What is a Verb and Types of Verbs in English Grammar?

What is a Verb in English Grammar? We’ll explain the meaning of a verb, how to use verb, types of verbs, and provide a variety of examples of verb in English.

When you’re learning English grammar, you’ve to deal with the verb. But what exactly is it? And what does verb do in a sentence? In this article, we will look deeper into the definition of a verb, how it can be used, and the rules that govern its use.

Additionally, we will look at some examples to better understand the purpose of verbs.

As a guide, the below definitions and tables provide the fundamental use of the verb. Read on to get a more in-depth explanation of the rules and examples of when and how to use a verb.

Learn to use verb with example sentences and ESLBLOCK worksheets for printing.

Also read: Baby Farm Animals

What is a Verb?

A verb is a word that characteristically is the grammatical base of a predicate and defines an act, event, or mode of being, that in different languages is inflected for agreement with the subject, for tense, for mood, for voice, or for aspect, and that typically has complete descriptive sense and representing quality but is sometimes nearly devoid of these primarily when used as linking or an auxiliary verb. Verbs are one of the nine parts of speech.

Some common Verb examples: Talk, walk, seem, run, watch, see, swim, wash, stand, go, have, get, promise, invite, listen, sing, sit, knit, put, cut, forgive, forget, hide, hit, hold, hurt, swell, sweap, stand, spit, shrink, show, learn, know.

Some example sentences of verbs;

• Olivia speaks English.
• We don’t know how to spell the long words.
• Charlotte studies hard.
• She swims badly.
• The football match ended quickly.
• We only shopped locally.
• They are happily marriaged.
• Oliver stopped by briefly to say hello.
• Isabella calls him regularly.
• You don’t know.
• I doubt if it’ll rain.
• Olivia had to drag him out of room.
• She drives a car.
• I dropped my books.
• William earns three times more than me.
• They can’t eat their cake.
• Oliver encouraged Olivia to learn how to speak English.
• He entered the building.

The verb is a radically different part of speech from a preposition, conjunction, interjunction, noun, pronoun, adjective, and the rest.

Important Verb Rules

There are many rules covering the use of verbs in the English language. Let’s take a glance at the most significant verb rules.

• When there is a third person, the verb needs an -s or -es in addition to verbs; for example, Olivia drives the bike.
• If the subject and the verb have a long phrase between them, the verb has to coordinate with the actual subject and not that of the phrase. For example, The noodles which she gave to her daughter were delicious.
• If two nouns are in a sentence and refer to the same thing or person, the following verb should be singular. For example, The director and the supervisor are working in the company.
• If the subject is preceded by the phrase ‘one of,’ the following verb should be singular. For example, one of the children is sleeping.
• A singular verb is required if the plural noun is preceded by the words ‘a pair of’. For example, A pair of shoes is quite cheap.
• Plural nouns on their own will use a plural verb; for example, Her shoes are oversize.
• If two nouns are synonymous within a sentence, they should be followed by a singular verb. For example, Her power and might is enormous.
• If the noun is uncountable, then a singular verb is used; for example, The poetry that he writes is very patriotic.
• When a collective noun refers to a single entity, it should use a singular verb; for example, The military is courageous. However, if it is being used to refer to an individual, then a plural verb is used; for example, The military are requiring new weapons.

Types of verbs

There are many types of verbs in English language. Some of the types of verbs are:

1. Regular verbs
2. Irregular verbs
3. Modal verbs
4. Dynamic verbs
5. Auxiliary verbs
6. Stative verbs
7. Linking Verbs
8. Transitive Verbs
9. Finite Verbs
10. Infinitive Verbs
11. Intransitive Verbs
12. Causative verbs

Regular Verbs

Regular Verbs Definition: Verbs differ from most other parts of speech because they can change their form. Sometimes, endings can be included -ed or -ing, and at other times, the verb is a different word (such as put and put).

Example Sentences:

1. She walks to the park every morning.
2. The children always play in the backyard after school.
3. I usually clean the house on Saturdays.
4. They consistently learn new skills at the workshop.
5. The baker carefully bakes fresh bread every day.

Regular verbs are words which form past-tense simply by putting the letter “d” or “ed” at the end.

Following are the common regular verbs.

First Form (Base)	Second Form (Simple Past)	Third Form (Past Participle)
Accept	Accepted	Accepted
Act	Acted	Acted
Ask	asked	asked
Back	backed	backed
Bake	Baked	Baked
Behave	Behaved	Behaved
Chase	chased	chased
Chew	chewed	chewed
Close	Closed	Closed
Compare	Compared	Compared
Compete	Competed	Competed
Decide	decided	decided
Depend	depended	depended
Die	Died	Died
Disagree	Disagreed	Disagreed
Disturb	Disturbed	Disturbed
Dress	Dressed	Dressed
Dry	Dried	Dried
Eliminate	Eliminated	Eliminated
Employee	employed	employed
End	Ended	Ended
Enjoy	Enjoyed	Enjoyed
Excuse	excused	excused
Fade	faded	faded
Fix	Fixed	Fixed
Fold	folded	folded
Follow	Followed	Followed
Freeze	Freezed	Freezed
Fry	Fried	Fried
Gaze	gazed	gazed
Greet	Greeted	Greeted
Guess	Guessed	Guessed
Hand	handed	handed
Hunt	Hunted	Hunted
Identify	Identified	Identified
Imagine	Imagined	Imagined
Invite	Invited	Invited
Join	Joined	Joined
Joke	joked	joked
Jump	Jumped	Jumped
Kick	kicked	kicked
Knock	Knocked	Knocked
Laugh	laughed	laughed
Learn	learned	learned
Love	Loved	Loved
Manage	Managed	Managed
Mark	Marked	Marked
Match	Matched	Matched
Name	Named	Named
Need	Needed	Needed
Open	Opened	Opened
Order	Ordered	Ordered
Organize	Organized	Organized
Pack	Packed	Packed
Paint	Painted	Painted
Pass	Passed	Passed
Perform	Performed	Performed
Persuade	Persuaded	Persuaded
Program	Programmed	Programmed
Protect	Protected	Protected
Review	Reviewed	Reviewed
Shop	Shopped	Shopped
Slow	Slowed	Slowed
Turn	Turned	Turned
Underline	Underlined	Underlined
Want	Wanted	Wanted

Irregular Verbs

Irregular Verbs Definition: Irregular verbs are one of the simple and common types of verbs. A verb in which the past tense is not formed by adding the usual -ed or -d at the end.

Example Sentences:

1. He went to the store to buy groceries.
2. We have eaten at that restaurant before.
3. She sang a beautiful song at the concert.
4. They took a detour to avoid traffic.
5. I have driven a manual car before.

Following are the common irregular verbs.

First Form (Base)	Second Form (Simple Past)	Third Form (Past Participle)
arise	arose	arisen
awake	awoke	awoken
be	was/were	been
bear	bore	borne
beat	beat	beaten
become	became	become
begin	began	begun
bend	bent	bent
bet	bet	bet
bid	bid	bid
bind	bound	bound
bite	bit	bitten
bleed	bled	bled
blow	blew	blown
break	broke	broken
breed	bred	bred
bring	brought	brought
broadcast	broadcast	broadcast
build	built	built
burst	burst	burst
buy	bought	bought
cast	cast	cast
catch	caught	caught
choose	chose	chosen
cling	clung	clung
come	came	come
cost	cost	cost
creep	crept	crept
cut	cut	cut
deal	dealt	dealt
dig	dug	dug
dive	dove	dived
do	did	done
draw	drew	drawn
dream	dreamt	dreamt
drink	drank	drunk
drive	drove	driven
eat	ate	eaten
fall	fell	fallen
feed	fed	fed
feel	felt	felt
fight	fought	fought
find	found	found
flee	fled	fled
fling	flung	flung
flt	flew	flown
forbid	forbade	forbidden
forget	forgot	forgotten
forgive	forgave	forgiven
freeze	froze	frozen
get	got	got
give	gave	given
go	went	gone
grind	ground	ground
grow	grew	grown
hang	hung	hung
have	had	had
hear	heard	heard
hide	hid	hidden
hit	hit	hit
hold	held	held
hurt	hurt	hurt
keep	kept	kept
kneel	knelt	knelt
know	knew	known
lay	laid	laid
lead	led	led
leave	left	left
lend	lent	lent
let	let	let
lie	lay	lain
light	lit	lit
lose	lost	lost
make	made	made
mean	meant	meant
meet	met	met
mistake	mistook	mistaken
mow	mowed	mown
overtake	overtook	overtaken
pay	paid	paid
proofread	proofread	proofread
put	put	put
quit	quit	quit
read	read	read
reset	reset	reset
ride	rode	ridden
ring	rang	rung
rise	rose	risen
run	ran	run
say	said	said
see	saw	seen
seek	sought	sought
sell	sold	sold
send	sent	sent
set	set	set
sew	sewed	sewn
shake	shook	shaken
shave	shaved	shaven
shed	shed	shed
shine	shone	shone
shoot	shot	shot
show	showed	shown
shrink	shrank	shrunk
shut	shut	shut
sing	sang	sung
sink	sank	sunk
sit	sat	sat
slay	slew	slain
sleep	slept	slept
slide	slid	slid
sling	slung	slung
sneak	snuck	snuck
sow	sowed	sown
speak	spoke	spoken
speed	sped	sped
spend	spent	spent
spill	spilt	spilt
spin	spun	spun
spit	spat	spat
split	split	split
spread	spread	spread
spring	sprang	sprung
stand	stood	stood
steal	stole	stolen
stick	stuck	stuck
sting	stung	stung
stink	stank	stunk
strike	struck	struck
string	strung	strung
strive	strove	striven
swear	swore	sworn
sweep	swept	swept
swell	swelled	swollen
swim	swam	swum
swing	swung	swung
take	took	taken
teach	taught	taught
tear	tore	torn
think	thought	thought
throw	threw	thrown
thrust	thrust	thrust
tread	trod	trodden
understand	understood	understood
upset	upset	upset
wake	woke	woken
wear	wore	worn
weave	wove	worn
weave	wove	woven
weep	wept	wept
wet	wet	wet
win	won	won
wind	wound	wound
wring	wrung	wrung
write	wrote	written

Modal Verbs

Model Verb Definition: Modal verbs express certain hypothetical situations, such as advice, capability, possibility, advice, obligation, ability, permission, or requests. They’re used alongside the main verb to modify its meaning slightly.

Example Sentences:

1. You can choose any seat in the theater.
2. I might attend the party if I finish work on time
3. He will assist you with the project requirements.
4. Students must submit their assignments by the deadline.
5. We should consider alternative solutions to the problem.

Following are the common model verbs.

• Can
• Could
• Doesn’t have to
• Don’t
• had better
• Has to
• Have to
• May
• Might
• Must
• must not
• Mustn’t
• need not
• Ought to
• Shall
• Should
• Will
• Would

Dynamic Verbs

Dynamic Verb Definition: A dynamic verb (such as go, ride, go, read, write) primarily indicates an action, process, or sensation. A dynamic verb is a verb that shows continued or progressive action on the part of the subject. This is contrary to a stative verb.

Example Sentences:

1. The athletes regularly run in the morning to stay fit.
2. She loves to dance at social events.
3. The construction workers are currently building a new skyscraper.
4. Children often play in the park after school hours.
5. The artist passionately creates beautiful sculptures.

Following are the common dynamic verbs.

• Eat
• Go
• Grow
• Learn
• Read
• Run
• Sleep
• Talk
• Walk
• Write

Stative Verbs

Stative Verb Definition: Some English verbs not used in continuous tenses are called stative verbs or non-continuous verbs. Stative verbs are verbs that describe a state rather than an action. Stative verbs usually bond to emotions, thoughts, relationships, senses, states of being and measurements.

Example Sentences:

1. She is a talented musician.
2. The old house belongs to my grandparents.
3. They have a vast collection of vintage books.
4. He likes to read mystery novels.
5. The coffee smells aromatic in the morning.

Following are the common examples stative verbs.

• Adore
• Agree
• Appear
• Astonish
• Care for
• Consist
• Deny
• Depend
• Desire
• Disagree
• Dislike
• Fit
• Forget
• Hate
• Have
• Imagine
• Involve
• Lack
• Like
• Matter
• Mean
• Measure
• Mind
• Need
• Owe
• Own
• Possess
• Prefer
• Promise
• Realise
• Recognise
• Remember
• Satisfy
• Seem
• Suppose
• Want
• Weigh

Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary Verb Definition: A verb is used in forming the tenses, moods, and voices of other verbs. The auxiliary verbs help the main verb to describe actions. The primary auxiliary verbs in English are be, do, and have.

Example Sentences:

1. They are attending the conference next week.
2. She has completed her homework already.
3. We do enjoy spending time at the beach.
4. You will find the information in the library.
5. I can help you with the presentation.

Following are the common examples of Auxiliary verbs.

• Am
• Are
• Be
• Been
• Being
• Can
• Could
• Did
• Do
• Does
• Had
• Has
• Have
• Is
• May
• Might
• Must
• Shall
• Should
• Was
• Were
• Will
• Would

Linking Verbs

Linking verbs are verbs that connect the subject of a sentence to the complement, either a noun, pronoun, or adjective, providing additional information about the subject’s state or condition. Unlike action verbs, linking verbs do not show action but rather establish a relationship between the subject and the complement.

Example Sentences:

1. She is a talented singer.
2. The cake smells delicious.
3. The flowers in the garden look vibrant.
4. My brother became a doctor.
5. The weather outside seems gloomy.

Examples:

1. is
2. am
3. are
4. was
5. were
6. seem
7. appear
8. become
9. feel
10. remain
11. smell
12. look
13. taste
14. sound
15. grow
16. turn
17. prove
18. stay
19. get
20. keep

Transitive Verbs

Transitive verbs are verbs that require a direct object to complete their meaning in a sentence. These verbs transfer the action to an object, providing a clear understanding of what or whom the action is affecting.

Examples:

1. Read
2. Build
3. Paint
4. Play
5. Cook
6. Complete
7. Teach
8. Buy
9. Write
10. Fix
11. Plant
12. Compose
13. Solve
14. Clean
15. Invite
16. Answer
17. Challenge
18. Visit
19. Discover
20. Repair

Example Sentences:

1. She reads a captivating novel every weekend.
2. The chef cooked a delicious meal for the guests.
3. He built a sturdy wooden table.
4. The artist painted a breathtaking landscape.
5. They bought a new car last month.

Finite Verbs

Finite verbs are verbs that indicate tense, person, and number, signaling a completed action or state. They carry the primary meaning in a sentence and are often the main verb that shows the action or occurrence.

Examples:

1. Write
2. Eat
3. Run
4. Sing
5. Dance
6. Study
7. Play
8. Laugh
9. Sleep
10. Jump
11. Talk
12. Drive
13. Work
14. Read
15. Swim
16. Teach
17. Learn
18. Paint
19. Travel
20. Build

Example Sentences:

1. They are playing in the park.
2. She writes a captivating story every week.
3. We ate dinner at 7 PM last night.
4. He runs five miles every morning.
5. The birds sing melodious tunes at dawn.

Infinitive Verbs

Infinitive verbs are the base form of a verb, often introduced by the particle “to.” They are not conjugated for tense or person and can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs in a sentence.

Examples:

1. To dance
2. To sing
3. To read
4. To write
5. To run
6. To learn
7. To teach
8. To play
9. To cook
10. To travel
11. To build
12. To create
13. To explore
14. To innovate
15. To laugh
16. To dream
17. To achieve
18. To discover
19. To inspire
20. To communicate

Example Sentences:

1. She likes to read fascinating novels.
2. We plan to travel to exotic destinations.
3. The musician aspires to compose soul-stirring melodies.
4. He decided to learn a new language.
5. Their goal is to build innovative solutions.

Intransitive Verbs

Intransitive verbs are verbs that do not require a direct object to complete their meaning. These verbs convey action but do not transfer it to a specific receiver, and they often stand alone in a sentence.

Examples:

1. Laugh
2. Arrive
3. Cry
4. Run
5. Sleep
6. Disappear
7. Jump
8. Listen
9. Arrive
10. Fall
11. Wait
12. Smile
13. Dance
14. Succeed
15. Awaken
16. Hesitate
17. Appear
18. Vanish
19. Occur
20. Surprise

Example Sentences:

1. The baby laughs joyfully.
2. They arrived at the destination.
3. The flowers in the garden bloom beautifully.
4. The athlete sprints across the finish line.
5. The river flows gently.

Causative Verbs

Causative verbs are verbs that indicate the action of causing someone else to do something. These verbs bridge the connection between the instigator of an action and the person who performs it.

Examples:

Explore the world of causative verbs through this list:

1. Make
2. Have
3. Let
4. Get

Example Sentences:

1. She made Alex bake cookies for the party.
2. Peter had his sister fix his bicycle.
3. The teacher let the students choose their own project topics.
4. They got the mechanic to repair the car.
5. Emma made Jake clean the entire room.

Verb Info Graphics

Here are some printable infographics about verb. Printable infographics are a fantastic way to share a significant amount of details in a short time in a stunning way. The verb infographic can help teachers and students to share their thoughts easily.

My Considerations

With this set of activities and explanations, you will quickly determine whether you are making the most effective use of the verb and how they could be used to enhance English writings.

Since the verbs are the main part of English Grammar, the importance of developing English learning skills cannot be undervalued without verb.

You can read the above sample sentences about verb to improve your understanding of English grammar.

Encourage your children to learn these basic but commonly used verb, by following the simple example sentences given above. Then, save this list of verb sentences, handy for your kids in future.

If you enjoyed a printable infographic about What is an verb?, I’d be very thankful if you’d help it spread by emailing it to your friends or sharing it on Pinterest, Reddit, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. Thank you!

Also read: Adjectives That Start With Y

Recap of what we just learned

• What is a Verb?
• Important Verb Rules
• Types of verbs
  • Regular Verbs
  • Irregular Verbs
  • Modal Verbs
  • Dynamic Verbs
  • Stative Verbs
  • Auxiliary Verbs
  • Linking Verbs
  • Transitive Verbs
  • Finite Verbs
  • Infinitive Verbs
  • Intransitive Verbs
  • Causative verbs
• Verb Info Graphics

With ESLBLOCK, you will not face problems studying new ideas. If you are in doubt, the qualities of blog post about What is a verb, reach us through our blog’s comment section. Keep checking back! We’ll attempt to give you feedback as early as possible. Thank you!

Also read: Adjectives That Start With Z

Related Topics

Explore the full list of Verbs from A to Z!