Verbs can be divided into categories in a number of different, overlapping ways. This guide covers the most commonly recognized categories to help you understand how verbs function in sentences.
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Types of verbs
| Verb Type | Description | Examples | Example Sentence |
| Action Verbs | Describe physical or mental actions. | run, think, eat, write | She runs every morning before school. |
| Linking Verbs | Connect the subject to more information without showing action. | is, seem, become, feel | She seems happy today. |
| Auxiliary (Helping) Verbs | Assist the main verb to form different tenses, moods, or voices. | have, will, can, should | She can solve this problem easily. |
| Modal Verbs | Express ability, necessity, permission, or possibility. | can, must, should, might | You must submit your assignment by Friday. |
| Transitive Verbs | Require a direct object. | give, help, carry, read | He reads a book every night. |
| Intransitive Verbs | Do not take a direct object. | sleep, arrive, belong, sit | They arrived late to the meeting. |
| Regular Verbs | Follow standard past tense rules, adding -d or -ed to form the simple past and past participle. | walk → walked | He walked to the park yesterday. |
| Irregular Verbs | Have unpredictable past tense forms. | go → went | She went to the store this morning. |
| Stative Verbs | Describe states or conditions. | know, love, believe | She knows the answer to the question. |
| Dynamic Verbs | Show actions that can change. | run, jump, talk | They jumped over the fence. |
| Phrasal Verbs | Formed by combining a verb with a preposition or adverb to create a new meaning. | give up, look after, break down | She gave up on the puzzle after an hour. |
