What is Verb in a Sentence: Types, Examples and its Uses

What are you doing? Can you answer that without using a verb? I don’t think so.

Verbs are an integral part of conversation. Our sentences are incomplete without them. Try telling your daily routine without verbs!

It will be something like:

“I up at 8, I breakfast, and to the office.”

That does not make any sense. Because there is no verb in those sentences. Now if we write that normally in simple sentences:

“I wake up at 8; I do breakfast and go to the office.”

You see? Every sentence needs a verb to complete its meaning.

Are you trying to come up with sentences without verbs? Let me make it easy for you.

“No smoking!” “What a day!” “No parking anytime,” and “More coffee?”

We do that in nominal sentences because the action or state of being is implied and easily understood by the listener. If not, then you will have to use a verb.

So as verbs are so important, their rules are too many and are hard to understand.

I will try explaining them with examples to make them easy for you. Let’s start with the verb definition and example.

What is a verb?

Verbs are the words that describe what a subject is doing in a sentence. Without them, you will not know what’s happening.

Verbs are extremely versatile in use. You can describe physical actions (jump, swim, eat), mental processes (think, believe, understand), and even states of being (be, become, seem).

Using this flexibility, you can show an infinite range of expressions, from simple to poetic.

But how to use them in sentences? Let’s get on to it.

How to use a verb in a sentence? With examples

In sentences, they usually come after the subject, followed by the object. Like this:

Subject + Verb + Object

You know what! It is easier to learn with examples. So let’s have some of them.

• When I say, “My name is Bella,” the sentence follows the structure I have defined above:

My name (subject) + is (verb) + Bella (object)

• In the sentence, “I want a drink,” you can see the same structure:

I (subject) + want (verb) + a drink (object)

The verb here is “want,” which is a mental process. It represents a desire or preference rather than a physical action.

• Physical actions are normally easy to pick, like “I bake cakes.” Here “bake” is the verb.

I (subject) + bake (verb) + cakes (object)

More examples

As I said earlier, we use verbs in our conversations regularly. I am pointing out some verbs from our routine sentences.

• Can I leave now?

“Leave” is the verb (physical action)

• He is absent today.

“Is” is the verb (state of being)

• What is going on?

“Is” is the verb (state of being)

• I am confused

“Confused” is the verb (mental process)

• Please sit down!

“Sit” is the verb (physical action)

• Keep quiet.

“Keep” is the verb (state of being)

• What are you eating?

“Eating” is the verb (physical action)

• Fetch me a glass of water!

“Fetch” is the verb (physical action)

• I don’t mind.

“Mind” is the verb (mental process)

Have you noticed that all the verbs are not in the same form in the above examples? Because they change their form according to the structure of a sentence and the message we want to convey.

Forms of verb

Verbs change their form as the subject and the time of action change. They take 6 main forms, which are as follows:

1. The base form of a verb

The original word used for an action is the base form of a verb.

Example:

• Eat
• Walk
• Call
• Sleep
• Draw 

2. The first form of a verb

We use this form of the verb for actions that are performed as a habit. An “s” is used at the end of its spellings to differentiate it. But if the subject is singular only, if plural, the original spellings are enough.

Example:

• He runs fast. (The subject “he” is singular, so “run” + “s”).
• They eat lunch. (The subject “they” is plural, so no “s” after “eat”).

This form of a verb is used with the present indefinite tenses and negative past indefinite tenses.

3. The second form of a verb

When we talk about something done in the past, we use this form of verb. You just have to put an “ed” at the end of the base form of a verb.

Example:

• He watched the television (the verb “watch + ed”)
• She drowned in the lake (the verb “drown + ed”)

Note: Not every verb follows this “ed” rule; some do not; we will talk about them later.

4. The third form of a verb

Are you familiar with the passive voice? These are the types of sentences we use to describe an action done on a noun. The third form of the verb is used in these sentences.

Apparently, only the irregular verbs, we talked about earlier, change their spelling in the third form. Regular verbs go with the same spelling as in the second form.

Example: 

• The lunch is eaten by you (third form of the irregular verb “eat”)
• The play will be watched by him. (third form of the regular verb “watch”)

Note: Passive voice sentences reduce the readability of content. So, avoid them as much as possible. The latest AI tool to rewrite sentences is trained to improve the readability of your text.

You can learn a lot about writing using this tool. It also provides different modes and styles to keep your writing unique.

5. Gerund form of a verb

When we want to describe an action that is or was going on for a while, we use “ing” at the end of the verb.

Example: 

• He is working on it (work + ing)
• She was going to the bed (go + ing)

6. Indefinite form of a verb

When we want to add something about a verb, we use another verb but with a “to” before it. It is to define the purpose of that action.

Example: 

• I am going to learn this art (“going” is the verb, and “to learn” is the indefinite form to describe its purpose)
• He wants to have it (“wants” is the verb, and “to have” is the indefinite form to describe its purpose)

Remember I told you we would discuss irregular verbs?

Let’s see how many types of verbs are there and what they are:

Types of verb

There are 14 types of verbs in total. Let’s go through each type of verb to see how to use them in sentences.

1. Regular verb/s

These verbs follow the “ed” rule to form their second or their forms. You just have to put an “ed” at the end of their basic form, and you will have a second and third form as well.

Examples: 

Put an “ed” at the end of some common verbs, and you will have it.

• Watch → watched → watched
• Climb → climbed → climbed
• Work → worked → worked

In sentences: 

• He watches television → He watched television → He has watched the television
• She climbs the tree → She climbed the tree → She has climbed the tree
• You work hard → You worked hard → You have worked hard

2. Irregular verbs

Irregular verbs are opposite to regular verbs; they do not follow the “ed” rule while making their second or third form.

You will have to memorize the spellings of their forms.

Examples:

The first form of some common verbs after concerted to their second and then third forms:

• Eat → ate → eaten
• Go → went → gone
• Come → came → come

In sentences: 

• Simon eats the apple → Simon ate the apple → Simon has eaten the apple
• He goes → He went → He has gone
• She comes home → She came home → She has come home

Can you predict the pattern of spelling change in the forms of irregular verbs? No, you can’t! Because there is no pattern to predict.

3. Transitive verbs

Now this one is tricky, so be attentive.

Some verbs are ample to complete the meaning of a sentence without an object. But some are not enough. They require an object to complete their meaning.

Like if I say “He opens,” he opens what?

It does not complete its sense, so we have to add an object that is being opened.

“He opens the door.” Now we know what is happening in the sentence.

These types of verbs that do not complete the sense of a sentence are transitive verbs.

Examples:

• Promise
• Raise
• Cut
• Has
• Borrow

In sentences: 

• He has a diary
• He raised his eyebrows
• She cuts vegetables
• She promised to work hard

4. Intransitive verbs

Unlike transitive verbs, intransitive verbs do not need any object to pass on the action.

They make complete sense without any other noun besides the subject.

Examples: 

• Come
• Exist
• Cough
• Dream
• See

In sentences:

• He is coming
• She exists
• You are dreaming 

5. Dynamic verbs

If a subject is doing something, a physical action, then the verb is called a dynamic verb.

Examples: 

• Run
• Walk
• Dance
• Talk
• Play

In sentences:

• She talks a lot
• He dances
• We run
• You jump, I jump

6. Stative verbs

Not all actions are physical, right? Some are mental too. These actions are known as stative verbs.

Some mental processes are thoughts, emotions, senses, or possessions.

It is called stative because the actions they describe do not normally change.

Examples:

• Understand
• Know
• Be
• Want
• Have
• Is

In sentences: 

• I have a car
• I am a pilot
• I don’t know
• You are a clown

7. Linking verbs

Linking verbs do not show any action; they just denote the state of the subject. Like, what it is, how it is, etc.

These verbs connect the subject to other parts of the sentence.

Examples: 

• Is
• Seems
• Look
• Am

Sentences: 

• He seems nice
• She is tall
• I am alright
• You look agitated

8. Auxiliary or helping verbs

Auxiliary or helping verbs are used to change the tense, tone, or structure of a sentence. Like negative, affirmative, passive, or interrogative sentences.

Some helping verbs change their form with the verb.

Examples: 

• Must
• Should
• Will
• Have
• Can

In sentences: 

• You should not do that
• I have to go to school
• I can work on it
• They ought to say this

9. Modal verbs

These verbs are used for only a specific type of action. These actions are possibility, likelihood, command, obligation, or advice.

Modal verbs are used alongside the main verbs of the sentence.

Examples: 

• May
• Can
• Should
• Might

In sentences: 

• This should not have happened
• I might not be coming today
• You cannot do that
• May his soul rest in peace

10. Phrasal verbs

When we use two or more words as a verb, it is called phrasal verbs. Mostly, a preposition is combined with an adverb to form a phrasal verb.

Their meaning is often different from the main verb. 

Examples: 

• Break down
• Check out
• Chip in
• Dropout
• Look down on

In sentences: 

• My car broke down in the street
• He checked out the hotel
• If everyone chips in, we will be able to buy a car
• Do not look down on anybody
• She is a college dropout

11. Mental verbs

Remember we talked about non-physical actions? Mental verbs are for them only.

Whatever you do with your mind only, without physical movement, falls in this category.

Examples: 

• Know
• Think
• Understand
• Acknowledge
• Remember
• Imagine

In sentences: 

• I know you
• Do you think like that?
• Do you understand?
• She acknowledges my efforts
• Can you imagine what will happen?

12. Action verbs

These verbs are for any action that’s being performed in the sentence, whether physical or mental.

Examples: 

• Hear
• See
• Listen
• Walk
• Talk

In sentences: 

• Do you hear me?
• I am walking
• Do not talk anymore
• Can you please listen to me?
• Let’s see

13. Main verbs

We often use two or more verbs in a sentence to make complete sense, like what we did with the helping verbs.

So the verb other than the helping verb becomes the main verb of the sentence.

Examples: 

• Should have been
• Might have been
• Was being
• Has

In sentences: 

• The task should have been completed by now
  Completed (main verb), Should have been (helping verb)
• You might have been sleeping when I called
  Sleeping (main verb), Might have been (helping verb)

14. Causative verbs

When a noun asks the object to do something, in any tone, the action is called a causative verb.

Mostly used in imperative sentences, when you ask or command someone.

Examples: 

• Allow
• Let
• Command
• Asked

In sentences: 

• He asked me to do that
• I am commanding you to leave right now
• Let her go
• Please allow them to sit

Conclusion

Verbs are the most important part of our communication. Whatever we do is expressed in verbs. We even say sentences for the verbs.

Like, “Open the door,” we want the door “opened.” That is why we said the whole sentence in the first place.

Verbs are as difficult to understand as they are important. Because verbs change with the subject and the timeline of the action, other parts of speech stay the same.

This article is a comprehensive guide to learning about verbs and their usage in a sentence. Understand them and practice as much as you can. It will eventually make you better.

Additional sources

• Compound Sentences: 5 Things You Must Know About Them
• Exclamatory Sentences: Types, Uses + 10 Examples
• Compound-Complex Sentences: Structure + 5 Best Examples

External guides

• Learn 10 Separable Phrasal Verbs
• What is a Verb? Simple Explanation with Examples
• English Sentence Analysis: An introductory course