Lights! Camera!! Action Verb!!! I'm Vinny, and I express action. Every sentence needs a verb, and I'm the one taking action in mine. Watch.
Parts of Speech · Today with Vinny
Lights! Camera!! Action Verb!!!
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Section 1 · Meet the Verbs
Sections 2–5
Meet the Verbs! (overview)
An action verb shows what someone or something does. The action can be physical, like run or jump, or mental, like think or decide.
Action Verbs Express Action
An action verb shows what someone or something does. Some action is physical, where the body moves, like run or jump; some is mental, where the mind moves, like think or decide.
- Physical Action : Action verbs that name something a body does.
- Mental Action : Action verbs that name something a mind does.
In a sentence
Bodies move. Minds move. Both count as action.
Physical action: Rebecca baked some cookies.
Mental action: He enjoys the afternoons with his pets.
Now you try
A physical action is something the body does, a mental action is something the mind does, and both count. For this plan, you could try hatched, or imagined, or whispered.
Files it under done
Action Verb or Linking Verb?
Some verbs can be an action verb or a linking verb. Swap the verb for an equals sign: if the sentence still works, it is linking (Lucy's); if not, the action is mine.
In a sentence
Swap the verb for 'is'. If the sentence still works, tag in Lucy.
The menu looked good. (Try 'is': the menu IS good. That works, so this is Lucy's linking verb.)
They looked at the menu. (Try 'is': they IS at the menu? No. So this is my action verb.)
Now you try
An action verb shows something happening; if you can swap it for 'is', that's Lucy's job instead. For the street, you could try ran, or raced, or skipped.
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Verb Tenses (Past, Present, Future)
Verb tenses show when an action happens. Present tense shows action now (I walk, she walks). Past tense shows action that already happened (I walked, she walked). Progressive tenses show ongoing action (I am walking, she is walking).
- Regular Past Tense Verbs : Past tense verbs formed by adding -ed (or -d) to the base verb.
In a sentence
Watch the verb change with the clock. Yesterday, today, tomorrow.
Past: Susan knocked on the door.
Present: Susan knocks on the door.
Future: Susan will knock on the door.
Now you try
Present tense happens now; past tense already happened, and most past verbs add -ed. For yesterday, you could try jumped, or climbed, or hopped.
Files it under done
Irregular Past Tense Verbs
Most verbs form the past tense by adding -ed. However, irregular verbs do not follow this pattern and must be memorized (go/went, eat/ate, see/saw, run/ran, swim/swam, write/wrote, break/broke).
- Regular Past Tense Verbs : Past tense verbs formed by adding -ed (or -d) to the base verb.
- Irregular Past Tense Verbs : Past tense verbs that do not follow the -ed pattern. The irregular form must be memorized.
In a sentence
These verbs break the -ed rule. Today and yesterday, watch them change shape.
Today I sing. Yesterday I sang.
Today I lose my hat. Yesterday I lost my hat.
Today I take a pencil. Yesterday I took a pencil.
Now you try
Most verbs add -ed, but not these. Hide turns into hid. Sleep turns into slept. You memorize them one by one.
Files it under done
Another mission accomplished. Six kinds of action verb, all in a day's work for a hero. Head down the hall to The Big Verb Quiz. Eight questions. Admit it, you had fun.
Or skip ahead to the quiz without checking in.