A verb expresses an action or what is or seems to be. Every sentence must have a verb.
- The lion roared loudly
- Seema is a wonderful cook.
- Sam read two books last week.
- Shania exercises every day.
- Those apples look delicious.
A verb sometimes expresses an action that cannot be seen or heard.
e.g.
- Susan guessed the answer.
- Eric often dreams of traveling.
- I miss my sister.
- Everyone on the team wished for a home run.
- Mr. Waltz thought about the problem.
An action verb expresses a physical or mental action.
e.g.
- My dad never judges other people.
- We swim in the lake each summer.
- The committee considered the plan with care.
- These birds fly south in the winter.
- The weather bureau predicts rain for tomorrow.
A linking verb expresses what is or what seems to be. It links the subject of the sentence with a word that describes it.
Be is the most common linking verb. Forms of be are am, is, are, was, and we're.
Other common linking verbs: act, appear, become, feel, grow, look, remain, seem, smell, sound, stay, taste.
e.g.
- Sadat is our friend. (Our friend describes the subject, Sadat)
- Ram always looks happy. (Happy describes how Ram looks.)
- Sarah is a fine actress.
- The cauliflower tastes yummy.
- Linda appears sad.
