Parts of Speech

Verbs: All the Right Moves

Verbs are words that name an action or describe a state of being. Verbs are seriously important, because there's no way to have a sentence without them.


  • A subject tells who or what the sentence is about. The subject is a noun or a pronoun.
  • A predicate tells what the subject is or does. The verb is found in the predicate.

There are four basic types of verbs: action verbs, linking verbs, helping verbs, verb phrases.

You Could Look It Up


Strictly Speaking

The action of an action verb can be a visible action (such as gamble, walk, kvetch) or a mental action (such as think, learn, cogitate).

Quoth the Maven

To determine if a verb is transitive, ask yourself, “Who?” or “What?” after the verb. If you can find an answer in the sentence, the verb is transitive.

Action Verbs: Jumping Jack Flash

Action verbs tell what the subject does. For example: jump, kiss, laugh.

  • The mobsters broke Irving's kneecaps.
  • Some people worry about the smallest things.

An action verb can be transitive or intransitive. Transitive verbs need a direct object.

  • The boss dropped the ball.
  • The workers picked it up.

Intransitive verbs do not need a direct object.

  • Who called?
  • Icicles dripped from his voice.

Chain Gang: Linking Verbs

Linking verbs join the subject and the predicate. Linking verbs do not show action. Instead, they help the words at the end of the sentence name and describe the subject. Here are the most common linking verbs: be, feel, grow, seem, smell, remain, appear, sound, stay, look, taste, turn, become.

Although small in size as well as number, linking verbs are used a great deal. Here are two typical examples:

Quoth the Maven

To determine whether a verb is being used as a linking verb or an action verb, use am, are, or is for the verb. If the sentence makes sense with the substitution, the original verb is a linking verb.

  • The manager was happy about the job change.
  • He is a fool.

Many linking verbs can also be used as action verbs. For example:

  • Linking: The kids looked sad.
  • Action: I looked for the dog in the pouring rain.

Mother's Little Helper: Helping Verbs

Helping verbs are added to another verb to make the meaning clearer. Helping verbs include any form of to be. Here are some examples: do, does, did, have, has, had, shall, should, will, would, can, could, may, might, must.

Verb phrases are made of one main verb and one or more helping verbs.

  • They will run before dawn.
  • They do have a serious problem.


Identify each of the verbs in the following sentences. Remember to look for action verbs, linking verbs, and helping verbs.

  1. A group of chess enthusiasts had checked into a hotel.
  2. They were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories.
  4. “But why?” they asked as they moved off.
  5. “Because,” he said, “I can't stand chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.”


  1. had checked
  2. were standing, discussing
  3. came, asked, disperse
  4. asked, moved
  5. said, can't stand, boasting

One more time, with gusto! Underline the verbs in each of these sentences.

  5. Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
  6. I don't have an attitude problem; you have a perception problem.
  8. My reality check bounced.


  1. can please, is
  2. love, like, make, fly
  3. tell, tell, get
  4. accept, are
  5. is
  6. don't have, have
  7. lay, looking, thought, is
  8. bounced
  9. keep
  10. argue, drag, beat
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