VERBSMrs. Lundin

7th-grade language arts

Beaver Dam Middle School

ACTION VERBSEvery sentence has at least one verb. Verbs are

words that express an action or a state of being.

The easiest action verbs to identify show an action you can see: kick, throw, skate, climb, pounce. Other action verbs show an action that takes place in your mind: think, like, enjoy, wonder.

Action verbs (V) often take a direct object (DO).

(V) (DO) The skater won the gold medal.

LINKING VERBSLinking verbs (LV) do not express action. They join the subject with a subject complement (SC), a word that identifies or describes the subject.

(LV) (SC)

The quarterback was tired.

Some LINKING VERBSAm lookAppear seemAre smellBecome soundFeel tasteGrow was Is were

The same verb can be a linking verb in one sentence and an action verb in another

(LV) (SC) That smelled sweet

(V) (Do) We smelled smoke.

ACTION VERBS and

LINKING VERBSNotice both kinds of verbs in the passage below.

Miss Saunders is a motion machine this morning. She sets down her briefcase, throws her black bag into the closet up front, slaps her hands together like giant paddles, and tells everybody to get quiet.

~ Excerpt from The Skin I’m In by Sharon G. Flake

VERB PHRASEMany sentences contain a verb phrase. A verb phrase has a main verb (MV) and at least one helping verb (HV).

(HV) (MV) The runner may have fallen behind during the

last lap.

(HV) (MV) (MV)Will the coach change his mind and call us?

SOME HELPING VERBS BE DID IS

BEEN DO WERE

BEING DOES WILL

CAN HAVE