A verb is the word in a sentence that expresses an action, a state of being, or a condition. Every complete sentence needs at least one. Here are verbs examples for every major type, with clear sentences so you can identify and use each one in your own writing.
What Is a Verb?
A verb tells the reader what the subject of a sentence does, is, or experiences. In the sentence She writes novels, the verb is writes — it names the action the subject performs. In He seems tired, the verb is seems — it links the subject to a description rather than naming a physical action.
Verbs are the engine of every sentence. Without one, you have a fragment. With a weak or vague one, you have flat prose. Choosing the right verb is one of the fastest ways to write better.
English verbs fall into several overlapping categories. A single verb can be an action verb, a transitive verb, and an irregular verb all at the same time. The categories describe different qualities of how the verb functions, not mutually exclusive buckets.
Action Verb Examples
Action verbs express something the subject physically or mentally does. They are the largest and most common verb category.
Physical action verbs:
- She ran along the shoreline at dawn.
- The carpenter built the shelving unit by hand.
- He tossed the keys across the counter.
- The cat leaped from the windowsill to the bookshelf.
- They painted the entire house in a single weekend.
Mental action verbs:
- She considered the offer for three days before answering.
- I remember the first line of his speech.
- He doubted the story from the beginning.
- The jury believed the witness.
- She imagined a different ending to the chapter.
Strong, specific action verbs are the backbone of vivid prose. Sprinted is more alive than ran quickly. Clutched says more than held tightly. When you revise, look for places where a sharper verb can replace an adverb-verb combination. This is the core principle behind show don’t tell — choosing verbs that demonstrate rather than explain.
Linking Verb Examples
Linking verbs do not express action. Instead, they connect the subject to a word that describes or renames it. The most common linking verb is be in all its forms (am, is, are, was, were, being, been).
- The coffee is cold.
- She seems confident about the pitch.
- The fabric felt rough against his skin.
- The flowers smell wonderful after the rain.
- He became a published author at sixty-two.
- The sky appeared darker than usual.
- The soup tastes too salty.
A useful test: if you can replace the verb with a form of be (is, was, are) and the sentence still makes sense, it is functioning as a linking verb. The soup tastes too salty works as The soup is too salty, so tastes is linking here. But in She tasted the soup, the verb describes a physical action — she is doing something — so it is an action verb.
Some verbs pull double duty. Words like feel, look, smell, taste, appear, grow, and remain can function as either action verbs or linking verbs depending on context.
| Verb | Linking example | Action example |
|---|---|---|
| feel | The blanket feels soft. | She felt the edge of the blade. |
| look | He looks tired. | He looked through the window. |
| grow | The crowd grew restless. | She grew tomatoes in the backyard. |
| smell | The bread smells fresh. | He smelled the roses. |
Helping (Auxiliary) Verb Examples
Helping verbs combine with a main verb to form a verb phrase. They adjust the tense, mood, or voice of the main verb. The three primary helping verbs in English are be, have, and do.
- She is writing a novel. (present continuous)
- They have finished the manuscript. (present perfect)
- He did not understand the assignment. (emphasis/negation)
- The invitations were sent last week. (passive voice)
- I have been reading this book for a month. (present perfect continuous)
- She had already left when they arrived. (past perfect)
In each example above, the bold words form a verb phrase. The helping verb adjusts the timing or voice; the main verb carries the core meaning.
When you are writing fiction and your prose feels sluggish, count your helping verbs. Heavy reliance on was + -ing forms (she was running, he was thinking) often signals a passage that would read better in simple past tense (she ran, he thought). This connects directly to writing in present tense vs. past tense — your verb tense choice shapes how many auxiliary verbs you end up needing.
Modal Verb Examples
Modal verbs are a special subset of helping verbs that express ability, permission, possibility, necessity, or obligation. The main modals in English are can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, and must.
- She can speak three languages. (ability)
- You may leave early today. (permission)
- It might rain this afternoon. (possibility)
- He should finish the draft by Friday. (obligation)
- They must submit the application before midnight. (necessity)
- I would accept the offer if the terms were better. (conditional)
- She could hear music from the apartment next door. (past ability)
Modal verbs never change form. You will never see cans, musted, or shoulding. They always pair with the base form of the main verb (no to between them). She can speak is correct. She can to speak is not.
Transitive Verb Examples
A transitive verb directs its action toward a direct object — a person or thing that receives the action. If you can ask “what?” or “whom?” after the verb and get a sensible answer, the verb is transitive.
- She kicked the ball. (kicked what? the ball)
- He wrote a letter. (wrote what? a letter)
- The editor revised the manuscript. (revised what? the manuscript)
- They adopted a rescue dog. (adopted what? a dog)
- She read the entire series in a week. (read what? the series)
Remove the object from a transitive verb and the sentence feels incomplete. She kicked demands a follow-up. Kicked what?
Intransitive Verb Examples
An intransitive verb does not take a direct object. The action does not transfer to anything — it stays with the subject.
- He fainted during the ceremony.
- The baby slept through the night.
- She laughed until her eyes watered.
- The bus arrived fifteen minutes late.
- They traveled across Europe last summer.
Many verbs can be either transitive or intransitive depending on how they are used:
| Verb | Transitive | Intransitive |
|---|---|---|
| run | She ran the company for a decade. | He ran along the beach. |
| read | She read the book. | He reads every morning. |
| write | She wrote a memoir. | He writes for a living. |
| sing | She sang the national anthem. | The birds sang at dawn. |
Regular vs. Irregular Verb Examples
Regular verbs form their past tense and past participle by adding -ed (or -d). Irregular verbs follow no single pattern — you have to memorize them.
Regular verbs:
| Base form | Past tense | Past participle |
|---|---|---|
| walk | walked | walked |
| paint | painted | painted |
| arrive | arrived | arrived |
| call | called | called |
| finish | finished | finished |
Irregular verbs:
| Base form | Past tense | Past participle |
|---|---|---|
| write | wrote | written |
| run | ran | run |
| sing | sang | sung |
| swim | swam | swum |
| begin | began | begun |
| break | broke | broken |
| choose | chose | chosen |
| drink | drank | drunk |
| fly | flew | flown |
| speak | spoke | spoken |
Irregular verbs cause more errors in writing than almost any other grammar issue. When in doubt, look up the verb. Using had went instead of had gone or she swimmed instead of she swam will immediately undermine your credibility on the page.
Quick-Reference: All Verb Types at a Glance
| Verb type | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Action | Expresses a physical or mental action | She climbed the mountain. |
| Linking | Connects the subject to a description | The soup tastes perfect. |
| Helping | Adjusts tense, mood, or voice of the main verb | She has finished the chapter. |
| Modal | Expresses ability, possibility, or obligation | He should call tomorrow. |
| Transitive | Takes a direct object | She opened the door. |
| Intransitive | Does not take a direct object | The phone rang. |
| Regular | Past formed with -ed | She walked home. |
| Irregular | Past formed unpredictably | She ran home. |
How to Choose Stronger Verbs in Your Writing
Knowing verb types matters for grammar, but choosing the right verb matters for your prose. Three practical guidelines:
Replace verb-adverb pairs with a single strong verb. Instead of walked slowly, try shuffled, ambled, or crept. Instead of said loudly, try shouted, bellowed, or snapped. The stronger verb carries more sensory weight.
Watch for overused linking verbs. If every other sentence in your draft uses was or is, the writing will feel static. Swap some linking constructions for action verbs. She was nervous becomes Her hands trembled. The room was quiet becomes Silence filled the room.
Match verb energy to the scene. Fast scenes need short, punchy verbs — sprinted, slammed, ducked. Slow, reflective scenes need softer ones — drifted, lingered, considered. The verb tense and intensity should mirror the pacing you want the reader to feel.
Verbs are where your writing lives or dies. Master the types so you understand the grammar, then move beyond the grammar to choose verbs that make your sentences move. Every sentence you write is a chance to pick a verb that earns its place.
