Types of Verbs

If you’ve been following our Types of Words series, you know that verbs are the powerhouse of sentences—they express actions, occurrences, or states of being, whether physical or mental. With such a broad scope, it’s helpful to break verbs down into distinct categories. Let’s take a look at the main types you’ll encounter:

Action Verbs: These describe physical or mental actions (e.g., “run,” “think”).
Stative Verbs: These express states or conditions rather than actions (e.g., “know,” “believe”).
Transitive Verbs: These require a direct object to complete their meaning (e.g., “She bought a book”).
Intransitive Verbs: These do not need a direct object (e.g., “He sleeps”).
Auxiliary Verbs: Also known as helping verbs, they help form tenses, voices, or moods (e.g., “have,” “be”).
Modal Verbs: These express ability, possibility, permission, or obligation (e.g., “can,” “must”).
Phrasal Verbs: These consist of a main verb plus a preposition or adverb (e.g., “give up”).
Regular Verbs: These form their past tense and past participle by adding “-ed” (e.g., “walked”).
Irregular Verbs: These do not follow the standard “-ed” rule for past forms (e.g., “go” becomes “went”).

Action and Stative Verbs: A Beginner’s Guide

When diving into the world of verbs, two of the most fundamental types to start with are action verbs and stative verbs. These categories are both easy to understand and essential for building strong language skills—making them perfect for students at any level.

Action Verbs: The Movers and Shakers

Action verbs—sometimes called dynamic verbs—are the words we use to describe activities and movements. They’re usually the first verbs people learn, and they bring sentences to life!

Examples:
speak, play, work, eat, go

Teaching Tips:

Start Simple: Introduce basic action verbs with fun activities like games or even a round of “Simon Says.” This hands-on approach helps students connect verbs to actual actions.
Negative Sentences: Teach students to form negative sentences using “don’t” or “do not” followed by the verb. For example:
- “Don’t go.”
- “Do not speak to him.”
Third Person Singular: When using “he,” “she,” or “it,” add an “s” to the end of the verb. For example:
- “I play” becomes “He plays.”
- “I go” becomes “He goes” (note the extra “e” before the “s”).
Tenses: Once students are comfortable with the present tense, introduce other tenses (like “ate” and “eaten” for “eat”). Don’t worry if tenses are new—we’ll cover them in detail later!

Stative Verbs: The State of Being

Stative verbs describe states rather than actions—think feelings, thoughts, senses, or possession.

Examples:
like, hate, want, see, hear, believe, imagine, remember, appreciate

Teaching Tips:

Action vs. Stative: Some verbs can be both, depending on context. For example:
- Stative: “He looks sick.” (state of being)
- Action: “He looks at the clock frequently.” (activity)
- Stative: “She smells nice.” (state of being)
- Action: “She smells the flowers.” (activity)
Continuous Tenses: Stative verbs are rarely used in continuous tenses. Avoid sentences like “I am hating” or “He is wanting,” which are common mistakes.
Engagement: Use activities that involve students sharing their likes, dislikes, and opinions. Ask about hobbies or feelings to
practice stative verbs in a meaningful way.

Understanding Transitive, Intransitive, Auxiliary, and Modal Verbs

As students progress in their English language journey, they’ll encounter verb types that require a deeper understanding of sentence structure and context. Transitive, intransitive, auxiliary, and modal verbs each play unique roles and can be a bit more challenging to grasp—especially for those just getting comfortable with basic verbs. Let’s break them down.

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

Transitive verbs are those that need a direct object to complete their meaning. Without the object, the sentence feels incomplete or unclear .

Example:
- “I love puppies.”
- “She bought a new car.”
How to check:
- If you remove the object, does the sentence still make sense?
- “I love…” (incomplete)
- “She bought…” (incomplete)

Intransitive verbs don’t require a direct object. The action or state is complete without one .

Example:
- “She laughed.”
- “We talked.”
How to check:
- Does the sentence make sense without an object?
- “She laughed.” (complete)

Tip:
Some verbs can be both transitive and intransitive, depending on context. For example, “She walked for hours” (intransitive) vs. “She walked her dog” (transitive).

Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary verbs—also known as helping verbs—support the main verb in a sentence. They are often used for grammatical reasons, such as forming tenses, questions, and negatives.

Common auxiliary verbs:
- “be,” “do,” “have”
Example sentences:
- “He is reading a book.”
- “I have never seen Star Wars.”
Teaching tip:
- Ask students to underline all the verbs in a sentence, then identify which verb gives the sentence its main meaning and which are the “helpers.”

Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are a special type of auxiliary verb. They express ability, permission, possibility, or obligation.

Common modal verbs:
- can, could, might, must, should, will, would
Grouping by theme:
- Ability:
  - “I couldn’t play the piano, but now I can.”
- Permission:
  - “Can I open a window?” or “May I open a window?”
- Possibility:
  - “It might rain tomorrow.” or “She could be late.”
- Obligation:
  - “You must ask the doctor about your rash.” (strong obligation)
  - “You should ask the doctor about your rash.” (advice)
  - “You could ask the doctor about your rash.” (suggestion)

Tip:
Relate these verbs to real-life situations to help students understand the subtle differences in meaning and urgency.

By exploring these verb types, students will gain a richer understanding of English sentence structure and be better equipped to express themselves clearly and confidently!

Phrasal, Regular, and Irregular Verbs: The Final Chapter in Verb Types

As we wrap up our exploration of verb types, we turn to phrasal, regular, and irregular verbs. These categories can be particularly challenging for students because they often don’t follow clear-cut rules. Mastering them is usually a gradual process—one that benefits from repeated exposure and practice in various contexts.

Phrasal Verbs: More Than Meets the Eye

Phrasal verbs are multi-word expressions formed by combining a verb with an adverb or preposition. Their meanings are often unpredictable based on their individual parts, making them tricky for learners.

Examples:
take off, look into, get away with, put up with

Why are they tricky?
A student who understands the word “drag” might not grasp “The meeting dragged on.” Similarly, “take off” can mean removing clothes or an airplane leaving the ground. Phrasal verbs can have multiple meanings depending on context.

Teaching tips:

Use varied examples: Show how the same phrasal verb can be used in different sentences.
Take it slow: Introduce phrasal verbs gradually and revisit them often—don’t overload students all at once.
Encourage practice: Help students see these verbs in action through reading and conversation.

Regular Verbs: Predictable Patterns

Regular verbs are the easiest to form in the past tense and past participle—just add “-ed” to the base form.

Examples:

Present	Past	Past Participle
want	wanted	wanted
play	played	played
talk	talked	talked

Tip:
Regular verbs are great for building confidence, as their patterns are consistent and easy to follow.

Irregular Verbs: The Wild Cards

Irregular verbs break the rules. Their past tense and past participle forms change unpredictably and must be memorized.