229 Common English Verbs With Examples (2024)

Verbs are one of the eight main parts of speech, and we can't form sentences without them. A verb explains the action of a sentence, but that’s just one part of what verbs do.

Use this guide to familiarize yourself with the types of verbs and what they do, and peruse this list of nearly 300 common verbs. There are over 1000 possible verbs you can use in the English language, and I’m sure you’ll recall using some verbs on these lists more than others. This verbs list includes example sentences to help you expand your vocabulary and gain a better understanding of verb words and what they do.

What Is a Verb?

A verb is a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence and forming the main part of a predicate of a sentence. Remember, a predicate is the part of a sentence or clause containing a verb that says something about the subject. All sentences must have a verb, though a sentence doesn't have to have all eight parts of speech. Verb words dictate the action that's taking place, so they're necessary for a sentence to make sense.

Types of Verbs and Verb Examples

There are three types of verbs: action verbs, linking verbs, and helping verbs. Action verbs are verbs that express action or possession. Action verbs can be transitive or intransitive. Transitive verb words always have a noun that receives the action of the verb, known as a direct object. They can sometimes also have an indirect object, which is a noun or phrase that occurs in addition to a direct object. Below are verb definitions and verb examples in a sentence.

Verbs List

These verb examples lists contain just some of the most commonly used verbs in the English language. There are so many more verbs you can use, and you can utilize a Thesaurus to find words with similar meanings. All of the examples on this verbs list are given in present tense, but the examples may be in past or present tense.

The list is separated into action, helping, and linking verbs. You may notice that some words like am, appear, was etc. can act as multiple types of verbs. When you see verbs that are on multiple lists, refer to the descriptions of the types of verbs above, and notice how the words differ in meaning in the examples.

Action Verbs

Achieve	The student achieved a high score on her SATs.
Assemble	The Avengers and their friends assembled for one last battle against Thanos.
Accelerate	You can accelerate your progress on the SAT prep by signing up for tutoring.
Administer	The doctor administered several tests.
Allow	This restaurant doesn't allow smoking.
Apply	Most students apply to several colleges.
Appear	She appeared out of nowhere.
Appoint	The mayor will appoint a new fire chief in the coming weeks.
Analyze	My co-worker analyzes tons of data every day.
Budget	We budgeted for a new couch this month.
Buy	They bought dinner three nights in a row.
Balance	She balanced carefully on the beam at the start of her routine.
Bring	Make sure you bring dessert to Thanksgiving this year.
Build	We're building a new bookshelf.
Chase	The cat chased the mouse around the yard.
Check	My neighbor will check my mail when I go on vacation.
Choose	You have to choose your meal for the reception.
Close	Close the door when you leave the room.
Collaborate	In order to collaborate on this project, our team met twice a week.
Collect	Collecting coins is one of my favorite hobbies.
Comment	I always make sure to like and comment on my friends' posts.
Communicate	With family overseas, we're lucky that we can communicate through video chats.
Compare	It's hard not to compare yourself to your classmates, but you should focus on achieving your own goals.
Convince	I convinced my friend to start a study group.
Continue	The team continued to the finals.
Coordinate	You have to coordinate the food, music, and guest list for the upcoming event.
Cut	I cut my finger while chopping vegetables.
Debate	I'm excited to watch the presidential candidates debate each other in the primaries.
Defend	Are you prepared to defend your thesis?
Decide	He finally decided on what watermelon to buy.
Discover	Marine biologists have discovered a new shark species.
Eat	Eating brunch with my friends is one of my favorite weekend activities.
Encourage	My favorite teacher encouraged me to take more creative writing courses.
Establish	We established the company as a leader in our industry.
Earn	I earned an A on my last biology test.
Examine	You should really get that pain in your knee examined.
Expect	I expect results by the end of tomorrow.
Experiment	My team is ready to experiment with different marketing strategies.
Explain	Please explain the instructions again.
Explore	She loves exploring the coves down by the ocean.
Fall	Be careful you don't fall when walking on the icy sidewalk.
Feed	I know a man that feed the pigeons every morning.
Fry	It's so hot that you could fry an egg on the sidewalk.
Fight	Growing up, my sister and I fought all the time.
Fit	This dress fits really well.
Follow	The ducklings follow the mother duck wherever she goes.
Go	We went to my favorite restaurant for my birthday.
Give	My teacher gave me great advice.
Grow	The tree I planted grew so much over this past year.
Gain	She gained several new friends in his first year at school.
Generate	We need to think of strategies to help us generate more clients.
Hang	Hang the painting on the wall in the hallways.
Happen	What happened to your ankle?
Hate	I hate how nervous I get before taking a test.
Hear	She heard her phone ring in the theater, but she ignored it.
Howl	Some dogs howl to get attention.
Hop	Hop on one foot while you jump rope to improve your workout.
Hug	My niece loves to hug her stuffed animals.
Help	I helped make the brownies for the school bake sale.
Hold	She held onto her water bottle while they waited in line.
Hurt	I tripped and hurt my knee.
Hide	She always hides her Halloween candy from her siblings.
Identify	The witness identified the defendant in the trial.
Ignore	Ignore the loud music playing in the dorm next door while you're studying.
Imply	The story implied that the characters thought that their lives were unfair.
Illustrate	Mary GrandPré illustrated the U.S. editions of the Harry Potter books.
Inform	Please inform the class about your findings on Great White Sharks.
Include	They included all the information in the report.
Introduce	I"m pleased to introduce our new student!
Invest	I invested in some stocks for the first time.
Irritate	Don't irritate your siblings.
Jog	She jogged past the duck pond and over the bridge.
Joke	You shouldn't joke about sensitive topics.
Jump	Jump over this log on the hiking trail.
Judge	Do you judge a book by its cover?
Keep	I kept my favorite childhood stuffed animals when I moved out.
Knock	I knocked lightly on the door.
Kick	She loved kicking the punching bag during a workout.
Kill	In writing, some people advise you to "kill your darlings."
Laugh	My friends and I laugh together all the time.
Learn	We're learning about cell function in my biology class.
Lay	He laid down on the couch for a quick nap.
Leave	Don't leave without your lunch.
Lie	He lied on his resume and got caught.
Live	I live in the United States.
Lose	He lost all of the pens he bought before school even started.
Listen	Listen carefully to lectures and take notes.
Lift	Together we listed the heavy package and carried it into the house.
Love	I love both my dogs equally.
Like	I like my new coffee table.
Make	He made a collage to show his family history.
Manage	I manage all the fundraising efforts for our volunteer group.
Maintain	She maintains a busy schedule.
Measure	Measure out one cup of flour and a half cup of sugar for this recipe.
Meet	I'm meeting with my team members Wednesday for our final project.
Mix	Mixing and matching your suits can help create a fun professional look.
Mention	She mentioned that she is applying to college this fall.
Melt	The cheese melted on the bread as soon as it went into the oven.
Move	My family and I moved last year.
Need	I need a new jacket this winter.
Negotiate	The agent is negotiating the player's contract.
Observe	He observed several stars through his telescope.
Obtain	We obtained some information to help with our report.
Order	The doctor ordered more blood tests following the appointment.
Offer	She offered her tutoring services.
Open	Open the door for the cat.
Own	I owned a horse when I was a kid.
Paint	Painting with watercolors is a relaxing hobby.
Pass	The team passed the ball to each other.
Pay	We paid for lunch for the whole team.
Performed	The students performed a short play that they wrote.
Persist	Though the work is hard, you have to persist and get it done.
Promise	The couple promised lifelong commitment at their wedding.
Play	The kids played outside all day in the summer.
Pinch	I pinched my arm to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
Parse	He read the report carefully and parsed out all the relevant information.
Participate	All of the students participated in the graduation ceremony.
Provide	They provided a solid alibi.
Put	Put your coat on the coat rack.
Pull	Pull the audio data into the report.
Quit	I quit band last year.
Quack	All the ducks quacked as soon as they saw I had leftover bread.
Qualify	A nursing degree qualifies you to take the board exams.
Raise	The shelter raises orphaned baby animals.
Read	I read a fantastic book last week.
Realize	He realized that staying home for college was the right decision.
Revere	The family reveres their personal traditions around the holidays.
Reflect	The water is so clear that it reflects the trees around it.
Recommend	My teacher recommended me to a top college.
Reduce	Our company is reducing waste by printing less and doing more digitally.
Relate	I relate to my favorite book characters.
Report	Please report back promptly at 7pm.
Require	All of my top college choices require personal essays.
Reset	Rest your wifi if it doesn't work.
Renew	Did you renew your subscription to the magazine?
Retire	My grandparents were happy to finally retire.
Resist	She resisted the urge to watch TV while studying.
Reach	I reached under the couch for my missing sock.
Roar	The lions in the new movie look so real when they roar.
Ride	We love riding the trolley in San Francisco.
Roast	Roast the marshmallows slowly so you don't burn them.
Run	They all ran the charity 5K this year.
Say	He said he will get back to me within the week.
Sing	Singing in front of an audience is a lot of fun.
Sit	Sit in this chair while you wait.
Send	Send the invitations in the mail.
Shake	It's considered polite to shake hands when you meet someone.
Shower	Showering after a long day feels great.
Show	I showed everyone how to new presentation software works.
Shame	Shaming people online is a common occurrence these days.
Shock	The kids shocked their parents with elaborate gifts.
Shrink	I accidentally shrunk my favorite dress in the dryer.
Speak	She spoke clearly and intelligently during the debate.
Solve	The famous character Sherlock Holmes solves crimes by using his unique skills.
Specify	You need to specify which character is the protagonist in your essay.
Steal	Bonnie and Clyde famously stole from banks.
Serve	The tennis player served the ball.
Stop	The car stopped suddenly.
Stretch	The dog stretched when he woke up.
Stick	Joyce is concerned that her magnets won't stick to the fridge.
Submit	I finally submitted my college applications last week.
Suggest	She suggested that I apply to more than three colleges.
Strike	The miners struck gold.
Study	Studying for the GRE is a long process.
Snuggle	The girl wanted a stuffed bear to snuggle with.
Surprise	His aunt surprised him by coming to his concert.
Swim	We all took the day off and swam at the local pool.
Take	My friend took the book back from me when I was done reading it.
Talk	We talked for hours about all the details for the surprise party.
Taste	After hours of preparation, he finally tasted the fresh tomato sauce.
Tear	I tore the cardboard in half to make it easier to recycle.
Trap	I trapped the spider in a cup and took it outside.
Tell	He told the teacher that he was sick.
Tend	A shepherd's job is to tend to a flock of sheep.
Teach	I want to teach myself Spanish this summer.
Think	My guidance counselor thinks I have a good shot at my first choice school.
Throw	They were excited when the girl threw the ball for the first time.
Understand	I understand the difference between action, linking, and helping verbs.
Value	I'm glad I go to a school that values extracurriculars.
Volunteer	She volunteers at an after-school program twice a week.
Wait	We waited for over an hour.
Walk	He walked the dog around the lake.
Warn	We warned them to stay away from the haunted house.
Warm	She warmed up by the fire after playing outside in the snow.
Want	He wants a puppy for Christmas.
Win	They won the big tournament.
Wish	She wished her friend a happy birthday.
Write	I wrote four practice essays.
Watch	We all watch the same TV show on Saturday nights.
Wave	Wave goodbye when you leave.
Wear	Wear a hat when you go to the beach to keep the sun out of your eyes.
Yearn	Though the new laptops are beautiful, some people yearn for the old design.

Linking Verbs

Is	Mom is excited about our family trip this summer.
Am	I am worried that I'm not studying enough for my SATs.
Are	The puppies are so playful.
Was	She was so happy to finally see the show on broadway.
Were	They were disappointed that we had to leave early.
Be	I will be excited to see how this show ends next year.
Been	I've been open-minded about my next job opportunity.
Being	He is being stubborn.
Appear	He appears to be feeling better.
Become	He became fond of pasta after visiting Italy.
Feel	He felt tense after his meeting with his boss.
Grow	The tree in my backyard grows taller each year.
Look	You look tired from your trip.
Remain	She remained optimistic about getting into her top colleges.
Seem	You seem distracted today.
Smell	This dinner smells incredible.
Sound	Your cello sounds magnificent.
Stay	The baseball player stayed calm in a 3-2 count.
Taste	The apple pie tasted delicious.
Turn	Her fingers turned blue after being out in the cold for so long.
Prove	Her efforts proved worthwhile when she saw her report card.

Helping Verbs

Is	Everyone is wondering if we have an extra day off for the holiday weekend.
Am	I am hoping to get a positive response on this job application.
Are	They are following the teacher's instructions on the project.
Was	I was involved with the fundraising campaign last year.
Were	They were looking for the car keys for nearly an hour.
Be	He had to be lying since he kept scratching a nostril, an obvious tell.
Been	She was nervous to go away to school, since she had never been that far from home before.
Has	She has wandered off before.
Have	We have always stayed in the same cabin at the lake.
Had	I had worked on the campaign for clean water before working for the National Parks Service.
Does	My brother does know the Netflix password, he just won't tell me what it is.
Do	I do understand the different parts of speech, but I need to practice identifying them.
Did	I did remember to buy a new toothbrush, but left toothpaste off my shipping list.
Can	We can run the 5K and then go to the picnic.
Will	When we go hiking, we will hike the most difficult trail.
Shall	We shall eat breakfast promptly at 8am tomorrow.
Could	I could volunteer for the food drive again, or try something different.
Would	My class would participate more if we got participation points as an incentive.
Should	I should begin my homework, but I'm way too into this book right now.
Must	You must check to make sure you're fulfilling all of the credits you need.
May	I may treat myself this year for my birthday.
Might	I might take a computer science class this semester.

As you can see from this list, there are a ton of verbs you can use to form sentences and to strengthen your speech and writing. Making sure you have a multitude of verb examples in your vocabulary will make it easier to identify parts of speech, and will ensure that your writing is specific, concise, and non-repetitive. Make sure you consider what type of verb you’re using, even when you don’t think you have to pay attention to it. Verbs are all around us, and especially after reading this list, you’ll start seeing them everywhere.

What's Next?

If you're looking for more teaching tools, check out these awesome games to learn English and alphabet games.

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