Home  Knowledge Base  Verbs

What Is a Verb? | Definition, Types &

Examples
A verb is a word that describes what the subject of a sentence is doing. Verbs can indicate
(physical or mental) actions, occurrences, and states of being.

Examples: Verbs in a sentence

Jeffrey builds a house.

Anita is thinking about horses.

True love exists.

Every sentence must have at least one verb. At the most basic level, a sentence can
consist solely of a single verb in the imperative form (e.g., “Run.”). In this example, the
implied subject is “you.”

 Table of contents

 Verb conjugation  Modal verbs

 Regular vs. irregular verbs  Phrasal verbs
 Transitive and intransitive verbs  Gerunds
 Stative and dynamic verbs  Other interesting language articles
 Linking verbs  Frequently asked questions about verbs
 Auxiliary verbs

Verb conjugation
Verbs can change form depending on subject, tense, mood, and voice. This is called
conjugation.

Subject
There are six subject forms in English:

I First person singular

You Second person singular

He/she/it Third person singular

We First person plural

You Second person plural

They Third person plural

Verbs and subjects must agree in number. If the subject is singular, the verb must also be
singular. Similarly, if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. This is called subject-
verb agreement.

Examples: Subject-verb agreement

 She talks a lot.

 She talk a lot.

 We talk a lot.

 We talks a lot.

Tense
Verbs are also conjugated based on tense. There are three main tenses in English:

Past (an action has taken place)

Present (an action is taking place)
Future (an action will take place)

Each tense has a simple, progressive, perfect, and perfect progressive aspect with its
own rules for conjugation.

The forms a verb takes in each aspect depend on the subject and on whether the verb is
regular or irregular. Below is a table illustrating the various forms the regular verb “look”
takes in the first person singular when conjugated.

Past Present Future

Simple I looked at the I look at the painting. I will look at the painting.
painting.

Progressive I was looking at the I am looking at the I will be looking at the

painting. painting. painting.

Perfect I had looked at the I have looked at the I will have looked at the
painting. painting. painting.

Perfect I had been looking at I have been looking at I will have been looking
progressive the painting. the painting. at the painting.

Mood
The mood of a verb indicates the tone and intention of a sentence. There are five
grammatical moods in English:

Grammatical Function Example

mood

Indicative Express a fact “Tony likes chocolate.”

Imperative Express a command or a request “Wash the dishes.”

Interrogative Ask a question “Did you do your homework?”

Conditional Express a condition “If you want to borrow that

book, you can.”

Subjunctive Express a wish, demand, doubt, or “If I were rich, I would buy an
hypothetical situation island.”

Active and passive voice

Most sentences can use either the active or the passive voice. An active sentence is one
in which the subject performs the action.

Example: Active sentence

Lucas broke a chair.

A passive sentence is one in which the subject is acted upon. Passive sentences are
constructed using a form of the auxiliary verb “be” (e.g., “was,” “is,” “were”) followed by the
past participle of the main verb (e.g., “eaten,” “taken”).

Passive sentences are useful for emphasizing the outcome of an action rather than the
action itself.

Example: Passive sentence

A chair was broken (by Lucas).

Participles
Participles are formed from verbs. There are two types of participles:

Past participles are typically used in combination with an auxiliary verb (e.g., “has,”
“have,” “had”) for perfect tenses (connecting a past action or event to a later time).
Past participles are typically formed by adding the suffix “-ed” (e.g., “worked”).

Present participles are used for continuous tenses (describing an action that is
ongoing). They are formed by adding the suffix “-ing” (e.g., “reading”).

Participles are often used as adjectives (e.g., “running shoes”).

Regular vs. irregular verbs

Regular verbs follow the standard conjugation rules for English verbs—most verbs are
regular. A verb is considered regular if its simple past and past participle are formed by
adding the suffix “-ed” (or “-d” if the word already ends in the letter “e”).

Example: Past simple and past participle of “finish” in a sentence

Sarah finished her work.

Claude had finished his dinner when James called.

Jock has finished writing in his journal.

Tina will have finished her course by the end of next month.

Irregular verbs form their simple past and past participles in some way other than by
adding the suffix “-ed.”

Example: Past simple and past participle of “swim” in a sentence

Andre swam in all five of the Great Lakes last summer.

I had swum almost a mile when the island came into view.

Melissa has swum every Saturday for the last three years.

If he succeeds next week, Antonio will have swum the English Channel ten times!

Transitive and intransitive verbs

A transitive verb is a verb that acts on someone or something and therefore takes a direct
object (the thing being acted upon).

Examples: Transitive verbs in a sentence

Kelly asks a question.

Toby buys groceries.

Intransitive verbs do not act on someone or something and therefore do not take a direct
object.

While an intransitive verb does not take a direct object, it can be used along with an adverb
or adverbial phrase (as can a transitive verb).

Examples: Intransitive verbs in a sentence

Rita coughed.

Rita coughed loudly.

Rita coughed on me!

Some verbs are ditransitive, meaning they have two objects: a direct object and an
indirect object (usually the person for whom the action is being performed).

Example: Direct and indirect object in a sentence

Amira reads me a book.

Stative and dynamic verbs

Dynamic verbs (also called action verbs) describe specific, temporary actions or events
(e.g., “eat,” “sleep,” “write”).

Examples: Dynamic verbs in a sentence

Amy kicks the ball.

Lydia is running to school.

Stative verbs describe a state of being or perception (e.g., “she is,” “it seems,” “they
belong”). They can also be used to describe a mental, emotional, or physical state (e.g., “I
believe,” “you hear”).

Stative verbs are typically used for a state of being that is general or unchanging, so they
can’t be used in the progressive (continuous) tense.

Examples: Stative verbs in a sentence

 Karl believes in himself.

 Karl is believing in himself.

Linking verbs
A linking verb (also called a copular verb) connects the subject of a sentence with a
“subject complement” (i.e., a noun or adjective that describes it). Common linking verbs
include the verbs “be,” “seem,” “become,” and “feel.”

Example: Linking verbs in a sentence

Fionn is proud.

The pillow feels soft.

Most linking verbs can also be used as action verbs, describing a specific action rather
than a state (e.g., “Sofie feels the pillow”).

Auxiliary verbs
Auxiliary verbs (also called helping verbs) include verbs such as “be,” “do,” and “have.”
They’re used in combination with another (main) verb to modify its meaning. Auxiliary
verbs can be used to indicate tense, mood, and voice. They’re also used to form negative
statements when used with words such as “not” and “never.”

Auxiliary verbs must be conjugated for tense and person (e.g., “I am,” “she was”).

Example: Auxiliary verbs

I am waiting.

Did you enjoy the meal?

The door was locked.

Alicia has not spoken to me for a week.

Modal verbs
Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that are used along with another (main) verb to express
ability, permission, possibility, necessity, or obligation. The main modal verbs are can,
could, may, might, must, ought, shall, should, will, and would. Modal verbs do not
change form.

Examples: Modal verbs in a sentence

I can read Arabic and Hebrew.

Martin should speak a little louder.

Talia ought to perform at the talent show.

Phrasal verbs
A phrasal verb is a phrase made up of two or more words that acts as an individual verb.
Phrasal verbs typically combine a verb with an adverb or preposition to create a meaning
independent of the original words. For example, the verb “kick” and the preposition “off”
combine to form the phrasal verb “kick off,” which means “begin.”

Example: Phrasal verb

I’m going to move out next month.

Gerunds
A gerund is a noun that takes the present participle (“-ing”) form of a verb. Gerunds
typically describe the same action as the verb from which they are formed.

Example: Gerund in a sentence

Eating fruits and vegetables is good for you.

Other interesting language articles

If you want to know more about nouns, pronouns, verbs, and other parts of speech, make
sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations and examples.

 Nouns & pronouns  Verbs  Other

Common nouns Verb tenses Articles

Proper nouns Phrasal verbs Interjections
Collective nouns Sentence structure Adjectives
Personal pronouns Active vs passive Determiners
Uncountable and voice Prepositions
countable nouns Subject-verb
agreement

Frequently asked questions about verbs

What is the definition of a verb? 

What are the different types of verbs? 

What’s the difference between regular and irregular verbs? 

Is this article helpful? 933 208

Other students also liked

Verb Tenses in Academic Subject-Verb Agreement |

Writing | Rules, Differences & Examples, Rules & Use
Examples
The subject of a sentence must always
Tense communicates an event’s place in match the verb describing its action. Learn
time. Academic writing commonly uses the how to choose between singular and plural
present simple, the past simple and the verb forms.
present perfect.

1788 906

Phrasal Verbs | List,

Definition, Examples & Tips
Phrasal verbs are made up of two or more
words, and you have to learn them as
distinct units of meaning. Try to avoid them
in formal writing.

377

More interesting articles

1 Action Verbs | Definition, List & Examples

2 Conditional Sentences | Examples & Use

3 Imperative Mood | Definition, Examples & Use

4 Irregular Verbs | Definition, Examples & Worksheet

5 Past Perfect Tense | Examples & Exercises

6 Past Progressive Tense | Uses, Examples & Worksheet

7 Past Tense of Beat | Definition, Use & Example Sentences

8 Past Tense of Ride | Definition, Use & Example Sentences

9 Phrasal Verbs | List, Definition, Examples & Tips

10 Present Continuous Tense | Examples & Exercises

11 Present Perfect Continuous | Examples & Exercises

12 Present Perfect Tense | Examples & Use

13 Regular Verbs | Meaning, Examples & List

14 Simple Past Tense | Examples & Exercises

15 Simple Present Tense | Examples, Use & Worksheet

16 Stative Verbs | Definition, List & Examples

17 Subject-Verb Agreement | Examples, Rules & Use

18 The Past Tense l Explanation, Examples & Worksheet

19 The Subjunctive Mood | Definition & Examples

20 Verb Tenses in Academic Writing | Rules, Differences & Examples

21 What Is a Linking Verb? | Definition & Examples

22 What Is a Modal Verb? | Definition & Examples

23 What Is a Participle? | Definition, Types & Examples

24 What Is a Past Participle? | Definition & Examples

25 What Is a Present Participle? | Examples & Definition

26 What Is a Transitive Verb? | Examples, Definition & Quiz

27 What Is an Auxiliary Verb? | Definition & Examples

28 What Is an Intransitive Verb? | Examples, Definition & Quiz

Scribbr
Our editors
Jobs
Partners
FAQ

Our services
Plagiarism Checker
Proofreading Services
Citation Generator
AI Proofreader
Free AI Detector
Paraphrasing Tool
Grammar Checker
Free Text Summarizer
Citation Checker
Knowledge Base

Contact
[email protected]
 +1 (510) 822-8066


 
 


4.7

Terms of Use

Privacy Policy

Copyright Policy

Happiness guarantee