What is an Action Verb?
An action verb is a verb that tells what the subject of a sentence does. It expresses an action, which may be something we can see (physical) or something that happens in the mind (mental).
In simple terms, an action verb shows doing. It tells us what someone or something is doing.
Example:
- The dog runs.
Here, “runs” is an action verb. It tells what the dog is doing.
Types of Action Verbs
There are two main types of action verbs:
1: Physical Action Verbs
Physical action verbs express an action that can be seen or physically performed. These actions involve movement or activity.
Examples of Physical Action Verbs
- run
- jump
- eat
- swim
- write
- kick
- read
- draw
- clap
- sleep
These are actions you can often see happening.
When someone writes, you can see their hand moving with a pen or pencil. When a person jumps, their body leaves the ground. These actions are visible and involve movement.
2: Mental Action Verbs
Mental action verbs express actions that happen in the mind. These actions cannot be seen, but they still describe what the subject is doing mentally or emotionally.
Examples of Mental Action Verbs
- think
- believe
- understand
- remember
- imagine
- guess
- hope
- consider
- realize
- decide
These are actions that involve thought or feeling, not physical movement.
If you believe something or remember a fact, no one can see that happening. Still, these are actions your brain performs.
How Are Action Verbs Used?
Action verbs are used to show what the subject of the sentence is doing. They are often followed by an object that receives the action, but not always.
Sentence Structure
Subject + Action Verb + (Object)
Examples
- The baby cries. (no object)
- He writes a letter. (object = letter)
- She remembers the answer. (object = the answer)
Action verbs can appear in different tenses depending on the time of the action.
Tense Forms of Action Verbs
- Present: I walk to school.
- Past: I walked to school.
- Future: I will walk to school.
Examples of Action Verbs in Sentences
Here are many examples to show how action verbs are used in real sentences:
Usage of Physical Action Verbs in Sentences
- The boy runs to school.
- I wrote a letter to my friend.
- They jumped over the puddle.
- She drew a beautiful picture.
- The players kicked the ball.
Usage of Mental Action Verbs in Sentences
- I remember my first day of school.
- She believes in hard work.
- We think about the answer carefully.
- He imagined a world without war.
- They consider moving to a new city.
Rule 1: Use Action Verbs to Show What the Subject Does
An action verb must clearly show an activity, either physical (run, write) or mental (think, imagine). It tells what the subject does, not what it is.
- Correct: She writes a story.
- Wrong: She is a story. (This uses a linking verb instead.)
Rule 2: Choose the Right Tense for the Action
The form of the action verb must match the time of the action: past, present, or future.
- Present: He walks to school.
- Past: He walked to school.
- Future: He will walk to school.
Rule 3: Make the Verb Agree with the Subject
If the subject is singular, use the singular form of the verb. For plural subjects, use plural form.
- Correct: She runs.
- Correct: They run.
- Wrong: She run.
Rule 4: Use the Base Form after Modals and Auxiliaries
After words like can, will, must, should, may, use the base (simple) form of the action verb.
- Correct: He can swim.
- Wrong: He can swims.
Rule 5: Avoid Unnecessary Passive Voice with Action Verbs
In most writing and speaking, prefer active voice with action verbs because it’s clearer and stronger.
- Correct: The cat chased the mouse.
- Wrong: The mouse was chased by the cat.
Rule 6: Don’t Use Action Verbs Where Linking Verbs Are Needed
Action verbs show action, while linking verbs connect the subject to more information. Don’t confuse the two.
- Correct: He tastes the soup. (He is doing something.)
- Correct: The soup tastes salty. (Describing the soup.)
- Wrong: He tastes salty. (Wrong unless you mean he’s being tasted!)
Rule 7: Use Transitive Verbs with Direct Objects
Some action verbs (called transitive verbs) need an object to complete their meaning.
- Correct: She kicks the ball. (“ball” is the object)
- Wrong: She kicks. (Incomplete if the verb needs an object)
Rule 8: Intransitive Action Verbs Stand Alone
Intransitive verbs do not need an object to make sense.
- Correct: He sleeps peacefully.
- Wrong: He sleeps the bed. (“sleep” doesn’t take an object)
Rule 9: Use Strong, Specific Action Verbs in Writing
Replace general verbs like “do,” “make,” or “get” with specific action verbs to make writing clearer and more powerful.
- Wrong: She did her project.
- Correct: She completed her project.
- Correct: She designed and built her project.
Rule 10: Describe Action Clearly with Adverbs
Adverbs help tell how, when, or where the action happens.
- Correct: He runs quickly.
- Correct: She speaks softly.
- Correct: They arrived late.
Practice Exercises for Action Verb
Here are some excercises to practice action verbs:
Exercise 1: Identify the Action Verb
Read the sentences below and underline the action verb.
- The teacher explains the topic clearly.
- We believe in our dreams.
- He runs faster than anyone else.
- She understands the question.
- I draw pictures in my notebook.
Exercise 2: Write Sentences Using These Action Verbs
Write your own sentence using each of the following action verbs:
- jump
- think
- write
- imagine
- swim
Exercise 3: Classify the Action Verbs
Write P for physical and M for mental next to each action verb.
- run ___
- believe ___
- remember ___
- eat ___
- guess ___
- throw ___
- understand ___
- walk ___
