14 Common Types of Verbs | Definition, Usage, and Examples

Verbs are essential parts of speech that play a crucial role in our everyday language, describing actions and states of being.

From simple activities like preparing for exams to more complex ideas such as setting realistic goals, verbs are words that help us express a wide range of thoughts and actions.

But did you know that there are different types of verbs in English and each type plays a unique role in sentences? 

• Action verbs, like "run" and "eat," vividly describe what someone or something is doing. 
• Linking verbs, such as "is" and "seem," connect the subject to additional details, helping us understand more about it. 
• Helping verbs like "can" and "will" support action verbs to express when something happens or what might be possible. 

Let’s learn about how many types of verbs are there to make sentences clearer and also enhance the ability to communicate effectively.

Action Verbs

Action verbs are main types of verbs that describe actions or activities performed by the subject of a sentence. They describe activities that can be seen, heard, felt, or understood by the senses. 

Usage

Action verbs are used to describe various physical or mental actions. They can express activities such as running, eating, playing, writing, jumping, and more. 

Action verbs are crucial in storytelling, descriptions, and providing clarity about what is happening in a sentence.

List of Action Verbs

• Run
• Eat
• Play
• Write
• Jump

Examples

• She runs every morning.
• He ate his lunch quickly.
• She thinks deeply about the problem.
• They imagine a better future.

Linking verbs

Linking verbs are a type of verb that connects the subject of a sentence to a noun, pronoun, or adjective that identifies or describes the subject. 

Unlike action verbs, which show action, linking verbs express a state of being or a condition. They do not indicate action but rather serve to link the subject to additional information.

Usage

Linking verbs are often used to describe conditions, states, or characteristics of the subject. They are commonly used with adjectives (to describe the subject) or nouns/pronouns (to rename the subject). 

Linking verbs do not show action; instead, they establish a connection between the subject and its complement.

List of Common Linking Verbs

• Look
• Seem
• Appear
• Become
• Fee

Examples

• She is happy.
• The flowers smell fragrant.
• She is a doctor.
• This soup tastes delicious.

Auxiliary Verbs (Helping Verbs) 

Auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs, are verbs that assist the main verb in a sentence. They do not convey action or meaning on their own but rather modify the main verb to provide additional information about the action or state.

Usage 

Auxiliary verbs are used in conjunction with main verbs to form different grammatical structures:

• Tenses: Helping verbs indicate the time of the action.
• Questions: Auxiliary verbs invert with the subject to form questions.
• Negatives: They are used with "not" to form negatives.

List of Auxiliary Verbs 

• Be (Am, Is, Are, Was, Were, Been, Being)
• Have (Has, Have, Had)
• Do (Does, Do, Did)
• Will
• Shall

Examples

• They have finished their homework.
• Is he coming to the party?
• She does not speak French.

Intransitive Verbs

Intransitive verbs are verbs that do not require a direct object to complete their meaning. They express actions or states that do not transfer to an object. 

In other words, the action or state described by an intransitive verb does not act upon anything or anyone.

Usage

Intransitive verbs are used in sentences where the action or state is complete without affecting a direct or indirect object. They can describe actions like movement, change, or occurrence without requiring a direct object to complete the meaning.

List of Intransitive Verbs

• Jump
• Run
• Change
• Improve
• Bloom

Examples 

• The cat jumped.
• The weather changed suddenly.
• The meeting ended.

Transitive Verbs

Transitive verbs are verbs that require a direct object to complete their meaning. They express actions that transfer from the subject (doer of the action) to an object (receiver of the action).

The primary function of transitive verbs is to describe actions that affect or are directed toward someone or something else.

Usage

Transitive verbs are used in sentences where the action is directed towards a specific object. They can describe actions like hitting, carrying, writing, or throwing that involve someone or something receiving the action.

List of Transitive Verbs

• Hit
• Carry
• Write
• Throw
• Build

Examples 

• She hit the ball.
• They carried the groceries.
• He wrote a letter.

Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are a special type of auxiliary verbs that express necessity, possibility, permission, or ability. They modify the meaning of the main verb in terms of likelihood, ability, obligation, or permission.

The primary function of modal verbs is to indicate the attitude or stance of the speaker towards the action or state expressed by the main verb. They do not have a past or future tense form, and they are followed directly by the base form of the main verb (infinitive).

Usage 

Modal verbs are used to:

• Express necessity (must, have to).
• Indicate possibility (can, could, may, might).
• Express permission (may, can).
• Show ability (can, could).

List of Modal Verbs

• Could
• May
• Might
• Must
• Would

Examples

• You must study for the exam.
• He might be late.
• He could swim when he was five.

Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs are combinations of a main verb and one or more particles (prepositions or adverbs) that together convey a specific meaning different from the original verb alone. 

The meaning of a phrasal verb is often idiomatic, meaning it cannot be understood simply by combining the meanings of its individual parts.

Usage 

Phrasal verbs are used in both informal and formal English, but they are more common in spoken language. They can express actions, changes in state, or other meanings that vary depending on the particles used with the main verb.

List of Phrasal Verbs

• Find out (discover information)
• Call off (cancel)
• Hand in (submit)
• Pick up (collect or lift)
• Take over (assume control)

Examples 

• She turned down the job offer.
• The fire broke out in the kitchen.
• He grew up in a small town.

Stative Verbs

Stative verbs are verbs that describe a state or condition rather than an action. These verbs typically refer to thoughts, emotions, relationships, senses, states of being, and measurements. 

Unlike dynamic (action) verbs, stative verbs are not usually used in continuous (progressive) tenses.

Usage

Stative verbs are used to describe states or conditions and are typically not used in continuous tenses. For example, instead of saying "I am knowing the answer," you would say "I know the answer." 

Stative verbs are essential in conveying information about feelings, thoughts, and relationships.

List of Stative Verbs

• Desire
• Exist
• Include
• Matter
• Prefer

Examples

• I believe in fairness.
• They belong to a club.
• The box weighs five pounds.

Dynamic Verbs

Dynamic verbs, also known as action verbs, describe actions, processes, or activities that are often physical and observable. 

Unlike stative verbs, dynamic verbs indicate actions that can change over time and can be used in continuous (progressive) tenses.

The primary function of dynamic verbs is to depict actions or events that are happening or can happen. They describe physical or mental activities and processes that involve movement, change, or progression.

Usage 

Dynamic verbs are used in sentences to indicate an action, process, or activity that is performed by the subject. These verbs are frequently used in continuous tenses to show ongoing or repeated actions.

List of Dynamic Verbs 

• Grow
• Boil
• Swim
• Write
• Play

Examples

• They are eating dinner now.
• She considers all options before deciding.
• He is thinking about the problem.

Infinitives

An infinitive is the base form of a verb, often preceded by the word "to." It can function as a noun, adjective, or adverb in a sentence. 

Infinitives can express actions, states, or conditions in a more general way, without specifying the subject or tense.

They can:

• Act as subjects or objects of a sentence.
• Modify nouns or pronouns.
• Modify verbs by expressing purpose, reason, or intent.

Usage

Infinitives are versatile and can appear in different parts of a sentence. Here are common ways infinitives are used:

• As the subject of a sentence.
• As the object of a sentence.
• To express purpose.
• As an adjective.
• As an adverb.

List of Infinitives

• To Do
• To Help
• To Learn
• To Start
• To Rest

Examples

• To learn a new language takes time.
• She wants to travel around the world.
• We stopped to rest during our hike.

Gerunds

A gerund is the “-ing” form of a verb that functions as a noun. Unlike present participles, which are also -ing forms but act as adjectives or form continuous tenses, gerunds are used as subjects, objects, or complements in a sentence.

The primary function of gerunds is to express actions or states in the form of a noun. 

Usage

Gerunds can appear in various parts of a sentence. Here are some common ways they are used:

• As the subject of a sentence.
• As the object of a sentence.
• As the complement of a sentence.
• After prepositions.
• After certain verbs.

List of Gerunds

• Cooking
• Going
• Swimming
• Reading
• Painting

Examples

• Running every morning keeps him healthy.
• They started playing the piano at a young age.
• He admitted cheating on the test.

Root Verbs

A root verb is the base form of a verb without any prefixes, suffixes, or inflections. It is the simplest form of a verb, from which other verb forms (such as tenses, participles, and gerunds) are derived. 

In English, the root verb is often the form found in dictionary entries.

The primary function of root verbs is to serve as the foundation for creating different verb forms to express various tenses, moods, voices, and aspects. 

Usage

Root verbs can appear in various parts of a sentence. Here are some common ways they are used:

• As the base form (infinitive):
• As the imperative (commands):
• In the simple present tense (first and second person, and plural subjects):

List of Root Verbs

• Jump
• Swim
• Talk
• Think
• Play

Examples

Eat (root verb: eat)

• I love to eat sushi.
• Eat your dinner now.
• They eat healthy food.

Run (root verb: run)

• He likes to run in the morning.
• Run as fast as you can.
• We run every weekend.

Regular Verbs

Regular verbs are verbs that follow a consistent pattern when conjugated into past tense and past participle forms. These verbs typically form their past tense by adding -ed or -d to the base form of the verb.

The primary function of regular verbs is to express actions, states, or occurrences in various tenses while maintaining a predictable pattern of conjugation.

Usage

Regular verbs are used in sentences to indicate actions or states in the past, present, and future. The predictable conjugation pattern (-ed or -d for past tense and past participle) makes these verbs straightforward to use.

List of Regular Verbs

• clean - cleaned - cleaned
• watch - watched - watched
• dance - danced - danced
• talk - talked - talked
• jump - jumped - jumped

Examples

Base Form: walk

• Past Tense: walked
• Past Participle: walked
• Example: She walked to the park. / They have walked a long distance.

Base Form: cook

• Past Tense: cooked
• Past Participle: cooked
• Example: I cooked dinner. / She has cooked many meals.

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs are verbs that do not follow the standard rules for conjugation in the past tense and past participle forms. Unlike regular verbs, which typically add -ed to the base form to create the past tense, irregular verbs change spelling or remain the same.

The primary function of irregular verbs is to convey actions, states, or occurrences in various tenses and aspects. Their unique conjugation patterns must be memorized as they do not follow the predictable patterns of regular verbs.

Usage

Irregular verbs are used in the same contexts as regular verbs but require special attention to their unique past tense and past participle forms. They appear in sentences to express actions or states in the past, perfect, and other tenses.

List of Irregular Verbs

• come - came - come
• give - gave - given
• take - took - taken
• begin - began - begun
• drive - drove - driven

Examples

Base Form: go

• Past Tense:went
• Past Participle: gone
• Example: She went to the store. / They have gone on vacation.

Base Form: see

• Past Tense: saw
• Past Participle: seen
• Example: I saw a movie. / She has seen that film.

In conclusion, understanding the different types of verbs is essential for mastering English language. Verbs are the backbone of sentences, conveying actions, states, and occurrences. 

By learning about various verb types, you can significantly improve your writing and communication skills.

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