Verbs: Action and State Words
Verbs are words that express actions, states, or occurrences.
Action Verbs
Action verbs describe what someone or something does.
Physical actions:
- run, walk, jump, eat, write, build
Mental actions:
- think, believe, understand, remember, consider
Examples:
- She runs every morning.
- I think this is correct.
- They built a house.
Linking Verbs
Linking verbs connect the subject to more information about the subject.
Common linking verbs:
- be (am, is, are, was, were)
- seem, appear, become
- feel, look, sound, smell, taste
Examples:
- She is a doctor.
- The soup smells delicious.
- He became famous.
Auxiliary (Helping) Verbs
Auxiliary verbs help the main verb express tense, mood, or voice.
Primary auxiliaries:
- be, have, do
Modal auxiliaries:
- can, could, may, might, must
- shall, should, will, would
Examples:
- She is working. (progressive)
- I have finished. (perfect)
- He can swim. (ability)
- You should study. (advice)
Verb Forms
Base Form (Infinitive without “to”)
- go, eat, write, be
Infinitive (with “to”)
- to go, to eat, to write, to be
Present Participle (-ing)
- going, eating, writing, being
Past Participle (-ed or irregular)
- gone, eaten, written, been
Regular vs. Irregular Verbs
Regular Verbs
Add -ed for past tense:
| Base | Past | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| walk | walked | walked |
| play | played | played |
| want | wanted | wanted |
Irregular Verbs
Change form unpredictably:
| Base | Past | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| go | went | gone |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| write | wrote | written |
| be | was/were | been |
Verbs are the engine of every English sentence. A sentence must have at least one finite verb — a verb that is marked for tense. Without a finite verb, you have a phrase, not a sentence.