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Types of Action Verbs

Action verbs are important verbs that describe what the subject is doing. There are thousands of action verbs in English that convey subtle differences in meaning. Understanding action verbs helps improve writing and communication. There are two main types of action verbs: transitive verbs show the subject performing an action onto another object or person, while intransitive verbs describe an action but do not affect another object. Choosing the right action verb creates drama and movement in writing by showing what the subject is doing rather than just describing a state of being.

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97 views3 pages

Types of Action Verbs

Action verbs are important verbs that describe what the subject is doing. There are thousands of action verbs in English that convey subtle differences in meaning. Understanding action verbs helps improve writing and communication. There are two main types of action verbs: transitive verbs show the subject performing an action onto another object or person, while intransitive verbs describe an action but do not affect another object. Choosing the right action verb creates drama and movement in writing by showing what the subject is doing rather than just describing a state of being.

Uploaded by

Jorge Ramirez Cruz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Action Verbs

Action verbs are verbs that specifically describe what the subject of the
sentence is doing. These types of verbs carry a great deal of information in a
sentence and serve to make the sentence complete (remember that all
sentences need a subject and a verb). In English, there are thousands of verbs
that convey subtle changes in meaning, so it's important to choose the right
one. For example, the verb "to go" imparts a relatively vague sense of motion,
while "to run" is more specific to add speed while "to stroll" is slower and more
leisurely. Understanding action verbs will make students better writers and
communicators.

Types of Action Verbs

Transitive Verbs

Transitive verbs are action verbs that show what the subject is doing to another
object. These verbs are coupled with a direct object, or the thing that is acted
upon. For example:

Susan poked John in the eye.

In this sentence, "poked" is a transitive verb that transfers the action of poking
directly to John. John is the direct object of the sentence and is the person
being poked.

Below are additional examples of transitive verbs in action:

 My dog ate the food quickly.


 Jonathan chose me to be his best friend.
 Why did your grandmother call my house?
 Rick painted the fence white.
 Ellie married a guy with a black belt in karate.

In each of the sentences above, the verbs are followed by a direct object that
receives the action. Food is eaten, friends are chosen, and fences are painted.
These action verbs directly affect things around them, so they are transitive
verbs.

Intransitive Verbs

Intransitive verbs are action verbs that do not take a direct object; that is, they
don't act upon another noun or pronoun in the sentence. In general, transitive
verbs only describe something the subject of the sentence does, but not
something that happens to someone or something else. For example:

Michael ran to the store.

In this sentence, "ran" only describes what Michael does, but it doesn't affect
the store. In this sentence, "store" is the object of the preposition "to," but it is
not a direct object of the verb. "Ran" is an intransitive verb that does not take a
direct object.

Below are additional examples of intransitive verbs used in sentences:

 Charles swam in the pool.


 My dog barked.
 The twins whispered instead of sleeping.
 The elephant sleeps soundly.
 Two shoes fell in the lake.

The Function of Action Verbs


As their name suggests, action verbs create drama and movement in a
sentence by showing what the subject is doing. This is fundamentally different
from "to be" verbs, which only show a state of being and set up description. For
example, compare the two sentences below:
Lynn is angry.
Lynn shouted at her brother.

The first sentence does not contain an action verb. Here "is" only serves to
introduce the predicate adjective that describes Lynn, but she doesn't actually
do anything in the sentence. In the second sentence, the action verb "shouted"
shows what Lynn does. This action makes something happen and changes
things around Lynn.

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