what are verbs
A verb is a word that shows an action, an event, or a state of being.
What is a verb?
You can think of a verb as the “engine” of a sentence – it tells you what is happening or what something is.
Common kinds of meaning:
- Action: run, jump, write, eat.
- Event: happen, occur, explode.
- State or condition: be, seem, believe, know, exist.
Every complete sentence in English needs at least one verb.
Basic types of verbs (quick tour)
Here’s a simple breakdown you can picture like a mini cast of characters in a story.
- Action (dynamic) verbs
- Show a physical or mental action.
* Examples: run, eat, think, write, sleep.
- Stative verbs
- Show a state, feeling, or condition rather than an action.
* Examples: be, know, believe, love, seem, belong.
- Linking verbs
- Link the subject to more information about it (like an “equals” sign).
* Common examples: be, seem, become, appear.
* Sentence: “She **is** happy.” (“is” links “she” and “happy”).
- Helping (auxiliary) verbs
- “Help” the main verb make tenses, questions, negatives, and the passive voice.
* Common helpers: be, have, do, can, will, should, must.
* Sentence: “She **is running**.” (“is” helps “running”).
- Modal verbs
- Special helping verbs that show possibility, ability, permission, or necessity.
* Examples: can, could, may, might, must, should, will, would.
Mini examples in sentences
- Action: “They played outside after school.”
- State: “I believe you.”
- Linking: “The soup smells delicious.”
- Helping + main: “We have finished our homework.”
- Modal: “You must study for the test.”
In each sentence, the verb (or verb phrase) tells you what the subject does, experiences, or is.
Why verbs matter
- They tell the time of an action (past, present, future) through verb tense.
- They make sentences complete and understandable: without a verb, you usually don’t have a real sentence.
- They let you add detail with helpers and modals: “write”, “am writing”, “have written”, “might write”, “should have written” all feel slightly different.
Tiny story using lots of verbs
Yesterday, I woke up early, looked outside, and noticed the rain.
I was tired, but I decided to make coffee.
While it was raining , my friend called and asked , “Do you want to meet later?”
I said yes, because a rainy day can be cozy if you spend it with a good friend.
All the highlighted words above are verbs or verb phrases.
TL;DR: Verbs are words that tell what someone or something does, what happens, or what state something is in—and every proper sentence needs one.
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