Verbs: Definition, Types, Examples & Rules

A verb is a word that shows action or a state of being. Every complete sentence needs at least one verb — it’s the engine that makes the sentence go.

Words such as run, think, is, seems, have, and will are all verbs. Some show physical or mental action, others link the subject to more information, and some team up with a main verb to build tense.

What Is a Verb?

A verb is a word that expresses action, occurrence, or a state of being.

For example:

• Action: run, jump, write, think
• State of being: is, was, seem, become

Quick definition: A verb is a word used to show what the subject of a sentence is doing or being.

Types of Verbs

Type	What It Does	Examples
Action verb	Shows a physical or mental action	run, jump, write, think
Linking verb	Connects the subject to more information	is, seems, became, looks
Helping verb	Teams up with a main verb to build tense or mood	has, will, should, was

Action Verbs

An action verb shows something the subject does — physically or mentally.

• She runs every morning.
• They built a treehouse.
• I think about it often.

Linking Verbs

A linking verb doesn’t show action. It connects the subject to a word that describes or renames it.

• The soup smells delicious.
• He became a doctor.
• She seems tired.

Common linking verbs: is, am, are, was, were, be, been, seem, become, look, feel, smell, sound, taste, appear.

Grammar note: Some verbs (like look, feel, smell) can be either action or linking, depending on the sentence. “She looked at the map” (action) vs. “She looked tired” (linking).

Helping Verbs

A helping verb (also called an auxiliary verb) works with a main verb to show tense, mood, or voice.

• I have finished my homework.
• She will call you later.
• They should have left earlier.

Common helping verbs: has, have, had, will, would, can, could, shall, should, may, might, must, is, am, are, was, were.

Verb Tenses

Verbs change form to show when an action happens.

Tense	Example
Present	I walk to school.
Past	I walked to school.
Future	I will walk to school.
Present Perfect	I have walked to school.
Past Perfect	I had walked to school.
Future Perfect	I will have walked to school.

Regular and Irregular Verbs

Regular verbs form the past tense by adding -ed: walk → walked, talk → talked.

Irregular verbs don’t follow that pattern and must be memorized:

Base Form	Past Tense	Past Participle
go	went	gone
eat	ate	eaten
see	saw	seen
break	broke	broken
begin	began	begun

Subject-Verb Agreement

The verb must match the subject in number — singular subjects take singular verbs, plural subjects take plural verbs.

• The dog barks at night. (singular)
• The dogs bark at night. (plural)
• She writes every day.
• They write every day.

Watch out for: collective nouns (the team is winning), and subjects separated from their verb by a phrase (the box of pencils is on the desk — the verb agrees with box, not pencils).

Common Verb Mistakes

• Mismatched subject-verb agreement. Write “she runs,” not “she run.”
• Using irregular past tense incorrectly. Write “I saw,” not “I seen”; “I went,” not “I goed.”
• Confusing linking and action verbs. “She looked at the map” (action) vs. “She looked happy” (linking) — don’t add an adverb to a linking verb (“she looked happily” is usually wrong when describing her appearance).
• Dropping helping verbs in formal writing. “I should have gone,” not “I should of gone” — of is never a helping verb.
• Confusing affect and effect. Affect is usually the verb, effect is usually the noun — see the full breakdown.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a verb in simple terms?

A verb is a word that shows action or a state of being. Examples include run, think, is, and become.

What are the three main types of verbs?

Action verbs, linking verbs, and helping verbs.

What’s the difference between a linking verb and an action verb?

An action verb shows what the subject does. A linking verb connects the subject to a word that describes or renames it, without showing action.

What is an irregular verb?

An irregular verb doesn’t form its past tense by adding -ed. Examples include go → went and eat → ate.

Can a sentence have more than one verb?

Yes. A sentence can have a main verb plus one or more helping verbs, such as “I have been working all day.”

Quick Reference

• Verb: a word that shows action or a state of being
• Action verb: shows what the subject does
• Linking verb: connects the subject to a description
• Helping verb: works with a main verb to show tense or mood
• Regular verb: forms past tense with -ed
• Irregular verb: past tense doesn’t follow the -ed pattern