7 Types of Verbs in English, Definition, Examples, & Worksheets

7 Types of Verbs in English. There are seven types of verbs in English: action verb, linking verb, regular, irregular, finite, infinite, transitive and intransitive verbs. Each type has unique characteristics that set them apart from the others. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at each type and give examples of how they’re used. Let’s get started!

What is a Verb?

A verb is a part of speech that describes an action, occurrence or state of being. It is often described as the “doing” or “action” word in a sentence. Verbs can express different tenses, such as past, present, and future, as well as different moods and aspects, such as indicative, subjunctive, and perfective.

For example, in the sentence “She walks to school every morning,” the verb is “walks,” which describes the action of walking. In the sentence “He is happy,” the verb is “is,” which describes the state of being happy. In the sentence “They will have been studying for three hours,” the verb is “will have been studying,” which expresses the future perfect progressive tense.

More example:

– They study the Urdu language.

– We celebrate the New Year.

– We awake at midnight.

7 Types of Verbs in English

Below are 7 types of verbs in English:

1. Infinitive Verb
2. Finite Verb
3. Intransitive verb form
4. Transitive verb
5. Linking Verb
6. Irregular verb
7. Regular Verb

1) REGULAR VERB

A regular verb is a verb that follows a predictable pattern of inflection, meaning it follows a standard conjugation rule to form its various tenses and moods.

In English, most regular verbs add “-ed” to the base form of the verb to form the past tense. For example, the base form of the verb “walk” is “walk,” and the past tense form is “walked.” Similarly, the base form of the verb “play” is “play,” and the past tense form is “played.”

Regular verbs also form the past participle by adding “-ed” to the base form of the verb. For example, the past participle form of the verb “walk” is “walked,” and the past participle form of the verb “play” is “played.”

2) IRREGULAR VERB

An irregular verb is a verb that does not follow the standard pattern of inflection for regular verbs. This means that the past tense and past participle forms of the verb are not formed by simply adding “-ed” to the base form of the verb.

In English, there are many irregular verbs, and their past tense and past participle forms must be learned individually because they do not follow a predictable pattern. For example, the base form of the verb “go” does not change in the past tense, and the past tense form is “went,” whereas the past participle form is “gone.” Similarly, the base form of the verb “eat” becomes “ate” in the past tense, and the past participle form is “eaten.”

Irregular verbs can also have different forms for the different tenses and moods. For example, the irregular verb “be” has many different forms, including “am,” “is,” “are,” “was,” “were,” and “been,” depending on the tense and mood.

3) LINKING VERB

A linking verb, also known as a copula, is a verb that connects the subject of a sentence to a subject complement, which can be either a noun, pronoun, or adjective that describes or renames the subject. Linking verbs do not show action but instead describe a state of being or condition.

In English, the most common linking verb is “to be,” which includes the forms “am,” “is,” “are,” “was,” “were,” “been,” and “being.” Other linking verbs include “seem,” “appear,” “become,” “feel,” “grow,” “look,” “remain,” “smell,” “sound,” “taste,” and “turn.”

For example, in the sentence “She is a doctor,” the linking verb “is” connects the subject “she” to the subject complement “doctor,” which describes her profession. In the sentence “The soup smells delicious,” the linking verb “smells” connects the subject “soup” to the subject complement “delicious,” which describes its scent.

List of linking verbs:

For example,

1 . He remained quiet.

2 . The matches are full of sticks.

3 . The house is very spacious.

4) TRANSITIVE VERB

A transitive verb is a verb that takes a direct object in a sentence. The direct object is the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb. In other words, the action of a transitive verb is directed towards an object, which is affected by that action.

For example, in the sentence “She threw the ball,” the verb “threw” is a transitive verb, and “the ball” is the direct object. The action of throwing is directed towards the ball, which receives the action.

Other examples of transitive verbs include “eat,” “write,” “paint,” “kick,” “teach,” “cook,” “play,” and “watch.” These verbs all take direct objects that receive the action of the verb.

For Example,

1 . The boy hits the soccer.

2 . I love my mother.

5) INTRANSITIVE VERB

An intransitive verb is a verb that does not take a direct object in a sentence. In other words, the action of an intransitive verb does not require an object to receive it. Instead, intransitive verbs often express an action, state, or occurrence that is complete on its own.

For example, in the sentence “The bird flew,” the verb “flew” is an intransitive verb because it does not have a direct object. The sentence still makes sense and conveys a complete idea without an object. Similarly, in the sentence “He sleeps peacefully,” the verb “sleeps” is an intransitive verb because it does not take a direct object. The sentence still makes sense and conveys a complete idea without an object.

Other examples of intransitive verbs include “run,” “laugh,” “sing,” “dance,” “fall,” “swim,” and “die.” These verbs do not take a direct object, but they may still have complements in the sentence, such as adverbs or prepositional phrases.

For example

1 . The girls awake.

2 . The boy laughed.

6) FINITE VERB

A finite verb is a verb that is conjugated according to the tense, mood, and number of the subject in a sentence. In other words, a finite verb changes its form to agree with the subject of the sentence.

For example, in the sentence “She walks to school every day,” the finite verb is “walks.” The verb “walks” agrees with the subject “she” in terms of number (singular) and tense (present). If the subject were plural, the verb would change to “walk,” such as in the sentence “They walk to school every day.”

Finite verbs are necessary in a sentence to convey a complete idea with a subject and predicate.

Finite verbs mean those verbs that can modify their form consistent with the topic. It defines the time (past or present) and the subject. It tells you who is doing the action and when it is being done.

For example,

1 . I eat rice. / He Chuk rice. /They eat fries.

2 . I am a student. / He is a student. / They are students.

7) Infinitive verb

An infinitive verb is a verb form that usually appears with the word “to” in front of it. It is the base form of the verb, and it is not conjugated to match a specific tense or subject. The infinitive verb is typically used to express the purpose, intention, or expectation of the action that the verb represents.

For example, in the sentence “She wants to eat pizza for dinner,” the infinitive verb is “to eat.” The infinitive form “to eat” is not conjugated to match the subject “she” or the present tense of the sentence. Instead, it expresses the intention or purpose of the action “eat.”

Infinitive verbs can also be used as subjects or objects in a sentence. For example, “To travel the world is my dream”.

There are two types of infinitive verbs: the bare infinitive, which is the base form of the verb without “to,” and the full infinitive, which is the base form of the verb with “to” in front of it. The bare infinitive is used in certain grammatical constructions, such as after modal verbs (e.g., “can,” “should,” “must”), and as a command or imperative (e.g., “Go home!”).

For example,

1 . To visualize is to believe.

2 . To be weak is sad.

Verb Worksheet

Examples of Verbs in Sentences

Here are some examples of verbs in sentences:

1. She dances every Friday night.
2. He sings beautifully in the shower.
3. They ran a marathon last weekend.
4. I love to read novels in my spare time.
5. We are watching a movie tonight.
6. The dog barks loudly at the mailman.
7. The teacher lectures about science every Tuesday.
8. The baby giggles when tickled.
9. He plays the piano with great skill.
10. She cooks dinner for her family every evening.

In each of these sentences, the verb is the action word that describes what the subject is doing.