A verb is a word which says something about action, occurrence or state of being. Verbs are inflected (modified in form) to encode tense, aspect, mood, and voice. A verb may also agree with the person, gender, and/or number of some of its arguments, such as its subject or object. Learn and study the most frequently used 1000 English vocabulary verbs used in. Because of the multiple meaning of words, the ordering of words were.
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Need Inspiration? Here’s a List of Verbs
Are you searching for a verb list? You’ll find an action verbs list, list of linking verbs, and an irregular verbs list below. Learn these words to develop your English-speaking skills. To make comprehension easier, there are even example sentences using words from the list of irregular verbs. Once you’re done studying these words, visit this informative site.
List of Action Verbs
There are two types of action words that you’ll find on this action verbs list. The first type is made up of physical action words. Physical action words describe an action that someone or something physically takes. For example, walk, open, and speak are physical action words. Here’s a physical action verb list:
Act | Answer | Approve | Arrange |
Break | Build | Buy | Coach |
Color | Cough | Create | Complete |
Cry | Dance | Describe | Draw |
Drink | Eat | Edit | Enter |
Exit | Imitate | Invent | Jump |
Laugh | Lie | Listen | Paint |
Plan | Play | Read | Replace |
Run | Scream | See | Shop |
Shout | Sing | Skip | Sleep |
Sneeze | Solve | Study | Teach |
Touch | Turn | Walk | Win |
Write | Whistle | Yank | Zip |
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The second type of action words are mental action words. Mental action words describe intellectual processes that don’t happen physically but rather in your mind. Examples of mental action words include think, feel, and want. Here’s a list of verbs that describe mental action:
Concern | Decide | Dislike |
Doubt | Feel | Forget |
Hate | Hear | Hope |
Impress | Know | Learn |
Like | Look | Love |
Mind | Notice | Own |
Perceive | Realize | Recognize |
Remember | See | Smell |
Surprise | Please | Prefer |
Promise | Understand | Wish |
It’s important to understand that some mental action words on this verb list don’t refer to the literal use of the word. For instance, see, look, hear, and smell are usually action words. However, when you don’t use these words in the literal sense, they become mental action words. Here are some examples showing the difference:
- Action: I can see Paul jumping up and down.
In this example, you can literally see Paul jumping around.
- Mental: Frank returned from Europe yesterday? I see.
However, in the above example you can’t literally see Frank returning from Europe. Instead, “I see” means to understand. Therefore, see in this use is a mental word.
- Action: These roses smell wonderful.
This example refers to the physical action of smelling flowers and comments on their scent.
- Mental: Something smells funny about this situation.
On the other hand, in this example, nothing literally smells funny. Instead, it means to recognize that there’s something strange about the situation.
There are hundreds of words that could go on a list of action verbs. The words above are a few basic physical action and mental action words, but there are many more to learn. For a PDF list of more action words, visit this click site.
Linking Verbs List
There’s a category of words that do not describe any action. Instead, these words explain a state of being such as a condition or relationship. You can use words in this linking verbs list to connect the subject with other words in a sentence. There aren’t as many words on a linking verb list as there are on a verb list for mental and physical actions, but each linking word is important nonetheless. Here’s a being verbs list.
Am | Appear | Are |
Be | Become | Been |
Being | Feel | Grow |
Is | Look | Remain |
Seem | Smell | Sound |
Stay | Taste | Turn |
Was | Were |
As you can see on the linking verbs list above, all forms of to be are important linking words to know. The rest work as either action or linking words, depending on what happens in the sentence.
Helping Verbs List
There are two types words that “help”: auxiliaries and modals. Both auxiliaries and modals give more meaning to the main action or being word. They can also describe the period a physical or mental action takes place.
If you want to learn how to create complex sentences, then it’s important to study a helping verbs list. Here’s a verbs list for auxiliaries:
Auxiliary Word | And all its forms… |
---|---|
To Be | Am, Are, Is, Was, Were, Be, Been |
To Have | Have, Has, Had |
To Do | Do, Does, Did |
So how can you tell whether these words help or act as standalone? Simply look for other action or being words in the sentence. If you notice any form of to be, to have, or to do before another acting or being word, then you’re looking at a sentence with an auxiliary. Can you figure out which word is the auxiliary in the examples below?
- Charlie’s mother is cooking breakfast for us tomorrow.
- Tina hasn’t exercised today.
Both modals and auxiliaries comprise the list of helping verbs. Modals add uncertainty to whether something will or will not occur. Just like with the list of linking verbs, the list of modals is also small and therefore easy to remember:
Can | Could | May |
Might | Must | Ought to |
Shall | Should | Will |
Would |
Here are some examples of how modals explain uncertainty, obligation, and possibility.
- I must go to school today.
There’s an obligation to go to school.
- You could go to school today.
In this sentence, it’s possible that you don’t go to school today.
- Jennifer’s not sick and should go to school today.
And in this sentence, it’s possible that Jennifer doesn’t go to school.
- If Tommy feels better tonight, he might go to school tomorrow.
Whereas in this sentence there’s a chance that Tommy may or may not go to school.
Irregular Verbs List
The next verbs list you’ll look at is the list of action verbs that are irregular. What does it mean for an action or being word to be irregular? Basically, regular words in the past tense have an -ed at the end. Examples include jumped, skipped, and leaped. Irregular words don’t follow that pattern. Here’s an irregular past tense verb list:
BASE FORM | PAST SIMPLE | PAST PARTICIPLE |
---|---|---|
Be | Was or Were | Been |
Become | Became | Become |
Bring | Brought | Brought |
Build | Built | Built |
Catch | Caught | Caught |
Draw | Drew | Drawn |
Fly | Flew | Flown |
Get | Got | Got |
Go | Went | Gone |
Grow | Grew | Grown |
Hold | Held | Held |
Learn | Learnt/Learned | Learnt/Learned |
Smell | Smelt | Smelt |
There are many more irregular words that could go on this verb list, but practice with these ones first. Are there any that you didn’t know before today? Write down your own list of verbs that are new to you.
Now that you have read a linking verbs list and studied a helpful list of verbs, why not get some help on your next English assignment? The grammar check from Citation Machine Plus lets you make citations in APA format and more styles. Try it out today!
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