark. They have pens.

Watch out for words between the subject and verb: The box of crayons is on the shelf. (The subject is box, not crayons.)

Choosing strong verbs

Strong verbs make writing lively. Instead of a weak verb with an adverb, choose one precise verb.

• walked slowly → strolled, trudged, crept
• said loudly → shouted, bellowed
• ate quickly → gobbled, devoured
• looked carefully → examined, studied

Worked examples

Example 1: Find the verb and name its type. The puppy seems sleepy.
Seems is a linking verb.

Example 2: Change to past tense. I bring my lunch.
→ I brought my lunch.

Example 3: Choose the correct verb. The players (is / are) ready.
→ are, because players is plural.

Example 4: Find the verb phrase. We have been waiting for an hour.
→ have been waiting

Common mistakes

• I seen it. ✗ → I saw it or I have seen it. ✓
• She don’t like peas. ✗ → She doesn’t like peas. ✓
• Switching tenses in the middle of a story: He opened the door and walks in. ✗ → walked ✓
• He brang a snack. ✗ → He brought a snack. ✓

Try it yourself

1. Circle the verbs: Mia laughed and clapped when the clown appeared.
2. Action or linking? The pie tastes sweet.
3. Write the past tense: swim, catch, try, think.
4. Pick the right verb: Neither of the cats (want / wants) to go outside.

Answers: 1. laughed, clapped, appeared. 2. Linking. 3. swam, caught, tried, thought. 4. wants (neither is singular).

Tip for families

Play "Verb charades." Write action verbs on slips of paper (tiptoe, juggle, shiver, stomp), take turns acting them out, and guess. Then challenge each other to use the guessed verb in the past tense.

Quick recap

• Verbs show action or being; every sentence needs one.
• Action, linking and helping verbs do different jobs.
• Tense shows when something happens.
• Irregular verbs have special past forms.
• The verb must agree with its subject.