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Action Verbs

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Action verbs, linking verbs, and helping verbs make our three lessons where we introduce how to use verbs in English.
This will also include the verb tenses so every student is confident they understand the essentials for English.

What are Verbs?

A verb is a word used to express an action, a feeling or a state of being.

  • She is riding a bike
  • He kicks the ball
  • We learn English

All sentences contain verbs, they often show action:

  • The bear growls
  • The bear runs
  • The bear sleeps

Action Verbs

Physical Action Verbs

Most common action verbs that we use refer to a physical action.

action verbs in core english

Mental Action Verbs

There are also mental action verbs that happen with our mind, like to think, believe, remember, guess, or understand.

Mental Action Verb List

  • Analyze
  • Appreciate
  • Choose
  • Comprehend
  • Consider
  • Decide
  • Doubt
  • Dream
  • Evaluate
  • Fear
  • Forget
  • Hate
  • Hope
  • Imagine
  • Intend
  • Invent
  • Know
  • Learn
  • Love
  • Notice
  • Observe
  • Perceive
  • Plan
  • Ponder
  • Prefer
  • Prioritize
  • Realize
  • Recall
  • Recognize
  • Regret
  • Remember
  • Remind
  • Sense
  • Think
  • Understand
  • Visualize
  • Want
  • Wish
  • Worry

Common Verbs

Although there are many verbs, there are a group of common verbs that are often used, in real life, in conversation, and in English learning exercises.

  • ask
  • be
  • become
  • begin
  • call
  • can
  • come
  • could
  • do
  • feel
  • find
  • get
  • give
  • go
  • have
  • hear
  • help
  • keep
  • know
  • leave
  • let
  • like
  • live
  • look
  • make
  • may
  • mean
  • might
  • move
  • need
  • play
  • put
  • run
  • say
  • see
  • seem
  • should
  • show
  • start
  • take
  • talk
  • tell
  • think
  • try
  • turn
  • use
  • want
  • will
  • work
  • would

Source: ef.com

Listening Exercise

Oh, her eyes, her eyes 1 make / makes the stars 2 look / looks like they’re not shining
Her hair, her hair 3 fall / falls perfectly without her trying
She’s so beautiful and I 4 tell / tells her every day
Yeah, I know, I know
when I 5 compliment / compliments her she won’t believe me
And it’s so, it’s so sad to think that she don’t see what I 6 see / sees
But every time she 7 ask / asks me “8 Do / Does I look okay?” I 9 say / says

When I 10 see / sees your face there’s not a thing that I would change
‘Cause you’re amazing just the way you are
And when you 11 smile / smiles
the whole world 12 stop / stops and 13 stare / stares for a while
‘Cause girl you’re amazing just the way you are
Yeah

Her lips, her lips, I could kiss them all day if she’d let me
Her laugh, her laugh she 14 hate / hates but I think it’s so sexy
She’s so beautiful, and I 15 tell / tells her every day
Oh you know, you know, you know I’d never ask you to change
If perfect’s what you’re searching for then just stay the same
So don’t even bother asking if you 16 look / looks okay, you know I’ll say

When I 17 see / sees your face there’s not a thing that I would change
‘Cause you’re amazing just the way you are
And when you 18 smile / smiles
the whole world 19 stop / stops and 20 stare / stares for a while
‘Cause, girl, you’re amazing just the way you are

The way you are
The way you are
Girl, you’re amazing
Just the way you are

When I 21 see / sees your face there’s not a thing that I would change
‘Cause you’re amazing just the way you are
And when you 22 smile / smiles
the whole world 23 stop / stops and 24 stare / stares for a while
‘Cause, girl, you’re amazing
Just the

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📖 Question 1 — What is a Verb?
A verb is a word used to express an action, a feeling or a _______.
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📚 What to do next

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Lesson 6 Verbs #2

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