Understanding Verbs

If a Noun is the who or what being talked about in a sentence, then a Verb is the what is happening or what is being done by that noun. You could say that the verb is the heart or the engine of an English sentence. Without a verb, a sentence can never stand alone.

Take a look at this simple sentence:

  • She plays tennis.

The word plays is the verb. It tells us what action is being performed by the subject (She). However, verbs in English are not just about physical actions. Some verbs are actually used to connect words or show a state of being, such as is, am, are or seem.

What is a Verb?

A Verb is a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence of the subject in a sentence.

In English grammar, verbs are crucial because they are the only part of speech that can change its form depending on when the event happens (Tenses). For example, the word play can change to played (happening in the past) or playing (happening right now).

Types of Verbs

The world of English verbs is vast and varied. To make your learning process easier, we will classify verbs into several main types. Each type has its own unique functions and rules that you must master.

Here are the various types of verbs that we will discuss in-depth in the upcoming materials:

Let’s begin this exploration by discussing the most common and easily recognizable group of verbs: Action Verbs.