What Are Verbs? The Basics of Action Words:English Grammar Guide

Verbs are one of the most essential parts of speech in the English language. Without verbs, sentences would have no action, no movement, and no life. They are the words that tell us what is happening, what someone is doing, or what state something or someone is in. Understanding verbs is key to mastering English grammar and building strong sentences.

In this guide, we’ll explore what verbs are, the different types of verbs, how they work in sentences, and how you can use them correctly in daily English.

What Is a Verb?

A verb is a word that expresses an action, an occurrence, or a state of being. In simple terms, verbs tell us what someone or something does.

For example:

• She runs every morning.

• They play basketball.

• I am tired.

• The sun rises in the east.

In these sentences, the verbs are runs, play, am, and rises. Each verb shows either an action or a state.

Why Are Verbs Important?

Verbs are the heart of every sentence. You can’t form a complete sentence without a verb. For example:

• ❌ “He to the park.” → incomplete sentence

• ✅ “He goes to the park.” → complete sentence

Every sentence needs at least one verb to express what is happening. Verbs also show time (past, present, or future), which helps us understand when an action occurs.

Types of Verbs

There are many kinds of verbs in English. Let’s look at the most common categories.

1. Action Verbs

Action verbs show what someone or something is doing. These can be physical actions or mental actions.

Physical actions:

• run, jump, eat, write, sing

Mental actions:

• think, believe, remember, imagine, decide

Examples:

• She writes beautiful stories.

• I think about my goals every day.

• They play football after school.

Action verbs are the easiest to identify because they describe something you can do.

2. Linking Verbs

Linking verbs don’t show action. Instead, they connect the subject of a sentence to additional information about it. They describe a state or condition.

The most common linking verb is “to be” (am, is, are, was, were). Others include seem, become, appear, feel, and look.

Examples:

• She is a teacher.

• The soup tastes delicious.

• They were tired after the trip.

Here, the verbs don’t show action but link the subject with a description or identity.

3. Helping Verbs (Auxiliary Verbs)

Helping verbs assist the main verb to express tense, mood, or voice. Common helping verbs include:
be, have, do, will, shall, can, may, might, must, should, could, would.

Examples:

• She is studying English.

• I have finished my homework.

• They will travel tomorrow.

In each example, the helping verb supports the main verb (studying, finished, travel) to show time or meaning more clearly.

4. Modal Verbs

Modal verbs express possibility, necessity, ability, permission, or obligation.

Common modal verbs:
can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would

Examples:

• You can swim well.

• We should study harder.

• They might come later.

Modal verbs always go with a base verb (the verb without “to”).

5. Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

This classification depends on whether a verb takes an object or not.

Transitive verbs need an object to complete their meaning.

• She bought a car. (object = car)

• I read a book. (object = book)

Intransitive verbs do not take an object.

• He slept.

• They arrived late.

Some verbs can be both transitive and intransitive, depending on how they are used.

• He runs every morning. (intransitive)

• He runs a company. (transitive)

6. Regular and Irregular Verbs

Verbs also differ in how they form their past tense and past participle.

Regular verbs add “-ed” to form the past tense.

• play → played

• walk → walked

• watch → watched

Irregular verbs do not follow this pattern.

• go → went → gone

• eat → ate → eaten

• see → saw → seen

It’s important to memorize irregular verbs because they don’t follow predictable rules.

Verb Tenses

Verb tenses tell us when an action happens — in the past, present, or future.

1. Present Tense – things happening now or regularly.

• I study English every day.

2. Past Tense – actions that already happened.

• I studied English yesterday.

3. Future Tense – actions that will happen.

• I will study English tomorrow.

These tenses also have progressive, perfect, and perfect progressive forms to show the duration or completion of actions.

Examples:

• I am studying English. (present continuous)

• I have studied English. (present perfect)

• I had been studying English before the exam. (past perfect continuous)

Understanding verb tenses helps you describe time accurately in English communication.

Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb is a combination of a main verb and one or more particles (prepositions or adverbs). The meaning often changes completely from the original verb.

Examples:

• turn on (start) → Please turn on the light.

• give up (quit) → Don’t give up on your dreams.

• look after (take care of) → She looks after her younger brother.

Phrasal verbs are very common in spoken English and informal writing, so it’s helpful to learn them gradually.

Verb Agreement

The form of a verb must agree with the subject in number (singular or plural).

Examples:

• He runs fast. (singular subject)

• They run fast. (plural subject)

Incorrect verb agreement is a common mistake, so always check if your verb matches your subject.

Common Mistakes with Verbs

Here are a few frequent errors English learners make:

1. Wrong tense:

   • ❌ I go to school yesterday.

   • ✅ I went to school yesterday.

2. Missing helping verb:

   • ❌ She studying now.

   • ✅ She is studying now.

3. Incorrect verb agreement:

   • ❌ They is playing.

   • ✅ They are playing.

4. Confusing irregular verbs:

   • ❌ He eated lunch.

   • ✅ He ate lunch.

Practice and repetition are the best ways to avoid these errors.

How to Practice Verbs

Here are some easy ways to improve your verb skills:

1. Make daily sentences – Write short sentences using new verbs.

2. Read regularly – Notice how verbs are used in articles or books.

3. Listen and repeat – Copy the way native speakers use verbs in movies or podcasts.

4. Quiz yourself – Test irregular verbs or verb tenses.

5. Use verbs in context – Instead of memorizing, practice in real sentences.

Conclusion

Verbs bring action, life, and clarity to English sentences. Whether it’s running, thinking, being, or having, verbs are what make communication possible. By understanding their types, tenses, and forms, you can build clear, accurate, and expressive sentences.

Remember: every sentence needs a verb — it’s the heartbeat of the English language. The more you practice using verbs in real situations, the more natural your English will sound.

FAQs

What is a verb in simple terms?

A verb is a word that expresses an action, an event, or a state of being. If you can ask “What is happening?” or “What does the subject do/is?” the answer is usually a verb. Examples include action verbs like run, eat, think; linking verbs like am, is, are; and helping (auxiliary) verbs like do, have, and will. Every complete sentence requires at least one verb to anchor it in time and meaning.

How do action, linking, and helping verbs differ?

Action verbs show what someone or something does: “She writes emails.”
Linking verbs connect the subject to a subject complement (a description or identity): “The soup tastes salty,” “He is a teacher.” They do not show an outward action.
Helping (auxiliary) verbs support a main verb to create tense, aspect, mood, or voice: “They are studying,” “I have finished,” “We will travel.” In these, the helping verb (are, have, will) modifies the main verb.

What are the most common verb tenses I should master first?

Start with the “big three” and their progressive forms:

• Simple Present: habitual truths or schedules — “I study English every day.”
• Simple Past: completed actions — “I studied yesterday.”
• Simple Future: plans or predictions — “I will study tomorrow.”
• Present Progressive: ongoing now — “I am studying right now.”
• Past Progressive: ongoing in the past — “I was studying when you called.”
• Future Progressive: ongoing in the future — “I will be studying at 8 PM.”

Once comfortable, add perfect and perfect progressive aspects to express completion and duration relative to a time point.

What is the difference between regular and irregular verbs?

Regular verbs form the past tense and past participle by adding -ed (or -d): walk → walked, talk → talked. Irregular verbs do not follow a single pattern: go → went → gone, eat → ate → eaten, see → saw → seen. Because irregular verbs are unpredictable, memorize them with spaced repetition and frequent usage in sentences.

What are transitive and intransitive verbs, and how can I tell them apart?

A transitive verb requires a direct object (something that receives the action): “She wrote a letter.” Remove the object and the meaning feels incomplete. An intransitive verb does not take a direct object: “He arrived.” Some verbs can be both: “He runs every day” (intransitive) vs. “He runs a company” (transitive). To test, ask “verb what?” or “verb whom?” If a natural answer exists, it’s likely transitive.

What are modal verbs and how do I use them correctly?

Modal verbs (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would) express ability, possibility, permission, obligation, or advice. They are followed by the base form of the verb (no “to”): “You should study,” “She can swim.” Negatives and questions invert with the subject: “Should I call?” “You shouldn’t wait.” Avoid adding to after a modal (“should to go” is incorrect).

How does subject–verb agreement work, and what are the tricky cases?

In the simple present, singular third-person subjects (he, she, it, singular noun) take verbs with -s: “She runs.” Plural subjects use the base form: “They run.” Tricky points:

• Collective nouns (team, family) may be singular or plural depending on meaning and variety of English; in American English they’re usually singular: “The team wins.”
• Indefinite pronouns like everyone, each are singular: “Everyone is ready.”
• Prepositional phrases after the subject do not change the verb: “The list of items is long.”
• Either/Neither with or/nor agrees with the nearest subject: “Either the students or the teacher is right.”

When should I use “to be” as a linking verb versus an auxiliary?

Use “to be” as a linking verb to connect the subject with a complement that describes or identifies it: “She is happy,” “They are engineers.” Use “to be” as an auxiliary with a present participle (-ing) to form progressive aspect: “He is reading,” or with a past participle to form the passive voice: “The cake was baked by Alex.” The difference lies in whether “be” stands alone to link, or supports another verb to create aspect or voice.

What are phrasal verbs, and why do they seem difficult?

Phrasal verbs combine a main verb with a particle (adverb or preposition) to create a new meaning: turn on (activate), give up (quit), look after (take care of). They are challenging because the meaning is often idiomatic and particles can move around in some cases: “Turn on the light” / “Turn the light on.” When the object is a pronoun, it must go between: “Turn it on,” not “Turn on it.” Learn them in context with example sentences and by topic (work, travel, study).

How do I choose the correct tense for real-life situations?

Match the tense to time and intent:

• Immediate now: Present progressive — “I am meeting a client.”
• Habit/routine: Simple present — “He reads before bed.”
• Finished past (specific time): Simple past — “She called at 9.”
• Life experience (unspecified time, still relevant): Present perfect — “I have visited Japan.”
• Past before past: Past perfect — “They had left when I arrived.”
• Scheduled future: Present simple or “will”/“going to” depending on certainty — “The train leaves at 6,” “I will call later,” “I’m going to study tonight.”

What is the passive voice and when is it appropriate?

The passive voice focuses on the receiver of the action rather than the doer: “The report was written (by Ana).” Form it with the correct tense of be + past participle: “is made,” “was built,” “will be delivered,” “has been approved.” Use it when the actor is unknown, unimportant, or you want to emphasize the result: “My bike was stolen.” Avoid overusing passive in everyday writing; active voice is usually clearer.

What are common verb mistakes and how can I fix them?

• Tense mismatch: “I go yesterday” → “I went yesterday.”
• Missing auxiliary in progressives/perfects: “She studying” → “She is studying.”
• Agreement errors: “They is ready” → “They are ready.”
• Double past with irregulars: “He did went” → “He went.”
• Wrong form after modal: “She can to go” → “She can go.”

Fix errors by reading aloud, underlining verbs, and checking: tense (time), form (base/-s/-ed/-ing/participle), and agreement (subject number).

How do I master irregular verbs efficiently?

Group them by pattern to reduce memorization load: sleep–slept–slept (same vowel change), bring–brought–brought (-ought group), cut–cut–cut (unchanged). Create mini decks (10–15 verbs), write two sentences per verb (past simple and present perfect), and review daily. Use spaced repetition apps and weave target verbs into short stories to reinforce meaning and form together.

How can I make my writing stronger using precise verbs?

Replace generic verbs with vivid, specific choices: instead of “go quickly,” try “dash,” “sprint,” or “hurry.” Swap “make a decision” for “decide.” Prefer active voice where possible: “The committee approved the budget” beats “The budget was approved.” Strong verbs reduce wordiness and increase clarity.

What’s the difference between the base form, the infinitive, and the gerund?

The base form is the simplest verb form (go, read, be). The infinitive is to + base (to go, to read, to be) and often functions like a noun or shows purpose: “I like to read,” “I went to buy milk.” A gerund is the -ing form used as a noun: “Reading is relaxing,” “She enjoys swimming.” Choice depends on the preceding verb or expression (e.g., “enjoy” takes a gerund, “want” takes an infinitive).

How can I practice and remember verb forms daily?

Use a three-step routine: (1) Micro-drill five verbs (base, past, past participle) aloud; (2) Context sentences—write two real-life sentences per verb (one past, one perfect); (3) Active recall—at the end of the day, retell a short event using today’s verbs. Track tricky verbs in a personal list and revisit them with spaced intervals (1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks). Consistency builds automaticity.

When should I use “do,” “does,” and “did” with verbs?

Use the auxiliary do/does/did for negatives and questions in the simple present/past when no other auxiliary is present: “I do not know,” “Do you agree?” “She doesn’t drive,” “Did he call?” In affirmative statements, you normally omit them: “He called.” Add them only for emphasis: “I do want to help.”

How do I know if a verb is stative and why does it matter?

Stative verbs describe states, emotions, possession, or cognition (e.g., know, believe, love, own, seem). They are rarely used in progressive forms: “I know the answer,” not “I am knowing.” Some verbs have both stative and dynamic meanings: “I have a car” (stative possession) vs. “I am having lunch” (dynamic activity). Recognizing stative usage helps you avoid awkward progressives.

What’s a quick checklist to proofread verbs before publishing?

• Verb present? Every sentence has at least one main verb.
• Right tense/aspect? Time and duration match your message.
• Agreement correct? Subject and verb align in number/person.
• Form accurate? Base/-s/-ed/-ing/participle used correctly.
• Voice intentional? Active by default; passive when needed.
• Precision: Replace weak verbs and wordy phrases with stronger choices.
• Consistency: Keep tense consistent within a paragraph unless time shifts.

Apply this checklist to tighten your prose and avoid the most frequent verb-related mistakes.

English Grammar Guide: Complete Rules, Examples, and Tips for All Levels