What is a verb? Types and examples
Short answer: A verb is a word that shows an action (run, eat), a state (be, know, want) or an event (happen). Every sentence needs a verb. Verbs change form to show who does the action and when: she walks, they walked. The main types are action verbs, state verbs, the verb be, and helping verbs such as can, will and do.
At a glance
| Type | Job | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| action verb | something you do | run, eat, write, open |
| state verb | a state, a feeling or an opinion | know, like, want, need |
| be | what someone or something is | am, is, are, was, were |
| helping verb | helps another verb | do, have, can, will |
How to tell
- Ask: what does the subject do, or what is it? The answer is the verb.
- Change the time: yesterday, today, tomorrow. A word that changes (walk, walked, will walk) is a verb.
- Put I, you or she before the word. If it works (I run, she runs), it is a verb.
- Check that every sentence has a verb. A sentence without one is not complete.
Examples
- She writes a letter every week.
writes is an action verb. - I know the answer.
know is a state verb: it is not something you do. - They are at home.
are is the verb be. - We can swim.
can is a helping verb; swim is the main verb. - The baby cried all night.
cried is the past form of cry. - He has finished his homework.
has is a helping verb; finished is the main verb. - Birds fly south in winter.
fly is an action verb. - I want some water.
want is a state verb.
Common mistakes
She go to school every day.→ She goes to school every day.
With she, the present simple verb needs -s: goes.He is play football.→ He plays football.
Do not put is before a plain action verb. Say plays, or is playing.I am like music.→ I like music.
Like is already a verb. Do not add am.We goed to the park.→ We went to the park.
Go is irregular: went.My brother tall.→ My brother is tall.
A sentence needs a verb. Add is.
Verb or noun?
Some words can be a verb or a noun. The job of the word in the sentence tells you which.
| Sentence | Word | Job |
|---|---|---|
| I walk to school. | walk | verb |
| I like the walk. | walk | noun |
| Please water the plants. | water | verb |
| The water is cold. | water | noun |
Check yourself
- Which word is the verb? “The dog chases a ball.”
Show the answer
chases It shows the action.
- Is “know” an action verb?
Show the answer
No, it is a state verb. It shows what someone knows, not something they do.
- Fix: “She go to school.”
Show the answer
She goes to school. she needs -s.
The other parts of speech
Questions
Can a sentence have more than one verb?
Yes. I like to swim has two verbs, like and swim. The main verb is the one that carries the tense: like.
What is a helping verb?
A main verb gives the meaning. A helping verb (be, have, do, will, can) supports it and shows tense, a question or a negative: She does not like fish.
What are regular and irregular verbs?
Regular verbs add -ed in the past (walk, walked). Irregular verbs have special past forms (go, went; eat, ate).
Part of the Parts of speech guide in the 📘 Grammar tool. Đọc bằng tiếng Việt.
Written for English learners by the English for Fun team. How we write our lessons · Last updated 2026-11-05.
Reviewed by Chinh Q. Hoang, PhD, founder, English for Fun · 2026-10-30