Understanding Verbs

In English grammar, verbs are one of the most important parts of speech. They are used to describe actions, events, and states. Every complete sentence usually needs a verb because verbs tell us what someone or something does or what condition they are in.

What Are Verbs?

Verbs are words that describe an action, occurrence, or state of being. They show what a person, animal, object, or idea does or experiences.

Examples:

She runs every morning.
They study English.
The baby is happy.
We visited the museum.

Types of Verbs

Type	Description	Examples
Action Verbs	Describe physical or mental actions.	run, write, think, play
Linking Verbs	Connect the subject to information about it.	be, seem, become, appear
Helping Verbs	Help the main verb show tense or meaning.	is, have, do, will
Modal Verbs	Show ability, possibility, permission, or necessity.	can, should, must, might

Action Verbs

Action verbs describe things people or objects do. They can describe physical actions or mental activities.

He plays football.
She writes emails.
I understand the lesson.

Helping Verbs

Helping verbs work with main verbs to create different tenses, questions, and negative sentences.

She is studying English.
They have finished their work.
Do you like coffee?

Linking Verbs

Linking verbs do not show an action. Instead, they connect the subject to a description or identity.

He is a teacher.
The food looks delicious.
She became successful.

Regular and Irregular Verbs

Verbs can be divided into regular and irregular verbs based on how they form their past tense.

Regular Verbs	Irregular Verbs
work → worked	go → went
play → played	eat → ate
study → studied	write → wrote

Verb Tenses

Verbs change form to show when an action happens. English has different verb tenses for the past, present, and future.

Present: She works every day.
Past: She worked yesterday.
Future: She will work tomorrow.

Common Mistakes With Verbs

Incorrect	Correct
He go to school every day.	He goes to school every day.
She don't like tea.	She doesn't like tea.
I am agree.	I agree.

Exercises and Practice

Identify the verbs in the following sentences:

The children play in the park.
She reads a book every night.
They are watching a movie.
He visited his friend yesterday.

Learning verbs is essential because they form the foundation of English sentences and help speakers describe actions, events, and situations clearly.