A verb is a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being. It is the engine of every sentence—without a verb, a sentence cannot exist. Verbs tell us what the subject does (runs, thinks, creates), what happens to it (was discovered, is loved), or what it is (is, seems, becomes). This guide covers every major aspect of verbs in English: their types, tenses, moods, voices, and the rules that govern their use, complete with examples that make each concept clear.
Verb Definition
The word "verb" comes from the Latin verbum, meaning "word"—a testament to how central verbs are to language itself. In English grammar, a verb is the part of speech that expresses what the subject does, experiences, or is. Every complete sentence requires at least one verb.
Verbs are the most morphologically complex part of speech in English. They change form to indicate tense (walk/walked), person (I walk/she walks), number (he walks/they walk), voice (I wrote/it was written), and mood (I go/if I were to go). Mastering verbs is mastering the temporal and relational backbone of English.
Action Verbs
Action verbs express physical or mental activity:
- Physical actions: run, write, build, dance, eat, throw, climb, swim.
- Mental actions: think, believe, consider, imagine, understand, remember, decide.
"The architect designed an innovative building." — "Designed" is a physical action verb.
"She considered the proposal carefully." — "Considered" is a mental action verb.
Action verbs are dynamic—they move the sentence forward. They are the workhorses of narrative writing and the primary carriers of meaning. For synonyms that enliven your action verbs, see our guide on words for speaking and words for beginning.
Linking Verbs
Linking verbs connect the subject to a word or phrase that describes or identifies it. They do not express action; instead, they express a state of being:
- Forms of "be": am, is, are, was, were, being, been.
- Sense verbs (when not describing action): look, sound, smell, taste, feel.
- State verbs: seem, appear, become, remain, stay, grow, turn, prove.
"The soup tastes delicious." — "Tastes" links "soup" to "delicious."
"She became a renowned scientist." — "Became" links "she" to "scientist."
The word or phrase after a linking verb is called a subject complement—it describes or renames the subject. Subject complements can be adjectives ("The sky is blue") or nouns ("She is a teacher").
Helping (Auxiliary) Verbs
Helping verbs work with main verbs to form verb phrases, adding information about tense, mood, or voice:
- Be: am, is, are, was, were (used for progressive tenses and passive voice).
- Have: have, has, had (used for perfect tenses).
- Do: do, does, did (used for questions, negatives, and emphasis).
"She is running." — "Is" helps form the present progressive.
"They have finished." — "Have" helps form the present perfect.
"Did you understand?" — "Did" helps form a question.
Modal Verbs
Modal verbs are a special type of helping verb that express ability, possibility, permission, or obligation: can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must, ought to.
- Ability: "She can speak three languages."
- Possibility: "It might rain tomorrow."
- Permission: "May I leave early?"
- Obligation: "You must submit the report by Friday."
- Advice: "You should see a doctor."
Modals do not change form for person or number—"she can" (not "she cans"), "they must" (not "they musts").
Transitive vs. Intransitive Verbs
Transitive verbs require a direct object to complete their meaning: "She wrote a letter." Without "a letter," the sentence feels incomplete.
Intransitive verbs do not take a direct object: "The baby slept." The action is complete without an object.
Many verbs can be both: "She sings a song" (transitive) vs. "She sings beautifully" (intransitive).
Regular vs. Irregular Verbs
Regular verbs form their past tense and past participle by adding -ed: walk → walked, play → played, create → created.
Irregular verbs change form unpredictably and must be memorized:
| Base Form | Past Tense | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| go | went | gone |
| see | saw | seen |
| write | wrote | written |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| take | took | taken |
| begin | began | begun |
| speak | spoke | spoken |
| drink | drank | drunk |
There are approximately 200 irregular verbs in English, and they include some of the most frequently used verbs (be, have, do, go, say, get, make).
The 12 Verb Tenses
English has 12 tenses formed by combining three time frames (past, present, future) with four aspects (simple, progressive, perfect, perfect progressive):
| Tense | Example | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | She writes. | Habits, facts, general truths |
| Present Progressive | She is writing. | Actions happening now |
| Present Perfect | She has written. | Actions completed at an unspecified time |
| Present Perfect Progressive | She has been writing. | Actions that started in the past and continue |
| Simple Past | She wrote. | Completed actions in the past |
| Past Progressive | She was writing. | Ongoing actions in the past |
| Past Perfect | She had written. | Actions completed before another past event |
| Past Perfect Progressive | She had been writing. | Ongoing past actions before another past event |
| Simple Future | She will write. | Actions that will happen |
| Future Progressive | She will be writing. | Ongoing actions in the future |
| Future Perfect | She will have written. | Actions completed before a future time |
| Future Perfect Progressive | She will have been writing. | Ongoing actions continuing until a future time |
Active vs. Passive Voice
In active voice, the subject performs the action: "The chef prepared the meal."
In passive voice, the subject receives the action: "The meal was prepared by the chef."
Active voice is generally preferred because it is more direct and vigorous. Passive voice is useful when the actor is unknown, unimportant, or when you want to emphasize the object: "The Mona Lisa was painted in the early 16th century."
Verb Mood: Indicative, Imperative, Subjunctive
Indicative mood states facts or asks questions: "She is a teacher." "Did he leave?"
Imperative mood gives commands: "Close the door." "Please be seated."
Subjunctive mood expresses wishes, hypotheticals, or demands: "If I were president..." "I suggest that he be included." The subjunctive is rare in modern English but survives in formal writing and fixed expressions.
Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs combine a verb with one or more particles (prepositions or adverbs) to create new meanings: "give up" (surrender), "look into" (investigate), "break down" (stop functioning), "carry out" (execute). Their meanings are often idiomatic—not predictable from the individual words. Phrasal verbs are extremely common in spoken English and can be challenging for learners.
Common Verb Mistakes
- Subject-verb agreement errors: "He don't know" should be "He doesn't know."
- Wrong irregular forms: "I have went" should be "I have gone."
- Tense consistency: Shifting between past and present within a paragraph confuses readers.
- Passive overuse: Excessive passive voice weakens writing. Favor active voice.
- Confusing similar verbs: lay/lie, rise/raise, sit/set—each pair has distinct meanings and conjugations.
Verbs are the beating heart of English. Master them, and you master the ability to express action, time, and relationship in all their complexity. For more grammar resources, visit dictionary.wiki.