How To Identify Verbs With Examples

There are many ways to identify verbs. I have found using a simple chart (see below) with verb kinds, verb functions and verb voices to be an excellent way to see the bigger picture of how to identify verbs with examples in English sentences.

How To Identify Verbs With Examples!

To identify verbs you will need to understand what they are and how they function in the sentence.

I have divided verbs into kinds, functions and voices so that I can identify verbs and how they work in sentences.

This is a very simplistic approach. Sometimes it helps to keep it super simple (KISS).

Two Kinds of Verbs

1. Actions Verbs are verbs that show action or ownership.

Bradley walked the dog. (shows action with a direct object)
Jennifer played the piano at the concert. (shows action with direct object)
Emma sings professionally every time. (completes action without a direct object)
Candice writes beautifully in her diary. (completes action without a direct object)
David has an umbrella with him. (shows ownership)
The football players have helmets for protection. (shows ownership)
Jonathan possesses many tools for his trade. (shows ownership).

2. Linking verbs are verbs that link the subject to a word that renames the subject. These words are often referred to as predicate nominatives or adjectives.

Rachel is a girl. (predicate nominative)
Rachel looks beautiful. (predicate adjective)
David was the principal of our local school. (predicate nominative)
He became violent after his accident. (predicate adjective)
David and Brad are intelligent men. (predicate nominative)

[NOTE:] I often see charts with ACTION VERBS, LINKING VERBS and HELPING VERBS and this can easily influence people to think that there are three kinds of verbs.

Helping verbs or auxiliary verbs (click on the link above to see all the helping verbs) help the main verbs (which are action verbs) in a sentenced by adding meaning and conveying time.

Here are some examples!

Bradley will walk the dog tomorrow. (Future Tense)
Bradley will have walked the dog by the time I return. (Future Perfect Tense)
Bradley might walk the dog tomorrow. (Expectation)
Bradley is walking the dog at the moment. (Progressive Form)
Bradley did walk the dog this morning. (Emphatic Form)

When you spot the two kinds of verbs in English sentence, you will quickly learn how to identify verbs when we see them.

Two Functions of Verbs

1. Transitive verbs are verbs that carry action from a doer to a receiver (usually a direct object).

Jonathan hits the ball over the fence. (The ball received the action of the verb)
Rebekah writes letters to her missionary friends. (The letters receive the action of the verb)
Candice watched the sunset with her family. (the sunset received the action of the verb)
David played the guitar at the wedding. (guitar received the action of the verb)
Brad caught the ball in the cricket game. (the ball received the action of the verb)

2. Intransitive verbs are verbs that do not carry action to a receiver; instead, these verbs complete the action themselves (they have no direct object).

Rebekah writes beautifully. (no direct object)
Jenny walked to the store in the rain. (no direct object)
Candice ran across the field to avoid the rain storm. (no direct object)
Emma spoke elegantly during the recital. (no direct object)
David sang beautifully during the concert. (no direct object)

[NOTE:] All linking verbs are intransitive.

Bec is a leader in her college class. (Links to Predicate Nominative)
Rachel looks pretty. (Links to Predicate Adjective)
The music sounds awful. (Links to Predicate Adjective)
Jonathan became an apprentice builder. (Links to Predicate Nominative)

When you recognize the two functions of verbs, you will learn very quickly how to identify verbs in English sentences.

Two Voices of Verbs

Only transitive verbs have voice. Voice tells whether the subject of the sentence is acting or being acted upon.

1. Active voice tells you if the subject performs the action and the direct object receives the action.

Jenny played the piano at church this morning. (Jenny performs the action)
Rebekah rode the bike along the path. (Rebekah perform the action)
Rachel drove the car to work this morning. (Rachel performs the action)
Brad walked the dog along the beach during the cool of the afternoon. (Brad performs the action)
Jonathan fixed the fence for his neighbor. (Jonathan performs the action)

2. Passive voice tells you if the subject receives the action.

Jenny rode the bike. (the subject performs the action – active voice)
The bike was ridden by Jenny. (the subject receives the action – passive voice)
Rachel drove the car to work. (the subject performs the action – active voice)
The car was driven by Rachel. (the subject receives the action – passive voice)
Jenny played the piano at church. (the subject performs the action – active voice)
The piano was played by Jenny at church. (the subject receives the action – passive voice)

Remember with active voice the subject performs the action and the direct object receives the action.

Remember with passive voice the subject of the sentence receives the action.

The music team led the worship service. (the subject performs the action – active voice)
The worship service was led by the music team. (the subject receives the action – passive voice)

[NOTE:] A passive voice verb is always a form of “be” with a past form of an action verb.

As a general rule, you will learn how to identify verbs once you master the two kinds of verbs (action & ownership), the two functions of verbs (transitive and intransitive) and the two voices of verbs (active voice and passive voice).