Verbs

What is a verb?
Verbs are the action words in a sentence that describe what the subject is doing. Along with
nouns, verbs are the main part of a sentence or phrase, telling a story about what is taking place.
In fact, without a verb, full thoughts can’t be properly conveyed, and even the simplest
sentences, such as Maria sings, have one. Actually, a verb can be a sentence by itself, with the
subject, in most case you, implied, such as, Sing! and Drive!

When learning the rules of grammar, schoolchildren are often taught that verbs are ‘doing’
words, meaning they signify the part of the sentence which explains the action taking place: He
ran away, she eats chocolate cake on Sundays, the horses gallop across the fields. Ran, eats and
gallop are the ‘action’ parts of those sentences, thus they are the verbs. However, it can be
confusing because not all verbs are easily identifiable as action: I know your name, Jack thought
about it, we considered several applications. These are non-action verbs, i.e. those that describe
a state of being, emotion, possession, sense or opinion. Other non-action verbs include include
love, agree, feel, am, and have.

How to Recognize a Verb

As you can see from the examples above, one clue to help you recognize a verb is its location
compared to the subject. Verbs almost always come after a noun or pronoun. These nouns and
pronouns are referred to as the subject.  The verb thought comes after the noun Jack, so the
action Jack (subject) was taking was thinking (verb).

1. Mark eats his dinner quickly.

2. We went to the market.
3. You write neatly in your notebook.
4. They thought about all the prizes in the competition.

Here are some other ways to recognize verbs in a sentence:

1. If you’re not sure if a word is a verb, ask yourself, “Can I do ______?”

Can I think, wonder, walk, yawn? Yes, so these are verbs.

2. You can also ask, ”What is happening?”

In the sentence Mark eats his dinner quickly, what is happening? Eating is happening, so eating
is the verb.

In the sentence They thought about all the prizes what is happening? Thought (thinking) is
happening, so thought is the 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.

What Are Verbs?
A verb is a "doing" word. A verb can express:

 A physical action (e.g., to swim, to write, to climb).

 A mental action (e.g., to think, to guess, to consider).
 A state of being (e.g., to be, to exist, to appear).

Verbs Can Express Physical Actions

Here are some sentences with verbs that express physical actions. (In each example, the verb is
highlighted.)

 She sells pegs and lucky heather.

(In this example, the word sells is a verb. It expresses the physical activity to sell.)

 The doctor wrote the prescription.

(In this example, the word wrote is a verb. It expresses the physical activity to write.)

 Alison bought a ticket.

(The word bought is a verb. It expresses the physical activity to buy.)

Verbs Can Express Mental Actions

While many verbs express physical actions (e.g., to jump, to dance, to sing), verbs can also
express mental actions. For example:

 She considers the job done.

(The word considers is a verb. It expresses the mental activity to consider.)

 Peter guessed the right number.

(The word guessed is a verb. It expresses the mental activity to guess.)

 I thought the same thing.

(The word thought is a verb. It expresses the mental activity to think.)

Verbs Can Express a State of Being

A small but extremely important group of verbs do not express any activity at all. The most
important verb in this group (arguably of all) is the verb to be.

Here is the verb to be in the different tenses:

Verb to be
Subject
past tense present tense future tense
I was Am will be
You were Are will be
He / She / It was Is will be
We were Are will be
You were Are will be
They were Are will be

Here are some real examples with the verb to be:

 Edwina is the largest elephant in this area.

(The word is is a verb from the verb to be.)

 It was a joke.

(The word was is a verb from the verb to be.)

 I am.

(The word am is a verb from the verb to be.)

(Point of interest: I am is the shortest sentence in English.)

The Types of Verbs

As we've covered, a verb can be categorized as a physical verb (e.g., to run), a mental verb (e.g.,
to think), or a state-of-being verb (e.g., to be). However, a verb will often be further categorized
as one of the following:

Action Verb
An action verb expresses an activity that a person or thing can do. For example:

 Lee eats cake.

(Eating is something Lee can do.)

 The bear chased the salmon in the shallow rapids.

 (Chasing is something the bear can do.)
Compare those verbs with these:

 Lee likes cake.

(To like is not an activity. It's a state.)

 The bear is hungry.

(To be is not an activity. It's a state.)

Stative Verb
A stative verb expresses a state rather than an action. A stative verb typically relates to a state of
being, a thought, or an emotion. For example:

 I am at home.
 She believes in fairies.
 He feels elated.

Transitive Verb
A transitive verb is one that acts on something (i.e., it has a direct object). For example:

 I saw the dog.

(Here, the direct object is the dog.)

 Lee ate the pie.

(Here, the direct object is the pie.)

 The postman will give Sarah the letter.

(Here, the direct object is the letter.)

Note: The direct object of a transitive verb can be found by finding the verb and asking "what?"
For example, "saw what?" (answer: the dog); "ate what?" (answer: the pie); "will give what?"
(answer: the letter).

Read more about transitive verbs.

Intransitive Verb
An intransitive verb is one that does not act on something (i.e., there is no direct object). For
example:
  The rain fell.
 My throat hurts.
 The cat sneezed.

Read more about intransitive verbs.

Auxiliary Verb
An auxiliary verb (or helping verb) accompanies a main verb to help express tense, voice or
mood. The most common auxiliary verbs are be, do, and have (in their various forms). Here are
some examples of auxiliary verbs:

 Lee has eaten all the pies.

(Here, the auxiliary verb has helps to express tense.)

 The table has been prepared.

(Here, the auxiliary verbs has been help to express voice (in this case, the passive voice).)

 If he were to arrive in the next 10 minutes, we would be on schedule.

(Here, the auxiliary verbs were and would help to express mood (in this case, the
subjunctive mood).)
Read more about auxiliary verbs.

Modal Verb
A modal verb is a type of auxiliary verb used to express ideas such as ability, possibility,
permission, and obligation. The modal auxiliary verbs are can, could, may, might, must, ought to,
shall, should, will, and would. For example:

 Lee can eat a lot of pies.

(Here, the modal verb can helps to express the idea of ability.)

 Lee might eat that pie before he gets home.

(Here, the modal verb might helps to express the idea of possibility.)

 Lee may eat as many pies as he likes.

(Here, the modal verb may helps to express the idea of permission.)

 Lee should give you some of that pie given you bought it.

(Here, the modal verb should helps to express the idea of obligation.)

Phrasal Verb
A phrasal verb is a verb made up of more than one word (usually two words). A phrasal verb has
a main verb and another word (either a preposition or a particle). The phrasal verb usually has a
meaning different to the main verb. For example:

 A burglar will often break a window to break in.

(Here, the phrasal verb break in means to enter illegally, which is different to break.)

 If you drop the baton the team will drop back to last place.

(Here, the phrasal verb drop back means to fall behind, which is different to drop.)
Read more about phrasal verbs.

Regular and Irregular Verbs

A regular verb is one that forms its simple past tense and its past participle by adding -ed or -d to
the base form of the verb. (Note: There are spelling rules to consider too.) For example:

Regular Verb Simple Past Tense Past Participle

love Loved has loved
hate Hated has hated
move Moved has moved

An irregular verb is one that does not conform to this ruling. For example:

Irregular Verb Simple Past Tense Past Participle

tell Told has told
bleed Bled has bled

Read more about regular and irregular verbs.

Verb Terminology
There is a lot of grammatical terminology associated with verbs. Below are explanations of the
most common terms. (There is a more comprehensive list in our Glossary of Terms.)

The Infinitive Form

When a verb is preceded by the word to, it is said to be in its infinitive form (i.e., its most basic
form).

 I have to smoke that!

(To smoke is the infinitive form of the verb.)

Read more about the infinitive form of a verb.

Past Tense
Verbs that express actions in the past are said to be in the past tense.

 He talked with more claret than clarity. (Susan Ertz)

(Talked is the past tense of the verb to talk.)

 I ran to the lake.

(Ran is the past tense of the verb to run.)

 They were all there.

(Were is the past tense of the verb to be.)

Present Tense
Verbs that express actions occurring now are said to be in the present tense.

 John jumps out the window.

(Jumps is the present tense of the verb to jump.)

 Who is ill?

(Is is the present tense of the verb to be.)

 He is the kind of a guy who lights up a room just by flicking a switch.

(Is is the present tense of the verb to be, and lights up is the present tense of the verb to
light up.)

Future Tense
Verbs that express actions in the future are said to be in the future tense. These are usually
formed by preceding the verb with the word will.

 I will take the blame.

(Will take is the future tense of the verb to take.)

 They will surrender.

 (Will surrender is the future tense of the verb to surrender.)

 Give me where to stand, and I will move the earth. (Archimedes, 287-212 BC)

(Will move is the future tense of the verb to move.)

Read more about verb tenses.

Take a test on verb tenses.

Subject of a Verb
The person or thing performing the action of the verb is said to be the subject of the verb or the
subject of the sentence.

 Tony stole the boat.

(Tony is the subject of the verb to steal.)

 The dog is guilty.

(The dog is the subject of the verb to be.)

 Who was that?

(Who is the subject of the verb to be.)

Read more about the subject of a verb.

Direct Object of a Verb

Many verbs perform an action on something. This is called the direct object of the verb.

 Terry kissed her hand.

(Her hand is the direct object of the verb to kiss.)

 Beverly can eat a whole chicken.

(A whole chicken is the direct object of the verb to eat.)

Read more about direct objects.

Intransitive Verbs
Some verbs cannot have a direct object. These verbs are called intransitive verbs.

 The rain fell heavily.

 (The rain fell, but it did not perform an action on anything. In this example, the verb to
fall is an intransitive verb.)

 Jack protested in the street.

(Jack protested, but he did not perform an action on anything. In this example, the verb to
protest is an intransitive verb.)
Read more about intransitive verbs.

Transitive Verbs
Verbs that can have a direct object (most of them) are called transitive verbs.

 Barney copied the answer.

(The verb copied is a transitive verb. The direct object of the verb is the answer.)

 Terry saw a black fin cutting through the water.

(The verb saw is a transitive verb. The direct object of the verb is a black fin.)
Read more about transitive verbs.

Indirect Object of a Verb

Some verbs have two objects, a direct object and an indirect object. The indirect object is the
person or thing for whom the action was performed.

 Jamie read the children a story.

(Here, a story is the direct object, and the children is the indirect object.)

 I will bake him a cake.

(Here, a cake is the direct object, and him is the indirect object.)

 The postman gives Anne a letter every day.

(Here, a letter is the direct object, and Anne is the indirect object.)
Read more about indirect objects.

Passive Sentence
The subject of a sentence does not always do the action of the verb. Sometimes, the action is
done to the subject. Such sentences are called passive sentences because the subjects are being
passive, i.e., not doing anything. 
  Carl was arrested.

(Carl is not doing anything, but he is the subject of the sentence.)

(Note: Carl is the subject of the verb to be.)
Passive verbs always comprise two parts (was arrested in this example). The person doing the
action of the verb in a passive sentence is usually shown with the word by.

 Carl was arrested by PC Adams.

Passive verbs are said to be in the passive voice. Passive sentences can be quite useful:

 The carpet was damaged.

(This is a passive sentence. No one is blamed for damaging the carpet.)

 Mark damaged the carpet.

(A passive sentence contrasts with an active sentence (where the subject performs the
verb). This is an example of an active sentence. It tells us that Mark damaged the carpet.)

Read more about passive sentences. Active Sentence

Active sentences contrast with passive sentences. In an active sentence, the subject of the verb
performs the action.

 We damaged the carpet.

(This is an active sentence. We is the subject. We damaged the carpet.)

 Jamie read a story.

(This is an active sentence. Jamie is the subject. Jamie read a story.)

Read more about active sentences.

Conjugation of Verbs
A verb will change its form a little depending on the subject. For example:

 I write.
 He writes.

 The jackal laughs.

 The jackals laugh.
When verbs change in this way, it is known as conjugation. A verb conjugates according to the
subject. The subject of a verb can be in one of six forms:

 I
 You
 He / She / It
 We
 You
 They

The first three are the singular forms (known as first person singular, second person singular, and
third person singular). The second three are the plural forms (known as first person plural,
second person plural and third person plural).

All subjects fit into one of these categories. For example, jackal is like he (i.e., third person
singular) and jackals is like they (i.e., third person plural). (This subject rarely causes problems
for native English speakers, who conjugate verbs correctly without much thought.)

Interestingly, this is the origin of the insurance term third party (i.e., it's insurance covering
actions by "them").

Read more about subject-verb agreement.

Participles
Participles are formed from verbs. There are two types: present participles and past participles.
Present participles end -ing. Past participles have various endings (e.g., -ed, -en). Below is a
table showing some participles:

Verb Present Participle Past Participle

to sing singing sung
to drive driving driven
to go going gone
to rise rising risen
to watch watching watched
to be being been

Participles are classified as adjectives. (Note: When a verb form (like a participle) functions as
an adjective or a noun, it is known as a verbal.) Below are some examples of participles being
used as adjectives:

 Our business is badly affected by the soaring price of wool.

(The word soaring is a present participle. Here, it is being used as an adjective to describe
price.)
  He is a forgotten hero.

(The word forgotten is a past participle. Here, it is being used as an adjective to describe
hero.)

Verbs

Verbs are one of the two main parts of a sentence, along with nouns. You need a noun and a verb
to make a complete sentence.

What is a verb?
Verbs are action words, like shout, jump, run, and eat. They tell us what’s happening in the
sentence. They also sometimes tell us about a state of being.

There are three types of verbs:

 Action verbs (which can be transitive or intransitive),

 Modal verbs (sometimes called helping verbs), and
 Auxiliary verbs (sometimes called linking verbs).

What is an Action Verb?

When a person or thing is doing something, that’s an action verb. Action verbs are the best ones
to use in your writing to move your story forward and create tension. They can be split into two
categories:

1) Transitive verbs.

This verb is always followed by a noun that’s receiving the action, called the direct object.

I patted my dog’s head.

The verb is “patted,” and the noun that’s receiving this action is “my dog’s head,” which is the
direct object of the action verb.

Sometimes an object can be indirect, such as when you’re expressing to whom the action is
being done.

Mary gave Angelina a kiss on the cheek.

The verb is “gave” and the object given was “a kiss.” To whom it happened was Angelina, the
indirect object of the sentence.
2) Intransitive verbs.

When an action verb has no direct object, it’s called an intransitive verb. Intransitive verbs can
be followed by an adverb or adverb phrase, but there will never be a direct object.

Matthew runs quickly away.

The verb is “runs,” and the phrase “quickly away” tells us more about the verb, but there is no
object here to receive the action.

An easy way to tell the difference between a transitive and an intransitive verb is to ask the
question, “What is receiving the action from this verb?” If you can name a noun that’s on the
receiving end, it’s a transitive verb. If you can’t name a noun, whether a direct or indirect object,
then the verb is intransitive.

What is a Modal Verb?

Modal verbs help us understand more about the verb in question. They give us hints on the
possibility of something happening (can, should, etc.) or time (has, did, was, etc.). When you
add a modal or helping verb to your sentence, you’ve created a verb phrase.

Laura is (helping verb) writing (main action verb) her life story.

Her story might (helping verb) be (main verb) embarrassing for some of her friends.

These words always function as modal verbs, or helping verbs:

• can • could • may • might • must • ought to • shall • should • will • would

In addition, you can have helping verbs consisting of the forms of to be, to do, and to have. Keep
in mind though the following words can also serve as linking verbs (which we’ll discuss next):

• am • are • be • been • being • did • do • does • had • has • have • is • was • were

Juliet is changing trains at the station.

Daniel had eaten everything on his plate.

Grammar Guide
Verbs

Verbs are one of the two main parts of a sentence, along with nouns. You need a noun and a verb
to make a complete sentence.

What is a verb?
Verbs are action words, like shout, jump, run, and eat. They tell us what’s happening in the
sentence. They also sometimes tell us about a state of being.

There are three types of verbs:

 Action verbs (which can be transitive or intransitive),

 Modal verbs (sometimes called helping verbs), and
 Auxiliary verbs (sometimes called linking verbs).

What is an Action Verb?

When a person or thing is doing something, that’s an action verb. Action verbs are the best ones
to use in your writing to move your story forward and create tension. They can be split into two
categories:

1) Transitive verbs.

This verb is always followed by a noun that’s receiving the action, called the direct object.

I patted my dog’s head.

The verb is “patted,” and the noun that’s receiving this action is “my dog’s head,” which is the
direct object of the action verb.

Sometimes an object can be indirect, such as when you’re expressing to whom the action is
being done.

Mary gave Angelina a kiss on the cheek.

The verb is “gave” and the object given was “a kiss.” To whom it happened was Angelina, the
indirect object of the sentence.

2) Intransitive verbs.

When an action verb has no direct object, it’s called an intransitive verb. Intransitive verbs can
be followed by an adverb or adverb phrase, but there will never be a direct object.

Matthew runs quickly away.

The verb is “runs,” and the phrase “quickly away” tells us more about the verb, but there is no
object here to receive the action.

An easy way to tell the difference between a transitive and an intransitive verb is to ask the
question, “What is receiving the action from this verb?” If you can name a noun that’s on the
receiving end, it’s a transitive verb. If you can’t name a noun, whether a direct or indirect object,
then the verb is intransitive.

What is a Modal Verb?

Modal verbs help us understand more about the verb in question. They give us hints on the
possibility of something happening (can, should, etc.) or time (has, did, was, etc.). When you
add a modal or helping verb to your sentence, you’ve created a verb phrase.

Laura is (helping verb) writing (main action verb) her life story.

Her story might (helping verb) be (main verb) embarrassing for some of her friends.

These words always function as modal verbs, or helping verbs:

• can • could • may • might • must • ought to • shall • should • will • would

In addition, you can have helping verbs consisting of the forms of to be, to do, and to have. Keep
in mind though the following words can also serve as linking verbs (which we’ll discuss next):

• am • are • be • been • being • did • do • does • had • has • have • is • was • were

Juliet is changing trains at the station.

Daniel had eaten everything on his plate.

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What is an Auxiliary Verb?

Linking verbs connect the subject of your sentence to a noun or adjective that describes your
subject. The noun or adjective is called the “subject complement.”

My daughter is a marketing major.

We are your new neighbors.

The most common linking verb is the various forms of “to be” (am, are, is, was, were, etc.).
Sometimes, the forms of “to be” are helping verbs, as you learned in the previous section.

“To become” and “to seem” are always linking verbs. The following verbs, however, can
sometimes be linking verbs and other times be action verbs:

• to appear • to continue • to feel • to grow • to look • to prove • to remain • to sound • to stay • to

smell • to taste • to turn

Linking: The seafood smelled funny.

Action: I smelled the seafood before eating.

Grammar Guide

Verbs

Verbs are one of the two main parts of a sentence, along with nouns. You need a noun and a verb
to make a complete sentence.

What is a verb?
Verbs are action words, like shout, jump, run, and eat. They tell us what’s happening in the
sentence. They also sometimes tell us about a state of being.

There are three types of verbs:

 Action verbs (which can be transitive or intransitive),

 Modal verbs (sometimes called helping verbs), and
 Auxiliary verbs (sometimes called linking verbs).

What is an Action Verb?

When a person or thing is doing something, that’s an action verb. Action verbs are the best ones
to use in your writing to move your story forward and create tension. They can be split into two
categories:

1) Transitive verbs.
This verb is always followed by a noun that’s receiving the action, called the direct object.

I patted my dog’s head.

The verb is “patted,” and the noun that’s receiving this action is “my dog’s head,” which is the
direct object of the action verb.

Sometimes an object can be indirect, such as when you’re expressing to whom the action is
being done.

Mary gave Angelina a kiss on the cheek.

The verb is “gave” and the object given was “a kiss.” To whom it happened was Angelina, the
indirect object of the sentence.

2) Intransitive verbs.

When an action verb has no direct object, it’s called an intransitive verb. Intransitive verbs can
be followed by an adverb or adverb phrase, but there will never be a direct object.

Matthew runs quickly away.

The verb is “runs,” and the phrase “quickly away” tells us more about the verb, but there is no
object here to receive the action.

An easy way to tell the difference between a transitive and an intransitive verb is to ask the
question, “What is receiving the action from this verb?” If you can name a noun that’s on the
receiving end, it’s a transitive verb. If you can’t name a noun, whether a direct or indirect object,
then the verb is intransitive.

What is a Modal Verb?

Modal verbs help us understand more about the verb in question. They give us hints on the
possibility of something happening (can, should, etc.) or time (has, did, was, etc.). When you
add a modal or helping verb to your sentence, you’ve created a verb phrase.

Laura is (helping verb) writing (main action verb) her life story.

Her story might (helping verb) be (main verb) embarrassing for some of her friends.

These words always function as modal verbs, or helping verbs:

• can • could • may • might • must • ought to • shall • should • will • would

In addition, you can have helping verbs consisting of the forms of to be, to do, and to have. Keep
in mind though the following words can also serve as linking verbs (which we’ll discuss next):
• am • are • be • been • being • did • do • does • had • has • have • is • was • were

Juliet is changing trains at the station.

Daniel had eaten everything on his plate.

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Try it for free!

What is an Auxiliary Verb?

Linking verbs connect the subject of your sentence to a noun or adjective that describes your
subject. The noun or adjective is called the “subject complement.”

My daughter is a marketing major.

We are your new neighbors.

The most common linking verb is the various forms of “to be” (am, are, is, was, were, etc.).
Sometimes, the forms of “to be” are helping verbs, as you learned in the previous section.

“To become” and “to seem” are always linking verbs. The following verbs, however, can
sometimes be linking verbs and other times be action verbs:

• to appear • to continue • to feel • to grow • to look • to prove • to remain • to sound • to stay • to

smell • to taste • to turn

Linking: The seafood smelled funny.

Action: I smelled the seafood before eating.

Verb Tenses: A Primer

Verbs come in three tenses: past, present, and future. These are called the simple tenses, and
they’re fairly straightforward.

What’s past is past.

Past tense verbs show action that happened in the past:

 My daughter played football last spring.

 We skated on the frozen pond last weekend.
The time is now.

Present tense verbs tell us what’s happening now:

 My daughter plays football.

 We skate on the frozen pond.

Tomorrow is another day.

Future tense verbs show us what is going to happen in the future:

 My daughter will play football.

 We will skate on the frozen pond.