Verbs

What is a verb?
Verbs are the action words in a sentence that describe what the subject is
doing. Along with nouns, verbs are the main part of a sentence or phrase,
telling a story about what is taking place. In fact, without a verb, full thoughts
can’t be properly conveyed, and even the simplest sentences, such
as Maria sings, have one. Actually, a verb can be a sentence by itself, with
the subject, in most case you, implied, such as, Sing! and Drive!

When learning the rules of grammar, schoolchildren are often taught that
verbs are ‘doing’ words, meaning they signify the part of the sentence which
explains the action taking place: He ran away, she eats chocolate cake on
Sundays, the horses gallop across the fields. Ran, eats and gallop are the
‘action’ parts of those sentences, thus they are the verbs. However, it can be
confusing because not all verbs are easily identifiable as action: I know your
name, Jack thought about it, we considered several applications. These are
non-action verbs, i.e. those that describe a state of being, emotion,
possession, sense or opinion. Other non-action verbs include include love,
agree, feel, am, and have.
How to Recognize a Verb
As you can see from the examples above, one clue to help you recognize a
verb is its location compared to the subject. Verbs almost always come after a
noun or pronoun. These nouns and pronouns are referred to as the
subject. The verb thought comes after the noun Jack, so the action Jack
(subject) was taking was thinking (verb).

1. Mark eats his dinner quickly.

2. We went to the market.
3. You write neatly in your notebook.
4. They thought about all the prizes in the competition.

Here are some other ways to recognize verbs in a sentence:

1. If you’re not sure if a word is a verb, ask yourself, “Can I do ______?”

 Can I think, wonder, walk, yawn? Yes, so these are verbs.

2. You can also ask, ”What is happening?”

In the sentence Mark eats his dinner quickly, what is happening? Eating is
happening, so eating is the verb.
In the sentence They thought about all the prizes what is happening? Thought
(thinking) is happening, so thought is the verb.

Get to apply Grammar Rules related to Verbs directly to your text.

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Physical Verbs – Definition and Examples

Physical verbs are action verbs. They describe specific physical actions. If you
can create a motion with your body or use a tool to complete an action, the
word you use to describe it is most likely a physical verb. For
example, Joe sat in his chair, the dog breathes quickly after she chases her
ball, and should we vote in the election? Even when the action isn’t very
active, if the action is done by the body or a tool, consider it a physical verb.

Physical Verb Examples

The physical verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy
identification.
  Let’s run to the corner and back.
 I hear the train coming.
 Call me when you’re finished with class.

Mental Verbs – Definition and Examples

Mental verbs have meanings that are related to concepts such as discovering,
understanding, thinking, or planning. In general, a mental verb refers to a
cognitive state.

Mental Verb – Definition and Examples

Mental verbs have meanings that are related to concepts such as discovering,
understanding, thinking, or planning. In general, a mental verb refers to a
cognitive state.

Mental Verb Examples

The mental verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy
identification.

 I know the answer.

 She recognized me from across the room.
 Do you believe everything people tell you?

States of Being Verbs – Definition and Examples

Also known as linking verbs, state of being verbs describe conditions or
situations that exist. State of being verbs are inactive since no action is being
performed. These verbs, forms of to be, such as am, is, are, are usually
complemented by adjectives.

States of Being Verb Examples

 The state of being verbs in the following sentences are in bold for easy
identification.

 I am a student.
 We are circus performers.
 Please is quiet.

Types of Verbs
There are many types of verbs. In addition to the main categories of physical
verbs, mental verbs, and state of being verbs, there are several other types of
verbs. In fact, there are more than ten different types of verbs that are
grouped together by function.

List of all Verb Types

Action Verbs
Action verbs express specific actions and are used any time you want to show
action or discuss someone doing something. It’s important to remember that
the action does not have to be physical.
Action verb examples:

1. Run
2. Dance
3. Slide
4. Jump
5. Think
6. Do
7. Go
8. Stand
9. Smile
10. Listen.
 The action verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy
identification.
I run faster than David.
He does it well.
She thinks about poetry all day long
Transitive Verbs
Transitive verbs are action verbs that always express doable activities that
relate or affect someone or something else. These other things are generally
direct objects, nouns or pronouns that are affected by the verb, though some
verbs can also take an indirect object, such as show, take, and make. In a
sentence with a transitive verb, someone or something receives the action of
the verb.
Transitive verb examples:
1. Love

2. Respect

3. Tolerate

4. Believe

5. Maintain.

The transitive verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy
identification.
Gary ate the cookies.
The transitive verb is ate, Gary is the subject, because it is Gary who is doing
the eating, and the cookies are the direct object, because it is the cookies that
are being eaten. Other examples:
He kicked John.
John punches him.
They sold the tickets.
Examples of verbs used with both direct and indirect objects:
They sell him the tickets.
 In this sentence, the tickets are the direct object while him is the indirect
object.
Mary baked her mother a pie.
In this sentence, a pie is the direct object while her mother is the indirect
object.
Intransitive Verbs
Intransitive verbs are action verbs that always express doable activities. They
are different from transitive verbs because there is no direct object following
an intransitive verb.
Intransitive verb examples:
1. Walk

2. Laugh

3. Cough

4. Play

5. Run

The intransitive verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy
identification.

We travelled to London.
The intransitive verb is travelled, the subject is we, because we are doing the
travelling, but London is not a direct object because London is not receiving
the action of the verb. Other examples:
I sneeze in the morning.
He arrived with moments to spare.
Kathryn sat away from the others.
John eats before leaving for school.
The last example shows that the verb eats can be both transitive and
intransitive depending on whether there is a direct object or not. If the
sentence read: John eats the cookies before leaving for school, eats would
be transitive as there is a direct object – the cookies.
 By the way, some verbs can be both transitive and intransitive. These verbs
include: start, leave, change, live, stop.
Auxiliary Verbs
Auxiliary verbs are also known as helping verbs and are used together with a
main verb to show the verb’s tense or to form a question or negative.
Common examples of auxiliary verbs include have, might, will. These auxiliary
verbs give some context to the main verb, for example, letting the reader
know when the action took place.
Auxiliary verb examples:
1. Would

2. Should

3. Do

4. Can

5. Did

6. Could

7. May

The auxiliary verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy
identification.
I will go home after football practice.
The auxiliary verb will is telling us that the action of the main verb go is going
to take place in the future – after football practice has ended. If the auxiliary
verb will was removed, we get the sentence:
I go home after football practice.
In this case, there is no definite time frame for the action. The sentence
suggests that going home after football practice is just something the
subject I generally does. Other examples:
I may dance with you later.
We did consider Bryan’s feelings.
Jenny has spoken her final words.
 In addition, we can sometimes use the auxiliary very before the pronoun to
make a question:
Might you dance with me later?
Did we consider Bryan’s feelings?
Has Jenny spoken her final words?
Also, auxiliary verbs are used to help form negative statements, with the use
of words like not and never. These will usually split the auxiliary and main
verbs:
I may never dance with you again.
We did not consider Bryan’s feelings.
Jenny has not spoken her final words.
Stative Verbs
Stative verbs can be recognized because they express a state rather
than an action. They typically relate to thoughts, emotions,
relationships, senses, states of being, and measurements. The best way
to think about stative verbs is that they are verbs that describe things that are
not actions. The stative verbs are all expressing a state: A state of doubting, a
state of believing, a state of wanting. These states of being are often
temporary.
The stative verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy
identification.
The doctor disagrees with your analysis.
Disagree is a stative verb here, as it describes the doctor’s state of being –
disagreement.
John doubts the doctor’s opinion.
I believe the doctor is right.
She wanted another opinion.
Modal Verbs
Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that are used to express abilities, possibilities,
permissions, and obligations.
Modal verb examples:
1. Can
2. Must

3. May

4. Should

5. Would

The modal verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy
identification.
He can shoot a three-point shot easily.
The auxiliary verb can is expressing an ability, suggesting that shooting a
three-point shot is a skill the subject possesses.
Please note that in the case of should and must in the examples below, the
modal verbs are expressing obligations, whereas would and may are
expressing possibilities.
I should go home.
You must not delay.
Sally would not recommend the sushi.
David may be late.
Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs aren’t single words; instead, they are combinations of words
that are used together to take on a different meaning to that of the original
verb. There are many examples of phrasal verbs, some of which have
colloquial meanings, such as make up, hand in, bring up, point out, look
forward to. Each time the verb takes the extra word(s) it takes on a new
meaning. For example, make without the up expresses that something is
being created, whereas with make up, the suggestion is that there are some
lies or a fantastical element to the story and make out can mean either to
grasp or see something difficult, or to kiss passionately.
Phrasal verb examples:
1. Run out

2. Go all out

3. Make out
4. Hand out

5. Bring out

6. Face up

7. Think through

The phrasal verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy
identification.
Mary looked forward to her high school reunion.
The verb looked has taken on forward to to become a phrasal verb meaning
to be excited about or eagerly await something.
He brought up the same points again and again.
Leroy handed in the wallet to the police.
I make up stories all the time.
She pointed out Donald’s mistake.
Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs are those that don’t take on the regular spelling patterns of
past simple and past participle verbs. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of
irregular verbs in the English language. But don’t worry, while many are used
often, the majority are not in common usage – or if they are, you will use them
so often you will learn them quickly. Some of the most common irregular verbs
include: say, make, go, take, come, know and see.
Irregular verb examples:
1. Eat

2. Think

3. Bring

4. Hold

5. Bear

6. Buy
7. Lay

8. Catch

9. Drive

10. Paid

11. Feel

12. Redo

The irregular verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy
identification.
I take my time when I go to the shops (present tense)
I took my time when I went to the shops (past tense)
Julie makes cake for the classroom (present tense)
Julie made a cake for the classroom (past tense)
She sees a silhouette shaped like a man in the window (present tense)
She saw a silhouette shaped like a man in the window (past tense)
We come to Aunt Jane’s for Thanksgiving each year (present tense)
We came to Aunt Jane’s for Thanksgiving each year (past tense).
You should also remember that auxiliary verbs ‘do’ and ‘have’ are also
irregular verbs:
I do agree.
He does it often.
We have done our homework early.
They do their homework on Fridays.
I have a suspicion about Fran
Fran has a devious look.
We have no money left.
They have had a cough twice this winter.
Types of Pronouns
5th grade6th grade7th grade8th grade9th grade10th grade11th grade12th gradeElementary SchoolMiddle SchoolHigh
SchoolCollegeInfographics
A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun in a sentence. Pronouns are used to avoid repeating the
same nouns over and over again. For example, "Jeremy ran so fast, you'd think his life was on the
line." The pronoun "his" saved us from repeating the name Jeremy again.
Common pronouns include I, me, mine, she, he, it, we, and us. In truth, there are many different
types of pronouns, each serving a different purpose.

Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns are used as a substitute for a person's name. There are two kinds: subjective and
objective pronouns. That is, they either act as the subject of the sentence or the object of the sentence.
As the subject of a sentence, they are:
 I
 you
 he
 she
 it
 we
 they
For example:
 They went to the store.
 I don't want to leave.
 He runs a great shop in town.
 You can't leave, either.
As the object of the sentence, they are:
 me
 you
 her
 him
 it
 us
 them
For example:
 Please don't sit beside me.
 Go talk to her.
 Mary put the gift under it.
 Don't look at them.
For more, check out Subject Versus Object Pronouns.

Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns show ownership or possession of a noun. They are:
 my
 our
 your
 his
 her
 its (note there is no apostrophe)
 their
For example:
 Is that my book?
 No, that's his book.
 That's its shelf.
 I'd like to see their bookshelves.
However, there are also independent possessive pronouns. These pronouns refer to a previously
named or understood noun. They stand alone and aren't followed by any other noun. They are:
 mine
 ours
 yours
 his
 hers
 its
 theirs
For example:
 That's mine.
 Wrong. It's ours.
 So, I suppose those clothes are yours?
 No, it's theirs.

Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns don't point to particular nouns. We use them when an object doesn't need to be
specifically identified. As such, it can remain indefinite. They include:
 few
 everyone
 all
 some
 anything
 nobody
For example:
 Most wealth is held by a select few.
 Everyone is here already.
 I don't have any paper napkins. Can you bring some?
 He's nobody.

Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns are used to connect a clause or phrase to a noun or pronoun. We often see them
when we need to add more information. They are:
 who
 whom
 which
 whoever
 whomever
 whichever
 that
For example:
 The driver who ran the stop sign was careless.
 I don't know which pair of shoes you want.
 Take whichever ones you want.
 No, not that one.

Intensive Pronouns
Intensive pronouns emphasize, or intensify, nouns and pronouns. Typically, we find them right after
the noun they're intensifying. These pronouns typically end in -self or -selves. They are:
 myself
 himself
 herself
 themselves
 itself
 yourself
 yourselves
 ourselves
For example:
 I myself like to travel.
 He himself is his worst critic.
 She approved the marriage herself.
 We went to hear W.B. Yeats himself speak.

Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns take the place of a noun that's already been mentioned. They can be singular
or plural. There are five of them. They include:
 these
 those
 this
 that
 such
For example:
 These are ugly.
 Those are lovely.
 Don't drink this.
 Such was his understanding.

Interrogative Pronouns
Interrogative pronouns do just what they say. They work in sentences that are posing a question.
They are:
 who
 whom
 which
 what
 whoever
 whomever
 whichever
 whatever
For example:
 Who is going to arrive first?
 What are you bringing to the party?
 Which of these do you like better?
 Whatever do you mean?

Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns are similar to intensive pronouns. The difference between the two is that
intensive pronouns aren't essential to a sentence's meaning. Meanwhile, reflexive pronouns are. Also,
they're used when the subject and the object of a sentence refer to the same person or thing. These
pronouns end in -self or -selves. They are:
 myself
 yourself
 himself
 herself
 itself
 ourselves
 yourselves
 themselves
For example:
 I told myself not to spend all my money on new shoes.
 You're going to have to drive yourself to the restaurant today.
 We gave ourselves plenty of extra time.
 They bought themselves a new car.

A Pronoun-Testing Paragraph
See if you can locate all the pronouns in this paragraph:
No matter what your teachers may have taught you about pronouns, they don't always have it right. If
your teachers ever warned you about the evils of gambling, however, they were right about that. You
don't want someone breaking your kneecaps with his crowbar; it will hurt, the police might arrest
you, and you may never forgive yourself.
Answers:
(Pronouns in bold)
No matter what your teachers may have taught you about pronouns, they don't always have it right.
If your teachers ever warned you about the evils of gambling, however, they were right
about that. You don't want someone breaking your kneecaps with his crowbar; it will hurt, the
police might arrest you, and you may never forgive yourself.

Pronoun Proficiency
Who knew there were so many hidden depths to "he," "she," "it," "they" and other pronouns?
Interesting, right? Pronouns are multi-taskers, working busily to point us in different directions,
freeing us from the catastrophe of repeated nouns.

Pronoun Quiz
4th grade5th grade6th grade7th grade8th grade9th grade10th grade11th grade12th gradeMiddle SchoolHigh SchoolCollegeQuizzes

Below are a few examples of a pronoun quiz that can be used when teaching basic grammar on the
elementary school level.

Pronoun Quiz 1
Pick the pronoun in each sentence.
1) Gary's mom asked _______ to clean the garage.
a. he
b. him
2) A student at an all boys high school should be on ______ best behavior.
a. their
b. his
3) Neither Mary nor _____ knew why the store was closed.
a. I
b. me
4) After school you and ____ must discuss a few things.
a. I
b. me
5) Everyone at the table has eaten _______ lunch earlier.
a. his or her
b. their
6) My nephew was crying and needed ______ diaper changed.
a. his
b. their

Pronoun Quiz 2
Find the pronoun(s) in each sentence.
1) My son dropped his bottle on the ground.
a. son b. his c. my
2) The girls standing under the tree are eating their lunch.
a. girls b. tree c. their
3) When I looked over eat him, I noticed that he was reading a book.
a. I b. he c. him
4) The guys ate all of their pizzas.
a. guys b. their c. pizzas
5) Grandma is waiting for her shawl.
a. grandma b. her c. waiting
6) Neither him nor I knew the right answer.
a. him b. I c. answer
7) Why don't you go outside?
a. you b. outside c. go
8) Take me with you.
a. me b. take c. you
9) I like running fast.
a. I b. run c. run
10) What are you eating now?
a. you b. eating c. what

Pronoun Quiz 3
Fill in the blank with the right pronoun.
1) Did he see ___?
a. us b. we
2) I took the bag from ____.
a. him b. they
3) My brother and ___ went to the park?
a. I b. us
4) What did ____ do about the car?
a. them b. they
5) What did ____ say about the work?
a. she b. me
6) Where will ___ go from here?
a. you b. us
7) Can ____ talk for a minute?
a. we b. us
8) Is this house _____?
a. theirs b. them
9) Why don't ____ have a seat?
a. you b. us
10) Is that cup ____?
a. his b. him

Pronoun Quiz 4
Circle the right pronouns in the story below.
Last night I/me went out to play with a friend. We/us played jump rope and chased spiders before the
moon came out. Mine/my mother came out to find me/my. When her/she found I/me my mother told
me/I it was time for bed. When I/me said goodbye to my friend her/she told me us/we would play
again tomorrow.
Today I/me ate ice cream and it was very tasty. After lunch, we/us went to play in the park. There
were swings, slides, and see-saws. Me/my and Jane went on the see-saw together. She/her laughed
loudly when us/we played. It was very fun. After awhile we/us went back with my mom, and her/she
took us/we home again.

Pronoun Quiz 5
Circle any pronouns that you see in the story below.
Jane and Jack went out to play. It was a hot Saturday afternoon as they played ball. After playing
with the ball, they went on the swings in the backyard. Jane ran ahead of Jack.
"I wonder where she is going," Jack said quietly. Waiting for a moment, Jack then ran after Jane
quickly. "Wait for me!" he yelled. As Jane looked back, she smiled sweetly. "I will meet you at the
top of the hill," she yelled back as she kept running. Jack was out of breath, but he still managed to
catch up with her.
"Hey," he said panting. "You run fast," he continued.
"I know!" said Jane giggling loudly as she poked Jack's arm playfully and he laughed as well.

Answers
Quiz 1
1) him; 2) his; 3) I; 4) I; 5) his or her; 6) his

Quiz 2
1) his; 2) their; 3) he; 4) their; 5) her; 6) I; 7) you; 8) you; 9) I; 10) you

Quiz 3
1) us; 2) him; 3) I; 4) they; 5) she; 6) you; 7) we; 8) theirs; 9) you; 10) his

Quiz 4
Last night I/me went out to play with a friend. We/us played jump rope and chased spiders before the
moon came out. Mine/My mother came out to find me/my. When her/she found I/me my mother
told me/I it was time for bed. When I/me said goodbye to my friend her/she told me us/we would
play again tomorrow.
Today I/me ate ice cream and it was very tasty. After lunch, we/us went to play in the park. There
were swings, slides, and see-saws. Me/my and Jane went on the see-saw together. She/Her laughed
loudly when us/we played. It was very fun. After awhile we/us went back with my mom, and
her/she took us/we home again.

Quiz 5
Jane and Jack went out to play. It was a hot Saturday afternoon as they played ball. After playing
with the ball, they went on the swings in the backyard. Jane ran ahead of Jack.
"I wonder where she is going," Jack said quietly. Waiting for a moment, Jack then ran after Jane
quickly. "Wait for me!" he yelled. As Jane looked back, she smiled sweetly. "I will meet you at the
top of the hill," she yelled back as she kept running. Jack was out of breath, but he still managed to
catch up with her.
"Hey," he said panting. "You run fast," he continued.
"I know!" said Jane giggling loudly as she poked Jack's arm playfully and he laughed as well.

Pronoun Worksheets
4th grade5th grade6th grade7th grade8th gradeElementary SchoolMiddle SchoolWorksheets
Here are two pronoun worksheets for elementary and middle school grades. They will cover
recognition of pronouns and their various functions under the grammatical rules. Students will
recognize which form of a pronoun should be used in different sentences.

Personal Pronoun Worksheet

The first of the two pronoun worksheets will cover the personal pronouns:
I, me, he, him, she, her, we, they, us, and them.
A. Fill in the blank with "I" or "me."
1. Mom drove _____ to school today.
2. _____ really want that chocolate cake.
3. Everyone is happy for _____.
4. When ___ get home, I am going to bed.
5. You drive much better than _____.
B. Fill in the blank with "she" or "her."
1. Harry wrote a love poem for _____.
2. Martha is certain of _____ facts.
3. Debbie had a headache, so _____ took medicine.
4. Andrea know that Bob is not as smart as _____.
5. Ruth needed to take _____ dog to the vet.
C. Fill in the blank with "he" or "him."
1. Randy's sister refused to give _____ the paper.
2. When _____ fell out of the tree, he broke his arm.
3. Did Sam tell you why _____ did not come to the party?
4. Danny knows that Terry is better than _____.
5. I told _____ about the celebration.
D. Fill in the blank with "we" or "us."
1. She can not come with _____ today.
2. After _____ eat, let's see a movie.
3. Come on in and tell _____ the news.
4. I know where _____ can go.
5. Dad went with _____ to buy school supplies.
E. Fill in the blank with "they" or "them."
1. Everybody knows _____ spilled the beans.
2. If the peaches are not ripe, we will not buy _____.
3. Take your shoes and put _____ in the closet.
4. _____ are the best of friends.
5. Will and Tom wish _____ could drive a car.
Answers
A. me, I, me, I, I
B. her, her, she, she, her
C. him, he, he, he, him
D. us, we, us, we, us
E. they, them, them, they, they

Possessive Pronoun Worksheet

This pronoun worksheet is geared for grades four through eight. It covers possessive pronouns and
the proper usage of "you, your, yours, you're", "whose, who, who's" and "their, theirs, they're."
A. Write the correct possessive pronoun in the blank.
Possessive pronouns: mine, his, hers, its, yours, ours, theirs
1. You can order whatever you want. The choice is _____.
2. All my friends like to cook. Cooking is a favorite activity of _____.
3. My brother and I bought a car together to share, so it is _____.
4. The candy belongs to Sarah. It is _____.
5. I bought the food so it is _____.
B. Underline the proper pronoun or contraction.
1. If (you, your, yours, you're) not careful you will be out of money.
2. My painting does not compare to (you, your, yours, you're).
3. If (you, your, yours, you're) don't believe me, ask my mom.
4. You left (you, your, yours, you're) coat over here.
5. Don't talk while (you, your, yours, you're) eating.
6. Those (whose, who, who's) have died will be remembered.
7. I need to find out (whose, who, who's) paper this is so I can return it.
8. It is important to know (whose, who, who's) going to the play.
9. There's the man (whose, who, who's) team won the tournament
10. Do you remember (whose, who, who's) going to treat us to dinner?
11. During (their, theirs, there's) reign, the king and queen were fair and just.
12. (Their, Theirs, There's) no reason we can not go today.
13. Some friends of (their, theirs, there's) are spending the weekend.
14. I think (their, theirs, there's) a possibility of rain tomorrow.
15. Cats are known for (their, theirs, there's) agility.
Answers
A. yours, theirs, ours, hers, mine
B. you're, yours, you, your, you're, who, whose, who's, whose, who's, their, there's, theirs, there's,
their