Action Verbs

Action verbs are verbs that specifically describe what the subject of the sentence is doing. These types of verbs carry a great deal of information in a sentence and can convey emotion and a sense of purpose that extends beyond the literal meanings of the words. A sentence like The band appeared on the scene sounds much more less impressive than the sentence The band erupted onto the scene. The power of the action verb lies in the meaning and intention that they contain and how they bring direction and force to the sentence. Understanding the types of action verbs will make students better writers and communicators.

Types of Action Verbs

Regular Verbs

The following chart shows how the different verb forms for regular verbs:

BaseTo discoverPresentI discover something new every day.Present progressiveI am discovering myself.Present perfectI have discovered a new way.Present perfect progressiveI have been discovering new music.Past*I discovered that already.Past progressiveI was discovering something this morning.Past perfectI had discovered that I was lost.Past perfect progressiveI had been discovering an interesting place.FutureI will discover that when I get there.Future progressiveI am discovering that tomorrow.Future perfectI will have discovered that by the time I get home.Future perfect progressiveI will have been discovering that for week by the time you arrive.

*The general rule for past tense is that you add –ed to the base of the verb. However, the past tense verb form becomes more complicated depending on what letter the base of the verb ends with. The following rules apply to most cases of regular verbs.

When the base form of the verb ends with:

  • -e: This is the simplest situation: just add a –d. For example, devise becomes devised.
  • -y: When the base form ends in –y, simply change the –y to –ied. For example, fortify becomes fortified.
  • -c: If the base of the verb ends in –c add –ked. For example, panic becomes panicked.
  • -p, -g, or -m: When a verb ends in -p, -g, or -m, the consonant is typically doubled. For example, ram becomes rammed, flip becomes flipped, and rig becomes rigged.
  • For verbs that end in a consonant and the final syllable is stressed, the ending consonant is typically doubled. For example, plan becomes planned.

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs don't conform to the above spelling rules and therefore must be learned individually. The following is an example of an irregular verb:

BaseTo drinkPresentI drink when I am thirsty.Present progressiveI am drinking orange juice.Present perfectShe has drunk the new cocktail.Present perfect progressiveI have been drinking plenty of water.Past*I drank my share of water.Past progressiveI was drinking coffee when you called.Past perfectI had drunk all the tea in the pitcher.Past perfect progressiveThe team had been drinking Gatorade before we got here.FutureI will drink hot cider tonight.Future progressiveI am going to drink homemade wine.Future perfectHe will have drunk everything in sight by morning.Future perfect progressiveI will be drinking sweet tea when we get to Carolina.

Final Considerations

Pay Attention to Verbs

Revising writing to include verbs that are lively and express action is a fantastic way for students to improve their prose. Consider what the actions are in a sentence and choose the most expressive, powerful verbs to convey those actions. Have students circle every is, are, was, and were in their papers and ask them to think about the action in the sentence. Do these verbs convey the action accurately? Have them brainstorm on other verbs that better express the action of the sentence.

Job Applications

One genre that stresses the importance of using action verbs is resume and cover letter writing. Job seekers need to understand that employers need to be able to clearly see the applicants accomplishments. Since resumes and cover letters strive to be succinct and to the point, verb usage is particularly important. Get to the point with your verbs when applying for a job.

 

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