Action Verbs
Action verbs are doing words. They tell us what a person, animal, or thing is doing.
What You'll Learn
- How to spot action words in a sentence (run, jump, eat, play, read)
- How to tell the difference between an action word and other words
When to Use
- When someone does something: "The boy runs in the park."
- When an animal does something: "The cat jumps on the bed."
- When you talk about an activity: "We play at recess."
How to Form
What is an action verb?
An action verb is a word that tells you what someone or something is doing. If you can act it out with your body, it is an action verb.
| Action Verb | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| run | move your legs fast | The dog runs to me. |
| jump | go up in the air | I jump over the puddle. |
| eat | put food in your mouth | She eats her rice. |
| play | have fun with a game or toy | They play at the playground. |
| read | look at words in a book | He reads a story. |
| sing | make music with your voice | We sing a song. |
| draw | make a picture | I draw a flower. |
| swim | move in water | The fish swims in the pond. |
Remember: If you can do it, it is an action verb! Try acting it out.
Key Rules
- Every sentence has a verb: A sentence needs a verb to be complete. "The girl" is not a sentence. "The girl reads." is a sentence because it has an action verb.
- The action word tells you what happens: Look for the word that shows what someone is doing. In "The boy kicks the ball," the action word is kicks.
- You can act out action verbs: If you can show it with your body, it is an action verb. You can act out clap, wave, and hop.
Common Mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The girl fast. | The girl runs fast. | "fast" is not an action word; the sentence needs a verb |
| She dance every day. | She dances every day. | Add "s" when talking about one person (he, she, it) |
| The cat sit on the mat. | The cat sits on the mat. | Add "s" when talking about one animal or thing |
Clue Words
Ask yourself these questions to find the action verb:
What is the person doing? What is the animal doing? What is happening?
- "The girl writes in her book." What is she doing? Writing.
- "The bird flies in the sky." What is it doing? Flying.
Common action verbs you will see often:
run, walk, jump, hop, skip, eat, drink, read, write, draw, play, sing, clap, kick, throw, catch, swim, climb
Tip: Ask "What is he/she/it doing?" The answer is the action verb!
Practice Tips
- Act it out: Read a sentence and try to act out the action word. If you can do the action, you found the verb! "She hops." Can you hop? Yes! "Hops" is the action verb.
- Look around you: Watch your friends at recess. Say what they do. "Ali runs. Mei Ling skips. Ravi kicks the ball." Each doing word is an action verb.
Quick Reference
| Question to ask | Answer | Example |
|---|---|---|
| What is the person doing? | The doing word is the action verb | "She reads a book." |
| Can you act it out? | If yes, it is an action verb | jump, clap, swim |
| Does the sentence have a doing word? | Every sentence needs one | "The cat sleeps." |