Parts of Speech · Today with Vinny

Lights! Camera!! Action Verb!!!

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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.

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

Action splits in two. Bodies move. Minds move. Both count.

Physical action: Vinny leaped, Vinny ran, Vinny climbed the burning ladder.

Mental action: Vinny remembered, Vinny decided, Vinny imagined the safest exit.

Now you try

An action verb names something a body or a mind does. You could try sprinted, or dashed, or tumbled, or cartwheeled. Action means something is happening, physical or mental.

Transitive Action Verbs

A transitive verb passes its action to an object. Find the verb, then ask 'what?' If the sentence answers, the verb is transitive.

Transitive Action Verbs : Action verbs that pass their action on to a direct object.

In a sentence

Find the action verb. Ask 'what?' after it. If the answer is in the sentence, the verb is transitive.

I ate a hamburger before my sister woke up. (I ate WHAT? A hamburger. So the verb is transitive.)

Shawn played basketball. (played WHAT? Basketball. Transitive.)

Francine climbed a mountain. (climbed WHAT? A mountain. Transitive.)

Library

Now you try

A transitive verb needs an object. You could try grabbed, or caught, or yanked, or carried. Ask 'what?' after the verb. If the answer follows, it's transitive.

Intransitive Action Verbs

An intransitive verb keeps its action to itself. Find the verb and ask 'what?' If there is no answer, the verb is intransitive.

Intransitive Action Verbs : Action verbs that work alone, with no direct object.

In a sentence

Same diagnostic. Ask 'what?' after the verb. No answer in the sentence means the verb stands on its own. That is intransitive.

I ate before my sister woke up. (I ate WHAT? Vinny did not eat his sister. No object in the sentence. So the verb is intransitive.)

Shawn danced. (danced WHAT? No object. Intransitive.)

Francine slept. (slept WHAT? No object. Intransitive.)

Library

Now you try

An intransitive verb works alone. You could try danced, or slept, or laughed, or napped. Ask 'what?' after the verb. If there is no answer in the sentence, it is intransitive.

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

Some words show up in both camps. Replace the verb with 'is'. If the sentence still makes sense, that was Lucy's. If it does not, it was mine.

This applesauce tastes wonderful. (Try 'is' instead: applesauce IS wonderful. Works. TASTES is a linking verb here. Lucy's job.)

Sharon tastes the applesauce. (Try 'is' instead: Sharon IS the applesauce? Nope. TASTES is an action verb here. My job.)

Now you try

If the verb shows something happening, it is an action verb. You could try lowered, or tossed, or flung. If you could replace it with an equals sign and the sentence still works, that is Lucy's territory.

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.

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

The -ed pattern works for most verbs. These are the exceptions. Same sentence shape, today vs yesterday, watch the verb change shape.

Today I run to the rescue. Yesterday I ran to the rescue. (run to ran, irregular.)

Today I eat a sandwich. Yesterday I ate a sandwich. (eat to ate, irregular.)

Today I see the noun. Yesterday I saw the noun. (see to saw, irregular.)

Today Vinny writes the script. Yesterday Vinny wrote the script. (write to wrote, irregular.)

Now you try

Most past tense verbs add -ed (walk to walked). Irregular ones do not follow that rule (go to went, eat to ate, see to saw). You have to memorize them.