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Verb For Kids

Verbs for Kids: Easy Guide to Action Words and Their Uses

Q: 1. What is a verb in simple words for kids?

A verb is an action word, also known as a 'doing word'. It tells us what a person, animal, or thing is doing in a sentence. For example, in the sentence 'The bird sings', the word 'sings' is the verb because it shows the action the bird is performing.

Q: 6. What is the difference between a verb (action word) and a noun (naming word)?

The main difference is what they describe. A noun is a word for a person, place, or thing (like 'boy', 'school', 'ball'). A verb, on the other hand, is a word for an action (like 'run', 'learn', 'throw'). A noun names something, while a verb shows what that noun is doing.

Reviewed by:

Aiswarya Ittianath

What Are Verbs? Simple Definitions, Examples & Fun Activities

In everything we do, there is involved an action or motion which helps us complete the sentence. Any word which helps us in describing the physical action or the mental action is known as ‘verbs’. The verbs are used to make a sentence sound sensible. Let’s learn more about verbs for kids.

Table of Content

Action <a href='https://www.vedantu.com/english/words'>Words</a> are Known as Verbs

The Action Words are Known as Verbs.

Interesting Facts!

Verb Friends: Verbs can also be used like other words, such as nouns ("Running is fun"), or to describe things ("running water").
Helper Verbs: Some verbs help other verbs show different times or actions, like "have," "be," or "do."

Lets Learn The Types of Verbs :

Physical Verbs

Physical verbs are also known as action verbs. Examples of physical verbs are-

She sells flowers in her lane.
Matt swept the kitchen floor.

Mental Verbs

Verbs which consist of meanings that are related to the concepts are called mental verbs. For example:

She knows the puzzle by heart.
Ram believes honesty is the best policy.

How Do You Recognise a Verb?

A verb can be identified by the location of the subject. Verbs mostly come after a noun or a pronoun which are referred to as the ‘subjects’ in a sentence.

For example, Ram was thinking about a plan.

Here, the verb is ‘thinking’, which comes after the subject ‘Ram’. Other examples are as follows:

Steve eats his lunch slowly.
We went to the shop to buy flowers.
You write very neatly on the board.
They thought about a brilliant magic trick for the function.

What are the Types of Verbs for Kids?

There are many types of verbs that are used for various actions. Let us have a look at the list of verbs:

Action Verbs
Transitive Verbs
Intransitive Verbs
Auxiliary Verbs
Stative Verbs
Modal Verbs
Phrasal Verbs

What are Action Verbs?

Run is an Action Verb

Action verbs describe the action that is represented in the sentence and complete a sentence. Action verbs are as follows:

Run
Dance
Slide
Jump
Think
Do
Go
Stand
Smile
Listen

What are Transitive Verbs?

Love is an Example of the Transitive Verb.

Verbs that represent any doable activities which affect someone or something are called transitive verbs. For example:

Love
Respect
Tolerate
Believe
Maintain

What are Intransitive Verbs?

These verbs also represent doable actions. But they are very much different from transitive verbs as there is no presence of any direct object which is required to be followed by the intransitive verbs. Intransitive verbs include:

Walk
Laugh
Cough
Play
Run

What are Auxiliary Verbs?

These are the connecting verbs. They connect the main verbs in the sentence. Examples are:

Would
Should
Do
Can
Did
Could
May

What are Stative Verbs?

Stative verbs represent actions which are displayed while it is stated. They relate to the thoughts, emotions, relationships, senses etc. Examples of static verbs are:

Disagrees
Doubts
Believes
Wanted

What are Modal Verbs?

Modal verbs are the verbs that express possibilities, abilities, permissions and even obligations. Examples include,

Should
Must
Would
May

What are Phrasal Verbs?

These verbs are not a single one-word verb, rather they relate to a complete phrase. Examples of phrasal verbs are:

Run out
Get out
Face up
Hand out
Think Through
Run across

Understanding Gerunds, Infinitives, and Verb Voices

Topic	Description	Examples
Gerunds	Gerunds are formed by adding ‘-ing’ to the base verb. They function as nouns and can be used with auxiliary verbs to show ongoing actions.	Eating is necessary for survival. Coming home will be exciting. Walking daily benefits health. Drinking and driving is unsafe.
Infinitives	Infinitives are created by placing ‘to’ before the base verb. They can act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.	I want to have a new book. She loves to dance on weekends. He plans to talk with her.
Active Voice and Passive Voice	In active voice, the subject performs the action, while in passive voice, the action is performed on the subject.	Active: The chef prepared the meal. Passive: The meal was prepared by the chef.
Conjugating Verbs – Tense Forms	Verbs change form to indicate time. The main tenses are simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous, covering present, past, and future.	Simple Present: I eat. Present Continuous: I am eating. Present Perfect: I have eaten. Present Perfect Continuous: I have been eating.

A quick Summary for the above:

Definition of a Verb	A verb is a word that shows an action, state, or occurrence in a sentence.
General Classification of Verbs According to What They Signify	Action Verbs: Describe actions (e.g., "run," "write"). State Verbs: Describe states or conditions (e.g., "is," "seem"). Experience Verbs: Describe feelings or perceptions (e.g., "feel," "hear").
Verbs Referring to Actions	Action verbs show what someone or something is doing (e.g., "play," "eat").
Verbs Referring to Experiences or Feelings	These verbs describe mental or emotional states (e.g., "love," "know").
Verbs Referring to a State or Condition	State verbs describe a situation or state of being (e.g., "exist," "belong").
The Various Types of Verbs with Examples	Action Verbs: "run," "jump". Linking Verbs: "am," "are". Auxiliary Verbs: "have," "will".
Different Categories of Verbs	Regular Verbs: Follow a set pattern (e.g., "play" becomes "played"). Irregular Verbs: Do not follow a set pattern (e.g., "go" becomes "went").
Verb Forms	Base Form: The simple form (e.g., "walk"). Past Form: Shows completed action (e.g., "walked"). Present Participle: Shows ongoing action (e.g., "walking").
Conjugating Verbs in the English Language – Tense Forms	Present Tense: Describes current action (e.g., "I walk"). Past Tense: Describes completed action (e.g., "I walked"). Future Tense: Describes action that will happen (e.g., "I will walk").

In this article, we have learned about different types of verbs. Verbs are integral elements of a sentence. It helps students to understand the structure of the sentence. There are other components of sentences such as preposition, adjective, noun, etc. are also present. Students must know all these components. To know and learn these components, visit our website.

Common Confusions About Verbs

Action vs. State: Kids often confuse action verbs (like "run") with state verbs (like "feel").
Tenses: Understanding when to use past, present, or future tense can be tricky.
Helping Verbs: Differentiating between main verbs and helping verbs (like "is" or "has") can cause confusion.
Irregular Verbs: Irregular verb forms, like "go" and "went," often puzzle kids.
Verb Agreement: Matching the correct verb form with singular or plural subjects can be challenging.

Tips for Learning Verbs

Start with easy examples to explain the difference between action and state verbs.
Use daily routines to practice different tenses, like "I eat," "I ate," and "I will eat."
Highlight helping verbs in sentences and explain their role.
Create fun activities, like matching games, to remember irregular verb forms.
Play games that focus on choosing the correct verb form for singular and plural subjects.

Worksheet to Solve

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the following sentences by choosing the correct verb.

The dog _______ loudly at night. (barks/bark)
She _______ to the store every day. (go/goes)
They _______ their homework before dinner. (do/does)
I _______ my favourite book yesterday. (read/reads)
The birds _______ in the sky. (fly/flies)

Exercise 2: Match the Verb with the Correct Sentence

Match each verb in Column A with the appropriate sentence in Column B.

Column A (Verb)	Column B (Sentence)
A) Jump	1) The sun _______ every morning.
B) Write	2) I _______ the letter to my friend.
C) Rise	3) The cat likes to _______ on the sofa.
D) Swim	4) They _______ in the pool during summer.
E) Sit	5) The kids _______ over the puddle in the park.

Answers Key

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

barks
goes
do
read
Fly

Exercise 2: Match the Verb with the Correct Sentence

Column A (Verb)	Column B (Sentence)
A) Jump	5) The kids jump over the puddle in the park.
B) Write	2) I write the letter to my friend.
C) Rise	1) The sun rises every morning.
D) Swim	4) They swim in the pool during summer.
E) Sit	3) The cat likes to sit on the sofa.

Test Your Understanding of the Topic

Which of the following is an action verb?

A) Run

B) Is

C) Happy

D) Tall

Which sentence is in the past tense?

A) I am eating.

B) I will eat.

C) I ate.

D) I eat.

What is the helping verb in the sentence: "She is singing"?

A) She

B) Singing

C) Is

D) The

Which of the following is an irregular verb?

A) Jump

B) Walk

C) Go

D) Talk

In the sentence "The cat runs fast," which word is the verb?

A) The

B) Cat

C) Fast

D) Runs

Check the Answers Below:

A) Run
C) I ate.
C) Is
C) Go
D) Runs

Takeaways from the Topic “Verbs”

Definition: Verbs express actions, events, or states of being.
Types:

Action Verbs: Describe actions (e.g., run).
Linking Verbs: Connect subjects to states (e.g., is).
Auxiliary Verbs: Help form tenses (e.g., have, will).

Tenses: Verbs indicate time (present, past, future).
Subject-Verb Agreement: Verbs must match their subjects in number and person.
Regular vs. Irregular: Regular verbs follow a pattern in past forms, while irregular verbs do not.
Active vs. Passive Voice: Active voice has the subject performing the action, passive voice has the action done to the subject.
Modal Verbs: Express necessity or possibility (e.g., can, might).

FAQs on Verbs for Kids: Easy Guide to Action Words and Their Uses

1. What is a verb in simple words for kids?

A verb is an action word, also known as a 'doing word'. It tells us what a person, animal, or thing is doing in a sentence. For example, in the sentence 'The bird sings', the word 'sings' is the verb because it shows the action the bird is performing.

2. What are some common action verbs for children to learn?

Here are some easy and common action verbs for kids to start with:

Run
Jump
Eat
Sleep
Play
Read
Write
Sing
Dance
Laugh

3. How can you use action verbs in a sentence?

Using action verbs makes your sentences complete and exciting. You place the verb after the person or thing doing the action. Here are some examples:

The cat sleeps.
I play with my toys.
We eat our lunch.
The frog jumps high.

4. Why are verbs so important in English grammar?

Verbs are one of the most important parts of a sentence because they show what is happening. Without a verb, a sentence is incomplete and doesn't make sense. It's like having a car without an engine; the verb provides the power and action for the sentence to move forward and convey a complete thought.

5. How can I easily spot the action word in a sentence?

A simple trick to find the verb is to ask yourself, “What is the person or thing doing?” The answer to that question is usually the verb. For instance, in the sentence 'The boy kicks the ball', ask 'What is the boy doing?'. The answer is 'kicks', so kicks is the verb.

6. What is the difference between a verb (action word) and a noun (naming word)?

The main difference is what they describe. A noun is a word for a person, place, or thing (like 'boy', 'school', 'ball'). A verb, on the other hand, is a word for an action (like 'run', 'learn', 'throw'). A noun names something, while a verb shows what that noun is doing.

7. Can you give examples of action words we do at school?

Yes, many actions we do at school are verbs. Some examples include:

Learn: We learn new things every day.
Write: I write in my notebook.
Listen: We listen to the teacher.
Draw: She can draw a beautiful picture.
Share: We share our crayons with friends.

8. Do all verbs show actions you can see, like running or jumping?

That's a great question! While many verbs are actions you can see, like running or clapping, some verbs describe actions that happen in our minds or feelings that you can't see. For example, words like think, love, feel, and dream are also verbs because they are things we 'do' internally.