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

Mental verbs carry connotation. Wondered, fretted, and mused name the same thought at different temperatures.

Physical Action : Action verbs that name something a body does.
Mental Action : Action verbs that name something a mind does.

In a sentence

Connotation works on mental action just as it works on physical action.

Anxious: Vinny fretted over the plan. Calm: Vinny mused over the plan.

Stubborn: Vinny insisted he was right. Gentle: Vinny suggested he was right.

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 rescue report. Yesterday Vinny wrote the rescue report. (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.

Modal Helping Verbs

Ability

A modal can show ability.

Vinny can lift the fallen beam.

Possibility

A modal can show possibility.

The storm might reach the harbor by noon.

Permission

A modal can show permission.

You may enter the rescue zone now.

Obligation

A modal can show obligation.

A hero must answer every call.

Now you try

Modals are can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would. For ability, reach for can or could. You could try can, or could.

Perfect and Progressive Verbs

Aspect tells whether an action is ongoing or finished. Use a form of 'to be' plus -ing for an ongoing action, and a form of 'have' plus the participle for a finished one.

Perfect and Progressive Verbs : Verb forms that show aspect: the -ing form used with a form of 'to be' (progressive, ongoing action) and the past participle used with a form of 'have' (perfect, completed action).

In a sentence

Aspect needs a helping verb. A form of 'to be' plus -ing means ongoing. A form of 'have' plus the participle means completed.

Progressive (ongoing): Vinny was climbing the tower while the crowd held its breath. ('was' plus the -ing form.)

Present perfect (just completed): Vinny has rescued every noun on the block. ('has' plus the past participle.)

Past perfect (completed before another past action): By the time help arrived, Vinny had already caught the thief. ('had' plus the past participle.)

Past progressive into simple past: Vinny was sprinting across the bridge when the cable snapped. (ongoing action interrupted by a sudden one.)

Now you try

The progressive form ends in -ing and rides with a form of 'to be': I am running, I was running. Try sprinting, climbing, or leaping. It shows action caught in the middle of happening.

The Vivid Verb

One strong verb beats a weak verb plus an adverb. Crept carries more than walked quietly. Pick the verb that does the whole job.

Physical Action : Action verbs that name something a body does.
Mental Action : Action verbs that name something a mind does.
Transitive Action Verbs : Action verbs that pass their action on to a direct object.
Intransitive Action Verbs : Action verbs that work alone, with no direct object.

In a sentence

Two ways a sentence goes flat: a weak verb doing the work, or a to-be verb leaning on an adverb. One strong action verb cures both.

Weak: She walked quietly to the door. Strong: She crept to the door. (One verb carries the whole move.)

Weak: He moved fast down the hall. Strong: He bolted down the hall. (No adverb needed.)

Weak: The crowd was very loud. Strong: The crowd roared. (A to-be verb plus an adverb becomes one strong verb.)

Weak: The thief went away slowly. Strong: The thief slunk away. (The verb itself shows the how.)

Now you try

When a verb leans on an adverb, the verb is doing half a job. 'Walked quickly' could become dashed, sprinted, raced, or bolted. Pick one verb that carries the speed by itself.

Which Verb? Register and Connotation

Verbs that mean nearly the same thing carry different feelings. Strode, trudged, and ambled all mean walked, but each tells the reader how to feel.

Physical Action : Action verbs that name something a body does.
Mental Action : Action verbs that name something a mind does.
Transitive Action Verbs : Action verbs that pass their action on to a direct object.
Intransitive Action Verbs : Action verbs that work alone, with no direct object.

In a sentence

These verbs share a denotation (the dictionary meaning) but split on connotation (the feeling). The writer chooses the feeling.

Confident: She strode into the meeting. Defeated: She trudged into the meeting. (Same arrival, opposite mood.)

Proud: The champion paraded past the crowd. Sneaky: The thief slunk past the crowd. (Connotation picks the character.)

Formal report: The visitors departed at noon. Casual note: The visitors took off at noon. (Register matches the audience.)

Wordy: He spoke very softly. Concise: He murmured. (One verb replaces the verb-plus-adverb.)

Now you try

Lots of verbs mean walked. For exhaustion, reach for trudged, limped, or staggered, not strolled or marched. Choose the connotation that fits the feeling.