English Verbs

A verb is a word that shows action or being. Whatever you are doing can be expressed by a verb.
A sentence can have only one word as long as that word is a verb. Play! Stop! Run!

For English Verb Tenses click here

Lists of 2209 English Verbs

Verbs A-L

Verbs M-Z

Lists of English Irregular Verbs

85 Irregular verbs

83 Irregular verbs

Irregular verbs quizzes (based on 2 lists above)

Quiz #1   Quiz #2

There are two types of action verbs: transitive and intransitive.

Transitive verbs
A transitive verb expresses an action and is followed by an object that receives the action of the verb.
In the following examples, transitive verbs are shown in color and direct objects of these verbs are underlined.

I washed (what?) the car yesterday.

I took (whom?) my sister to the movie.

John studies (what?) English.

Intransitive verbs An intransitive verb expresses an action but is not followed by an object. Applying (what?) or (whom?) test to an intransitive verb shows immediately that an object cannot follow.

Tom’s grades improved (what? whom?) with the help of a tutor.

The child cried (what? whom?) loudly.

The mother sang (what? whom?) to her children.

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Many verbs can be both transitive and intransitive.

In the following examples, transitive verbs are shown in color and direct objects of transitive verbs are underlined. Intransitive verbs are shown in color and underlined.

John studies (what?) English.

John studies hard.

The mother sang (what?) the song to her children.

The mother sang to her children.

Linking verbs do not show action.
A linking verb (also called copulative verb) links or establishes a relationship between the subject and its complement. It describes or renames the subject.

She is angry.
The word is (a form of the verb to be) links the subject she to the subject complement angry.

Linking Verb followed by predicate nouns:

My friend is a teacher.

Mike became the president of the company.

Linking Verb followed by predicate adjectives:

I feel nervous.

That pie tastes delicious.

List of common linking verbs
appear, become, feel, get, go, grow, look, prove, remain, seem, smell, sound, taste, turn and any form of the verb be. See The verb "To Be" below.

Only become and seem are always linking verbs. Other verbs from the list above sometimes can function as action verbs.
In the following examples, verbs feel and taste are functioning as action verbs.

I feel pain from the injury.

Taste the pie and tell me if you like it.

To determine whether a verb is a linking verb substitute am, is, or are for the verb. If it fits – the substituted verb is a linking verb.
In the following examples, verb feel is substituted with am.

I feel nervous.

I am nervous.
Makes sense so feel is linking verb.

I feel pain from the injury.

I am pain from the injury.
Does not make sense so feel is action verb.

The Present is used by itself for the present tense.

I jump.

I eat.
And with helping verb will for the future tense

I will jump.

I will eat.

The Past is used for the past tense

I jumped.

I ate.

The Past participle is used with the verb have (has, had) to form perfect tenses.
Present perfect

I have jumped.

I have eaten.
Past perfect

I had jumped.

I had eaten.
Future perfect

I will have jumped.

I will have eaten.

Regular Verbs
Most English verbs are regular. Regular verbs just add –d or –ed when they change principal parts from the present to the past to the past participle.

I learn English now. (present)

I learned English last year. (past)

In a short time she has learned English well. (past participle)

Irregular Verbs
Irregular Verbs form their past tenses and past participles in unpredictable ways. There are some patterns among them (blow-blew, know-knew,...), (spring-sprang, drink-drank,...) but it is not always easy to apply these paterns. The only way to learn irregular verbs is to memorize them.

Lists and Quizzes of English Irregular Verbs

Complete verb consists of a main verb (also called full or non-auxiliary verb) and can have up to three helping verbs (also called auxiliary verbs) .

What is a Main Verb?
The main verb expresses the main action or state of being in the sentence.

I drive my car every day.

English verbs are simple.

What is a helping (auxiliary) verb?
Helping verbs help main verbs express tenses.
More Info here: Auxiliary verbs (Answrs.com) and Auxiliary verbs (wikipedia.com)

Here is the list of helping verbs

am, are, is, was, were, be, being, been

do, does, did

shall, will

may, must, might

have, has, had

can, could, would, should

A main verb can have up to three helping verbs. In the following examples, helping verbs are underlined and main verbs are shown in color

I am learning Spanish Grammar.

I should have known the answer to that question.

Marsha will have been studying English for more than a year by the time she leaves for US.

Note that the verb to be can be main and helping verb in the same sentence.

I am late. (am here as the main verb)

I am driving a car. ( am here as a helping verb)

I am being late again. ( am - helping verb, being – main verb)

The verb To Be is the most common/used verb in the English language.

Here are eight words to the verb to be
am, are, is, was, were, be, being, been

Here are tenses of the verb to be.

Present tense  I am you are he/she/it is we are they are

Past Tense  I was you were he/she/it was we were they were

Future Tense  I will be you will be he/she/it will be we will be they will be

Present Perfect Tense  I have been you have been he/she/it has been we have been they have been

Past Perfect Tense  I had been you had been he/she/it had been we had been they had been

Future Perfect Tense  I will have been you will have been he/she/it will have been we will have been they will have been