Definition
of Action Verb
We can define it as, “An action verb is a
verb that expresses physical or mental action. The action verb tells us what
the subject of our clause or sentence is doing-physically or mentally”.
OR,
“A word belonging to the parts of speech,
that is the center of the predicate, which describes an act or activity”.
What
is Action Verb
Action verbs are verbs expressing or
describing action in the sentence such as run, walk, do, smile, drive, jump,
cough, drink, kick, eat, break, cry, think, etc. They are used in the sentence
to specifically describe what the subject of the sentence is doing. It carries
important information in a sentence which can convey emotion, sense of purpose,
etc. The effect of action verbs lies in their true meaning and intention of
expressing action in the sentence. It is very necessary to understand the use
of action verbs in the sentence very well to be a good writer and communicator.
Action verbs alone can make one word
sentence (such as, Stop!) but nouns, adjectives, adverbs, or any other parts of
speech cannot make a one word sentence. Identifying the action verbs in the
sentence is really pretty easy. Such as:
- I’ll do my
homework when I get home. (action verbs are ‘do and get’)
Without action verbs, we cannot make a
sentence as they are required to show some kind of action like what a person,
animal, or object can do. They are named as so according to their purpose in
the sentence.
List
of Action Verbs
Any word expressing the action of person,
animal or object becomes the action verb. Some of the action verbs are:
Accelerate, eat, go, do, jump, dance,
accomplish, achieve, acquire, activate, adapt, adjust, administer, advise,
allocate, analyze, apply, arrange, assign, attain, change, collect,
communicate, construct, deliver, demonstrate, derive, design, develop, educate,
effect, estimate, evaluate, examine, exchange, run, walk, smile, cough, drink,
kick, break, cry, think, etc.
Examples
of Action Verbs/Use of Action Verbs in the Sentence
Following are some examples showing the use
of action verbs in the sentence:
- Seema
talks at inappropriate times. (Talking is action which Seema can do.)
- It is
raining outside. (Raining is something done by the nature.)
- Jennifer
watched the movie on TV (Watching is something that Jennifer can do.)
- The
fireworks exploded in the mine. (Exploding is something that fireworks can
do.)
- The water
is boiling for last ten minutes. (Boiling is something that water can do.)
- Farmers
start working before the sunrise. (Working is something that farmer can
do.)
Some of the action verbs are used with
direct object however some do not need direct object. On the basis of use of
action verbs and their meaning in the sentence, action verbs are divided into
two types such as:
- Transitive
Verb
- Intransitive
Verb
Transitive
Verb
Transitive verbs are those verbs that
always need a direct object.
List
of Transitive Verbs
Owe, buy, show, tell, check, get, wash,
annoy, lay, lend, offer, make, phone, contain, verify, finalize, edit, send,
bring, take, etc.
For
example:
- Mohan
annoys his mother so much. (Mother is the direct object of word annoys.)
- She brings
my lunch every day. (‘my’ is the direct object of brings.)
Intransitive
Verb
Intransitive verbs are those verbs that do
not need a direct object. Generally, they are followed by adjective,
preposition, verb complement or adverb.
List
of Intransitive Verbs
Swim, come, go, laugh, sit, rise, excel,
run, cough, smile, act, cry, immigrate, lie, continue, die, explode, respond,
emigrate, arrive, etc.
For
example:
- If she
does not continue her work, the boss will fire her. (Continue is followed
by no direct object.)
- The bomb
exploded in the Delhi Mall.
Some
of the verbs are used as both transitive and intransitive, depending on their
meanings. Such as:
- Peon set
papers down on the desk. (Transitive: ‘papers’ are the direct object to
the verb ‘set’.)
- The sun
set low over an ocean. (Intransitive: ‘set’ doesn’t need a direct object
and followed an adverb ‘low’.)
- He manages
the zoology department. (Transitive: ‘zoology’ department is the direct
object of verb ‘manage’.)
- She faced
difficulty in managing family since his wife’s death. (Intransitive:
‘since’ is a preposition of time ‘managing’ doesn’t need a direct object.)
List
of Common Action Verbs
Both, transitive and intransitive verbs can
be used in any tense. Here are some verbs that can be used as both, transitive
and intransitive depending on their meanings:
Write, set, leave, improve, sit, grow,
smell, pay, dance, teach, eat, drive, manage, stop, run, burn, check, cost, go,
give, sing, paint, climb, study, etc.
Rules/Tips
to be Followed while using Action Verbs
Following are some rules and tips which we
should remember while using action verbs in the sentence:
Action verbs can be physical or mental
actions of the person, thing or object. Action verbs can use present tense,
past tense, or future tense. Such as:
- The snake
runs faster than humans. (use of present tense)
- The snake
ran through the rocks. (use of past tense)
- A lion
will run down its prey. (use of future tense)
Action verbs can also use helping verbs,
such as:
- If you
don’t notice your way, you will walk on the rocks.
Action
Verb Exercises
1:
Action Verb Exercises for you
Action verb exercises given below will help
you in analyzing your knowledge about action verb. Just go through all the
details given above about the action verb and check your skill by doing
following exercises for action verb. We have used action verbs in the following
sentences; you need to check your skill by identifying action verbs in each
sentence:
1.
Painters have been painting for hours.
2.
She always gives money to the charity.
3.
Have you send all the proposals.
4.
Have you edit contents carefully.
5.
That perfume smells really bad.
6.
My new car costs me a lot.
7.
He owned a new car.
8.
Many people emigrated from India and
Pakistan in 1947.
9.
He was waiting for last two hours.
10. Are
you sure you gave him all the books.
11. Please
send all the documents to the office.
12. He
giggles inappropriately in the library.
13. He
likes to drink a glass of iced tea.
14. I
watched a pretty woman in bikini at the beach.
15. The
squirrel climbs very fast on the tree.
16. My
alarm clock buzzed at right time.
17. He
vomited on the kitchen counter.
Answers:
1 – painting, 2 – gives, 3 – send, 4 – edit, 5 – smells, 6 – costs, 7 – owned,
8 – emigrated, 9 – waiting, 10 – gave, 11 – send, 12 – giggles, 13 – drink, 14
– watched, 15 – climbs, 16 – buzzed, 17 – vomited
2:
Action Verb Exercises for You
Here are some more exercises on action verb
for you. You need to find out whether given sentences have transitive verb or
intransitive verb:
1.
I baked some pastries.
2.
I rode the motorbike.
3.
I moved the table.
4.
I stitched a bed sheet.
5.
I smiled.
6.
I laughed.
7.
I slept.
8.
He died.
9.
The horse won.
10. The
sun rise.
11. She
was reading all day long.
12. I
showed her marriage album.
13. The
doctor advised me to walk regularly.
14. It
was storming at that time.
15. She
laughed loudly at funny joke.
16. I
gave cookies to him.
17. They
slept in the street.
18. I
ate the mangoes.
19. My
sister does not drink black tea.
20. I
always carry my lunch in a bag.
21. Heat
expands metal.
22. Metal
expands on high heat.
23. I
stopped the bicycle.
24. Bicycle
stopped abruptly.
25. He
spoke the truth.
26. I
spoke loudly.
27. I
am flying the kite.
28. Aeroplane
is flying in the sky.
29. I
sank the paper boat.
30. Paper
boat sank suddenly.
Answers:
1 – transitive, 2 – transitive, 3 – transitive, 4 – transitive, 5 –
intransitive, 6 – Intransitive, 7 – Intransitive, 8 – intransitive, 9 – intransitive,
10 – intransitive, 11 – Intransitive, 12 – Transitive, 13 – Transitive, 14 –
Intransitive, 15 – Intransitive, 16 – Transitive, 17 – Intransitive, 18 –
Transitive, 19 – transitive, 20 – Transitive, 21 – Transitive, 22 –
Intransitive, 23 – Transitive, 24 – Intransitive, 25 – Transitive, 26 –
Intransitive, 27 – Transitive, 28 – Intransitive, 29 – Transitive, 30 –
Intransitive
Related Page:
Definition
of Action Verb
We can define it as, “An action verb is a
verb that expresses physical or mental action. The action verb tells us what
the subject of our clause or sentence is doing-physically or mentally”.
OR,
“A word belonging to the parts of speech,
that is the center of the predicate, which describes an act or activity”.
What
is Action Verb
Action verbs are verbs expressing or
describing action in the sentence such as run, walk, do, smile, drive, jump,
cough, drink, kick, eat, break, cry, think, etc. They are used in the sentence
to specifically describe what the subject of the sentence is doing. It carries
important information in a sentence which can convey emotion, sense of purpose,
etc. The effect of action verbs lies in their true meaning and intention of
expressing action in the sentence. It is very necessary to understand the use
of action verbs in the sentence very well to be a good writer and communicator.
Action verbs alone can make one word
sentence (such as, Stop!) but nouns, adjectives, adverbs, or any other parts of
speech cannot make a one word sentence. Identifying the action verbs in the
sentence is really pretty easy. Such as:
homework when I get home. (action verbs are ‘do and get’)
Without action verbs, we cannot make a
sentence as they are required to show some kind of action like what a person,
animal, or object can do. They are named as so according to their purpose in
the sentence.
List
of Action Verbs
Any word expressing the action of person,
animal or object becomes the action verb. Some of the action verbs are:
Accelerate, eat, go, do, jump, dance,
accomplish, achieve, acquire, activate, adapt, adjust, administer, advise,
allocate, analyze, apply, arrange, assign, attain, change, collect,
communicate, construct, deliver, demonstrate, derive, design, develop, educate,
effect, estimate, evaluate, examine, exchange, run, walk, smile, cough, drink,
kick, break, cry, think, etc.
Examples
of Action Verbs/Use of Action Verbs in the Sentence
Following are some examples showing the use
of action verbs in the sentence:
talks at inappropriate times. (Talking is action which Seema can do.)
raining outside. (Raining is something done by the nature.)
watched the movie on TV (Watching is something that Jennifer can do.)
fireworks exploded in the mine. (Exploding is something that fireworks can
do.)
is boiling for last ten minutes. (Boiling is something that water can do.)
start working before the sunrise. (Working is something that farmer can
do.)
Some of the action verbs are used with
direct object however some do not need direct object. On the basis of use of
action verbs and their meaning in the sentence, action verbs are divided into
two types such as:
Verb
Verb
Transitive
Verb
Transitive verbs are those verbs that
always need a direct object.
List
of Transitive Verbs
Owe, buy, show, tell, check, get, wash,
annoy, lay, lend, offer, make, phone, contain, verify, finalize, edit, send,
bring, take, etc.
For
example:
annoys his mother so much. (Mother is the direct object of word annoys.)
my lunch every day. (‘my’ is the direct object of brings.)
Intransitive
Verb
Intransitive verbs are those verbs that do
not need a direct object. Generally, they are followed by adjective,
preposition, verb complement or adverb.
List
of Intransitive Verbs
Swim, come, go, laugh, sit, rise, excel,
run, cough, smile, act, cry, immigrate, lie, continue, die, explode, respond,
emigrate, arrive, etc.
For
example:
does not continue her work, the boss will fire her. (Continue is followed
by no direct object.)
exploded in the Delhi Mall.
Some
of the verbs are used as both transitive and intransitive, depending on their
meanings. Such as:
papers down on the desk. (Transitive: ‘papers’ are the direct object to
the verb ‘set’.)
set low over an ocean. (Intransitive: ‘set’ doesn’t need a direct object
and followed an adverb ‘low’.)
the zoology department. (Transitive: ‘zoology’ department is the direct
object of verb ‘manage’.)
difficulty in managing family since his wife’s death. (Intransitive:
‘since’ is a preposition of time ‘managing’ doesn’t need a direct object.)
List
of Common Action Verbs
Both, transitive and intransitive verbs can
be used in any tense. Here are some verbs that can be used as both, transitive
and intransitive depending on their meanings:
Write, set, leave, improve, sit, grow,
smell, pay, dance, teach, eat, drive, manage, stop, run, burn, check, cost, go,
give, sing, paint, climb, study, etc.
Rules/Tips
to be Followed while using Action Verbs
Following are some rules and tips which we
should remember while using action verbs in the sentence:
Action verbs can be physical or mental
actions of the person, thing or object. Action verbs can use present tense,
past tense, or future tense. Such as:
runs faster than humans. (use of present tense)
ran through the rocks. (use of past tense)
will run down its prey. (use of future tense)
Action verbs can also use helping verbs,
such as:
don’t notice your way, you will walk on the rocks.
Action
Verb Exercises
1:
Action Verb Exercises for you
Action verb exercises given below will help
you in analyzing your knowledge about action verb. Just go through all the
details given above about the action verb and check your skill by doing
following exercises for action verb. We have used action verbs in the following
sentences; you need to check your skill by identifying action verbs in each
sentence:
1.
Painters have been painting for hours.
2.
She always gives money to the charity.
3.
Have you send all the proposals.
4.
Have you edit contents carefully.
5.
That perfume smells really bad.
6.
My new car costs me a lot.
7.
He owned a new car.
8.
Many people emigrated from India and
Pakistan in 1947.
9.
He was waiting for last two hours.
10. Are
you sure you gave him all the books.
11. Please
send all the documents to the office.
12. He
giggles inappropriately in the library.
13. He
likes to drink a glass of iced tea.
14. I
watched a pretty woman in bikini at the beach.
15. The
squirrel climbs very fast on the tree.
16. My
alarm clock buzzed at right time.
17. He
vomited on the kitchen counter.
Answers:
1 – painting, 2 – gives, 3 – send, 4 – edit, 5 – smells, 6 – costs, 7 – owned,
8 – emigrated, 9 – waiting, 10 – gave, 11 – send, 12 – giggles, 13 – drink, 14
– watched, 15 – climbs, 16 – buzzed, 17 – vomited
2:
Action Verb Exercises for You
Here are some more exercises on action verb
for you. You need to find out whether given sentences have transitive verb or
intransitive verb:
1.
I baked some pastries.
2.
I rode the motorbike.
3.
I moved the table.
4.
I stitched a bed sheet.
5.
I smiled.
6.
I laughed.
7.
I slept.
8.
He died.
9.
The horse won.
10. The
sun rise.
11. She
was reading all day long.
12. I
showed her marriage album.
13. The
doctor advised me to walk regularly.
14. It
was storming at that time.
15. She
laughed loudly at funny joke.
16. I
gave cookies to him.
17. They
slept in the street.
18. I
ate the mangoes.
19. My
sister does not drink black tea.
20. I
always carry my lunch in a bag.
21. Heat
expands metal.
22. Metal
expands on high heat.
23. I
stopped the bicycle.
24. Bicycle
stopped abruptly.
25. He
spoke the truth.
26. I
spoke loudly.
27. I
am flying the kite.
28. Aeroplane
is flying in the sky.
29. I
sank the paper boat.
30. Paper
boat sank suddenly.
Answers:
1 – transitive, 2 – transitive, 3 – transitive, 4 – transitive, 5 –
intransitive, 6 – Intransitive, 7 – Intransitive, 8 – intransitive, 9 – intransitive,
10 – intransitive, 11 – Intransitive, 12 – Transitive, 13 – Transitive, 14 –
Intransitive, 15 – Intransitive, 16 – Transitive, 17 – Intransitive, 18 –
Transitive, 19 – transitive, 20 – Transitive, 21 – Transitive, 22 –
Intransitive, 23 – Transitive, 24 – Intransitive, 25 – Transitive, 26 –
Intransitive, 27 – Transitive, 28 – Intransitive, 29 – Transitive, 30 –
Intransitive
Related Page:
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