Action verbs

An action verb shows what the subject of the sentence has done, is doing, or will do. It is called an action verb because there is someone or something taking an action. Annie writes on the board. The students will play in the band concert. The puppy ran down the road.

Read the words below. Circle the action verbs. Cross out the words that are not action verbs.

1. book candle dance table 2. sing desk boy pencil 3. talked car book shelf zoo 4. people museum visits shoes 5. apple shirt backpack bought 6. paint brush smiled dishes monkey 7. cook chair notebook bed 8. clock kitten listen box 9. search carpet ladder foot 10. ocean kicked cup paper 11. trees mountain climb snow 12. wolf package hunt flashlight 13. discover piano oven servant 14. astronaut teacher eraser sell

Practice Using Action Verbs Write the correct tense of the action verb to match the rest of the sentence.

1. (to write) Yesterday, Samuel __________________________ his name on his test.

2. (to sing) My mother __________________________________ in church next Sunday.

3. (to play) Robert cant come over right now because he ____________________ soccer.

4. (to teach) Our teacher____________________________ us how to do that last week.

5. (to drive) Mr. Peterson _______________________ a big truck for a moving company.

6. (to eat) I _________________________ dinner with my best friends family last night.

7. (to work) Michael and Scott _________________________ at the fast food restaurant.

8. (to study) Tomorrow night, Jessica ________________________ with me at the library.

9. (to watch) My dad and I _____________________________ a movie on t.v. right now.

10. (to paint) Last summer, Uncle Ted _____________________ the outside of our house.

Answer key Exercise one 1. book candle dance table 2. sing desk boy pencil 3. talked car bookshelf zoo 4. people museum visit shoes 5. apple shirt backpack bought 6. paintbrush smiled dishes monkey 7. cook chair notebook bed 8. clock kitten listen box 9. search carpet ladder foot 10. ocean kicked cup paper 11. trees mountain climb snow 12. wolf package hunt flashlight 13. discover piano oven servant 14. astronaut teacher eraser sell

Exercise two 1. Wrote 2. Is going to sing/will sing/ will be singing 3. Is plating 4. Taught 5. Drives 6. Ate 7. Work 8. Will be study/is going to study 9. Are watching 10. Painted