What is a Verb?

A verb is a word that describes an action, a state of being, or an occurrence. In simple terms, it tells us what someone or something is doing. For example, in the sentence 'The cat runs.', the word 'runs' is the verb because it shows the action of the cat.

Types of Verbs

• Action Verbs: These verbs show what someone is doing. Examples include 'jump', 'swim', and 'dance'.
• Linking Verbs: These verbs link the subject of the sentence to something that describes it. The most common linking verb is 'to be' (is, am, are, was, were). For example, in 'She is happy.', 'is' links 'she' to the state of being 'happy.'
• Helping Verbs: These verbs help the main verb show tense or mood. For example, in 'He is running.', 'is' helps the verb 'running'.

How to Identify Verbs

To find the verb in a sentence, ask yourself what action is taking place or what state of being is being described. For instance:

1. In the sentence 'The dog barked.', what is the dog doing? Answer: barking (the verb).
2. In the sentence 'They are excited.', what are they? Answer: excited (the verb here is 'are', linking them to 'excited').

Practice Identifying Verbs

Try finding the verbs in these sentences:

• The bird flies.
• My brother is tall.
• We are playing soccer.

Look for the words that show action or state of being. That's how you identify verbs!