English
What is a verb?
Quick answer
A verb is a word for an action (run, eat, write) or a state of being (is, seem, know). Almost every sentence has one, and verbs change to show tense.
In one sentence
A verb tells you what someone or something does, or what they are.
Explained
In The dog barked, the verb barked tells you what the dog did. Many verbs name actions you can picture: run, kick, laugh, cook, write. Teachers sometimes call them "doing words", which is a good start.
But some verbs are not actions at all. State verbs describe being, having, thinking or feeling: is, are, was, have, seem, know, like, belong. In My brother is tall, the verb is is. Nobody is doing anything, yet the sentence still needs a verb.
Verbs often work in teams. A main verb carries the meaning, and helping verbs (also called auxiliary verbs) go with it: is running, has eaten, was singing. Modal verbs such as can, could, will, would, should, might, must add ideas like ability or possibility: I can swim. It might rain.
The best test for a verb is that it changes with time. I walk (present), I walked (past). Nouns and adjectives do not do this. See past tense and present tense.
Almost every full sentence contains a verb. The children in the park. feels unfinished; The children played in the park. is complete.
Examples
- Amaka kicked the ball.
- The soup smells delicious.
- We are learning about volcanoes.
- You should drink some water.
- My grandparents have lived here for years.
| Base verb | Past | -ing form |
|---|---|---|
| jump | jumped | jumping |
| eat | ate | eating |
| be | was / were | being |
Common mistakes
- Missing state verbs. In She is clever, is is the verb.
- Picking only one word of a verb phrase. In has finished, both words form the verb.
- Mixing tenses in a story. Choose past or present and keep to it.
Quick quiz
Verbs
Check what you know with 4 quick questions.
Question 1 of 4
Which word is a verb?
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For grown-ups
Related topics
Nouns
A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing or idea, such as teacher, Lagos, pencil or happiness.
Adverbs
An adverb gives more information about a verb, adjective or another adverb, telling how, when, where or how often, like slowly, tomorrow, outside or always.
Past tense
The past tense is the verb form we use for things that have already happened, like walked, ate or was playing. Regular verbs add -ed; irregular verbs change in other ways.
Present tense
The present tense is the verb form for things happening now, things that are always true, and habits, like I walk, she walks or we are walking.
Sentences
A sentence is a group of words that makes complete sense on its own. It starts with a capital letter, ends with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark, and usually has a verb.
Clauses
A clause is a group of words that contains a verb and usually a subject. A main clause makes sense on its own; a subordinate clause needs a main clause to complete it.