What Is a Verb? Definition, Types & Examples Guide

Ask a five-year-old to point out the “doing word” in a sentence, and watch their face light up when they land on “run” or “sing.” That quick burst of recognition is the whole point of understanding verbs—they’re the engine of every sentence, the words that tell you what someone or something actually does. This guide walks through what a verb is, with clear examples for kids and sharper definitions for anyone who wants to nail the grammar.

Core function: Shows action, occurrence, or state of being · Sentence role: Required in almost every sentence · Kid-friendly term: Doing word · Basic form: Infinitive without “to” (e.g., run)

What is the meaning of verb?

A verb is a word that tells you what someone or something does, experiences, or is. Without verbs, sentences fall flat — they tell you who or what exists, but not what happens. Grammar Monster defines verbs as action words that describe what a person, animal, or thing does, making this one of the most straightforward definitions in grammar education.

Action verbs

Action verbs describe things you can see someone do — run, jump, eat, sing, write, swim. These are the “doing words” that kids spot most easily, because they match physical movement or observable activity.

The implication: action verbs anchor comprehension because they map directly to observable behavior — the clearest entry point for young learners building their first grammar framework.

State of being verbs

State-of-being verbs (also called linking verbs) describe conditions rather than actions. Words like is, seem, become, and appear connect the subject to a description. In “She seems tired,” the verb “seems” links her to the state of being tired.

Occurrence verbs

Occurrence verbs signal that something happens or develops — words like happen, occur, become, and grow. These fall somewhere between action and state of being, describing changes over time rather than fixed conditions.

What is an example of a verb?

The easiest way to remember verbs is to collect real examples. Action verbs include run, shout, jump, sing, dance, read, swim, skip, kick, and write — ten words that Begin Learning specifically recommends for kids learning their first verbs.

Action verb examples

• The dog runs after the ball.
• She reads a bedtime story every night.
• They swim in the lake during summer.

Linking verb examples

• The sky is gray today.
• He seems happy after the game.
• She becomes nervous before tests.

10 common verbs

• go, make, take, get, have
• do, say, see, know, want

20 example verbs

• run, walk, eat, drink, sleep
• play, talk, write, read, draw
• sing, dance, jump, climb, swim
• think, feel, hear, smell, taste

The pattern: kids who build a strong verb vocabulary early develop better sentence-building skills — the more verbs they encounter in context, the more naturally sentence construction follows.

Is a verb a doing word?

Yes — most of the time. “Doing word” is the kid-friendly label for action verbs, and it works beautifully for the physical, observable actions that children act out easily. But calling all verbs “doing words” oversimplifies things. State-of-being verbs like “is,” “seem,” and “become” describe conditions rather than actions you can watch someone perform.

Doing words vs other verbs

• Doing words: run, jump, sing, write, eat — visible actions
• State verbs: is, seem, look, feel — conditions or connections
• Helping verbs: can, will, might, should — support main verbs

The key is that verbs answer the question: what does the subject do or experience? YouTube Verb Identification explains that every complete sentence needs both a subject and a verb, where the subject performs or experiences what the verb describes.

Examples in sentences

• “The man walks his dog.” — walks is the doing word.
• “She is a teacher.” — is links her to her profession.
• “They have three cats.” — have shows possession.

How to explain a verb to a child

Physical movement is the secret weapon for verb lessons. PlanetSpark recommends acting out verbs whenever possible — ask a child to jump, spin, or shout, and you’ve demonstrated the word in context. The body becomes the grammar lesson.

Simple definitions

• For ages 4-6: “A verb is a word that tells what someone does.”
• For ages 7-9: “Verbs are action words. They tell you what the subject of a sentence is doing.”

Fun examples

• Simon Says: Call out action verbs (“jump,” “clap,” “spin”) and kids move when the command matches the game.
• Verb charades: Write action verbs on cards and let kids act them out while others guess — picture clues help non-readers participate.
• Verb hunt: Read a picture book together and challenge kids to shout whenever they spot a “doing word.”

Twinkl-style activities

• Verb sorting cards with underlined verbs in sentences
• Color-by-word worksheets where kids identify the verb in illustrated sentences
• Shades-of-meaning verb races — arrange jog, run, sprint from slowest to fastest

Building verb vocabulary works best through repetition in different contexts. PlanetSpark suggests using verbs from a child’s own interests — words like “splash,” “pour,” or “giggle” during bath time — to make the learning stick.

How can I identify a verb?

Spotting verbs becomes straightforward once you have a reliable method. The most cited technique in academic and classroom resources alike is the tense change test — change the time frame of the sentence and watch which word shifts.

Steps to spot verbs

Sentence examples

• “James runs down the street.” → “James ran down the street.” — runs is the verb.
• “The cat sleeps on the couch.” → “The cat slept on the couch.” — sleeps is the verb.
• “She seems tired.” → “She seemed tired.” — seems is the verb.

The implication: once you know the tense change trick, verb identification takes seconds — no need to memorize lists. De Anza College, an academic resource, confirms that changing the time of the sentence and finding the word that shifts is the most reliable identification method for learners at any level.

How to identify verbs in sentences

Beyond the tense change test, several strategies help isolate verbs in running text. Bedrock Learning recommends combining approaches for maximum confidence.

Practical identification methods

1. Tense change test: Past, present, future — the verb shifts every time.
2. Preceding “to” test: Can you insert “to” before the word? “to jump,” “to think,” “to be” — all work.
3. “Can I ___?” test: Ask “Can I jump?” — yes. Ask “Can I the?” — nonsense. The valid answer identifies a verb.
4. Position test: Verbs often follow the subject noun or pronoun directly.

Exercise from practice

• Sentence: “The boy kicked the ball.” — Identify the verb: kicked (past tense of kick)
• Sentence: “They will visit grandma tomorrow.” — Identify the verb: will visit (helping verb + main verb)
• Sentence: “She looks beautiful.” — Identify the verb: looks (linking verb)

The pattern: identifying verbs relies on asking targeted questions rather than guessing from word shape or length. Once the method clicks, kids can parse any sentence with confidence.

Verb identification activities

• Sentence dissection worksheets from Kids Academy
• Verb conjugation races — time kids on tense change challenges
• Matching games pairing verbs with their subjects
• Hunting for verbs in read-aloud books and real-world texts

“The easiest way to find a verb in a sentence is to change the time of the sentence and find the word that changes.”

— De Anza College (Academic Resource)

“A verb is an action word. It tells what a person, animal, or thing does or is doing.”

— YouTube Grade 1 Video (Educational Video)

“Verbs are words in a sentence that tell you what someone or something is doing.”

— BBC Bitesize (Educational Platform)

Related reading: Verbs for kids · Understanding verbs

Verbs power every sentence much like the verb definition guide highlights, offering spot-on examples for students tackling grammar basics.

Frequently asked questions