Types of Verbs
Action verbs:
 Action verbs can express physical or mental activities. These
are things that can be done.
Physical actions:
 These are actions that can be observed or seen.
 Has, have, and had= action verbs if they tell that a subject
owns/holds something.
Examples: talk, act, drive, run, search
Sample sentences with physical action verbs:
1. The lights flashed above the stage.
2. The actors already have their costumes . (shows physical
ownership)
Mental Actions:
 These are actions that cannot be observed or witnessed.
Examples: think, dream, remember, hope, believe
Sample sentences with mental action verbs:
1. Derek imagined he was at the beach.
2. During the presentation, Ann daydreamed about her
upcoming vacation.
*Action verbs that have a preposition in front of them are
considered infinitive phrases: to help or to build
Linking Verbs
 These types of verbs do not express any action.
 They help to link or connect the subject with a noun or adjective
that describes the subject. These are referred to as predicate
nouns or predicate adjectives.
Sample sentences using linking verbs:
(lv) (pa)
1. John Smith was calm during the debate.
(lv)
(pn)
2. Jane is the captain of the soccer team.
 There are many verbs that can switch between action or linking.
Action: She felt the baby’s forehead. (physical action)
Linking: Tom felt sick after football practice. (description/condition)
Helping Verbs
 These verbs help to express the main verb(an action) in the
sentence. These become known as verb phrases.
 Many of the linking verbs can become helping verbs, but when
it is used as a helping verb there must be a main verb with it.
 Do not include any words that separate the verb phrase.
(hv) (m/av)
Examples: The food will be tasted by the restaurant critics.
(hv) (m/av)
Intense fires have deteriorated the land.
(hv) (m/av)
We should not go to the concert without our parents’
permission.