If you’ve ever watched a kid scratch their head while reading, chances are they just hit a verb. Verbs are the engine of every sentence — they tell you what’s happening, what’s being felt, or what exists. This guide breaks down exactly what a verb is, with real examples you can use at home or in class, plus smart ways to spot them fast.
Parts of speech count: 1 of 8 ·
Sentences requiring verb: Almost every ·
Verb functions: Action, occurrence, state ·
Common verbs examples: Run, jump, think ·
Educational focus: KS1 to advanced
Quick snapshot
- Action (run), Linking (seem), Helping (is) (Twinkl)
- State of being like exist, be (Grammar Monster)
- -ing ending often signals a verb (Grammar Monster)
- Ask “what is happening?” in the sentence (K5 Learning)
- Past, present, future guide when actions happen (Grammar Monster)
- Regular verbs add -ed for past tense (Twinkl)
The following table pulls together the core facts about verbs, drawn from trusted grammar references for children and educators.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Definition | Word showing action, occurrence, or state (Grammar Monster) |
| Examples | Sing, develop, exist |
| Sources | Merriam-Webster, Scribbr, Twinkl |
| Kids view | Doing word like scratches |
| Regular verb rule | Add -ed for past tense (Twinkl) |
| Tenses | Past, present, future (Grammar Monster) |
What is an example of a verb?
A verb is a word that tells you what someone or something is doing — or even what something just is. According to Twinkl (Educational resource for teachers), verbs describe “an action, state, or occurrence in a sentence.” Think of the simplest sentence you know: someone is running, jumping, or thinking right now.
Action verbs
Action verbs show visible activity. Physical actions like chased, jumped, and swims all describe movement your eyes can catch (Grammar Monster (Grammar guide for children)). A sentence like “The dog chased the ball” gives you a clear picture because chase is a strong action verb.
State of being verbs
Not all verbs show movement. State-of-being verbs (also called linking verbs) include was, exist, and be — they link the subject to its description (Grammar Monster (Grammar guide for children)). In “She is happy,” the verb is links happy back to she without showing any physical action.
Common everyday verbs
- Run, shout, jump, sing, dance (Begin Learning (Parent activity resource))
- Read, write, think, guess, consider (Grammar Monster (Grammar guide for children))
- Eat, drink, sleep, go, be (Begin Learning (Parent activity resource))
The implication: once children see that verbs drive the action or state in every sentence, they stop leaving their writing as fragments.
Is a verb a doing word?
Yes — and sometimes more than that. Most sources call verbs “action words” or “doing words,” which is exactly right for physical actions like scratches, runs, and jumps (Grammar Monster (Grammar guide for children)). But verbs also cover mental actions like guessed, thinks, and consider — things happening inside your head, not your legs.
Action vs non-action
The clearest test: if you can picture someone doing it or acting it out, it’s an action verb. If it just describes what someone or something is like (is tall, seems tired, remains calm), it’s a state-of-being verb — still a verb, just quieter.
Why verbs are essential
According to Learn Verbs (Educational video on sentence structure), every sentence has both a subject and a verb — the subject performs the action, and the verb names it. Without a verb, you’re left with fragments: “The cat” means nothing until you add “sleeps” or “chases.”
For young readers and writers, understanding that verbs carry the action helps kids stop writing fragments. Once they know every sentence needs a doing word, their writing instantly becomes more complete.
How to explain a verb to a child?
The easiest approach is to show, not just tell. Learning at the Primary Pond (Primary teaching blog) recommends starting with action words in primary grades K-2 before introducing states and linking verbs. Kids at this age already know what it means to run, jump, and shout — you’ve got the examples you need built in.
Simple stories
Try a fairy scratches her head or a dragon breathes fire — these scenarios let you point directly at the verb while keeping the story silly enough to stick. Twinkl’s teaching wiki suggests using fairy characters with action problems because young children follow narrative causality easily (Twinkl (Educational resource for teachers)).
KS1 BBC Bitesize style
BBC Bitesize describes verbs as “words in a sentence that tell you what someone or something is doing.” For Key Stage 1, keep it that simple — don’t add linking vs. action distinctions yet. Focus on the doing-word concept, then reinforce it with games.
Twinkl visuals
Colorful illustrations in worksheets for 7-year-olds make verb identification engaging, according to Kids Academy (Age-specific learning worksheets). When a cartoon character is running, jumping, and singing all in one scene, kids can circle each doing word without feeling like they’re studying grammar.
Simplifying verbs for kids works brilliantly for early recognition, but parents should know that formal grammar terms (linking verb, transitive, finite) come later. The foundation you build now makes those terms click when they’re introduced in Year 3 or beyond.
How can I identify a verb?
Spotting verbs comes down to a few practical tests. K5 Learning (Grade-level grammar worksheets) notes that asking “what is happening?” in any sentence is one of the best ways to find the verb — the answer to that question is almost always your verb.
Position in sentence
While verbs can appear anywhere in a sentence, they often sit near the subject or after helping verbs. In “She is running,” the word running is the main action and is is a helping verb. Watch for those -ing endings — they’re a strong signal.
Tests and exercises
- Circle the word that answers “what is happening?” — that’s your verb (K5 Learning (Grade-level grammar worksheets))
- Grade 2 worksheets cover identifying verbs and distinguishing action vs. linking verbs (K5 Learning (Grade-level grammar worksheets))
- Grade 3 introduces subject-verb agreement and phrasal verbs (K5 Learning (Grade-level grammar worksheets))
Helping verbs
Helping verbs like have, will, is, and are combine with main verbs to add meaning about timing or possibility. In “She will eat,” the word will is a helping verb and eat is the main action. Don’t let beginners get confused — both are part of the verb phrase.
For students struggling to find verbs, the -ing test and the “what is happening?” question work faster than any rote memorization. Once they see the pattern, verb identification becomes automatic.
What are 5 examples of verb?
A practical verb list for kids starts with everyday doing words — the ones children already use without thinking. Begin Learning (Parent activity resource) lists 10+ verbs including run, shout, jump, sing, dance, read, swim, think, guess, and write.
Top 5 action verbs
- Run — physical movement
- Eat — daily activity
- Sleep — rest and recovery
- Go — getting from place to place
- Be — state of existing
Top 5 common verbs
- Think — mental activity
- Want — desire and need
- Say — communication
- Look — perception
- Come — movement toward
10 and 20 extensions
Once kids master the basics, introduce more specific verbs: “scoff” and “devour” replace generic “eat”; “gulp” and “sip” replace “drink” (Twinkl (Educational resource for teachers)). These powerful verb replacements make writing more vivid — a skill that pays off as children move into creative writing assignments.
Verbs are ‘action’ words.
— Grammar Monster, Grammar Monster (Grammar guide for children)
Verbs represent external actions (run, jump) and internal (love, think).
— Grammarly, Grammarly (Writing assistant platform)
Verbs must agree with subject in number: singular subject takes singular verb.
— Scribbr, Scribbr (Academic writing resource)
Related reading: What Is the Name of the Junction Between Two Neurones · What Is Net Pay
Related coverage: adjectives that modify nouns fördjupar bilden av What Is an Adjective – Definition, Examples, Types & Usage.
Frequently asked questions
What is a verb in grammar?
A verb is a word that describes an action, state, or occurrence in a sentence. It tells you what the subject is doing or what condition it exists in.
What is a verb year 1?
In Year 1 (ages 5-6), children learn verbs as “doing words” — simple action verbs like run, jump, and sing that they can act out physically.
What is a verb in English?
In English grammar, a verb is one of the eight parts of speech. Verbs are essential to sentence structure — every complete sentence needs at least one verb to make sense.
What is a verb year 2?
In Year 2 (ages 6-7), children build on doing words by learning that verbs can also show states of being. They start distinguishing action verbs from linking verbs like is, are, and was.
What is a verb, adjective?
A verb describes what a subject does or is. An adjective describes what a subject is like — its color, size, shape, or quality. The difference: verbs move or describe being; adjectives describe attributes.
What is a verb in a sentence?
In any sentence, the verb is the word that tells you the action or state. In “She reads books,” the word reads is the verb — it tells you what the subject she is doing.
Oliver Jack Carter Cooper is a staff writer for EveningLedger.uk, covering UK news, politics, business and culture. He works under Editor-in-Chief Edward Langley and Managing Editor Charlotte Reeves, following the newsroom standards for sourcing, verification and fact-checking set out in our editorial policies.