Action verbs in English with examples

In any language, it is important to have verbs; English is certainly no exception to this rule but sometimes there are so many of them that people get confused easily. That’s why we have divided English verbs into smaller parts. Words which tell us about the action going on in a sentence are called action verbs. They indicate what someone does or what happens to something. An action verb may be either physical – like run, swim or jump – or mental – believe, think, know.

Common Action Verbs List

Everyday Action Verbs

Here are some action verbs that can be used in everyday communication.

List of Common Action Verbs and Examples

Ride

“Ride” is a verb that means to travel on or in a vehicle or animal.

Example: I love to ride my bike to the park on sunny days.

Stand up

“Stand up” is a phrasal verb that means to rise from a seated or lying position and assume a standing position.

Example: I asked the audience to stand up and give a round of applause to our guest speaker.

Laugh

“Laugh” is a verb that means to express amusement or pleasure by making sounds with one’s mouth and throat.

Example: The comedian’s jokes made the audience laugh so hard that some of them had tears in their eyes.

Read

“Read” is a verb that means to look at and comprehend the meaning of written or printed matter by interpreting the characters or symbols.

Example: I like to read books in my free time, especially mystery novels.

Listen

“Listen” is a verb that means to give one’s attention to a sound or speech.

Example: I always listen to music when I’m doing my homework because it helps me concentrate better.

Sing

“Sing” is a verb that means to produce musical sounds with the voice.

Example: She loves to sing in the shower every morning before getting ready for work.

Dance

“Dance” is a verb that means to move rhythmically to music, typically following a set sequence of steps.

Example: At the wedding reception, everyone got up to dance when the DJ played their favorite song.

Win

“Win” is a verb that means to be successful or victorious in a competition or battle.

Example: She was thrilled to win the first prize in the science fair for her innovative project.

Throw away

“Throw away” is a phrasal verb that means to dispose of something that is no longer useful or needed.

Example: I need to throw away these old magazines to make space for the new ones.

Open

“Open” is a verb that means to make or become unlocked, unfastened, or unpacked.

Example: Can you please open the window? It’s getting stuffy in here.

Jump

“Jump” is a verb that means to push oneself off the ground or other surface using one’s legs and feet.

Dive

“Dive” is a verb that means to plunge into water headfirst or with a sudden movement.

Example: The swimmer had to dive into the pool and swim as fast as possible to win the race.

Stack

“Stack” is a verb that means to arrange a set of objects one on top of the other.

Example: He had to stack the books neatly on the shelf to make space for the new ones.

Shake

“Shake” is a verb that means to move quickly and repeatedly back and forth or up and down.

Example: The dog likes to shake his head after taking a bath to dry his fur and get rid of excess water.

Action Verb Forms

Action verbs can be used in different forms. They can be used in the present tense,past tense, and future tense.

In the present tense, action verbs are used to express ongoing or habitual actions. For example, "I am eating" or "He is swimming."

In the past tense, action verbs are used to express actions that have already happened. For example, "I ate" or "He swam."

In the future tense, action verbs are used to express actions that will happen in the future. For example, "I will eat" or "He will swim."

Examples of Action Verbs in Sentences

1. Accept: I accept your apology.
2. Accuse: Tom accused me of lying.
3. Achieve: She achieved remarkable results.
4. Believe: I believe you’re right.
5. Belong: This bicycle belongs to me.
6. Bend: Lie flat and let your knees bend.
7. Bet: I bet you know French.
8. Earn: He earns three times more than me.
9. Eat: You can’t eat your cake and have it.
10. Emphasize: I want to emphasize this point in particular.
11. Enable: His wealth enables him to do anything.
12. Identify: She identified him as the murderer.
13. Ignore: He ignored her advice.
14. Illustrate: The teacher will illustrate how to do it.
15. Lack: Tom seems to lack energy.
16. Laugh: Tom is laughing.
17. Lay: He laid on his back.
18. Paint: She painted the wall pink.

Test Your Understanding of Action Verbs" Complete the following sentences by selecting the appropriate action verb from the provided list and using it in the correct tense

List of Verbs: (accompany, draft, win, cry, buy, sleep, drink, pass, ask, call)

1. Why did you __________ me?

2. The baby is __________ because he is hungry.

3. My sister will __________ me to the hospital tomorrow.

1. Every morning, I __________ milk.

4. My dad __________ me a new dress for my cousin’s wedding.

5. My brother __________ by 10 p.m. every night.

6. Could you __________ a mail to your manager requesting a transfer?

7. The teacher __________ the students to submit their assignments before 8 in the morning.

8. Mary Kom __________ a gold medal at the Olympics in the boxing tournament.

9. Could you please __________ the attendance register?

Let's check your answers:

Why did you call me?

The baby is crying because he is hungry.

My sister will accompany me to the hospital tomorrow.

Every morning, I drink milk.

My dad bought me a new dress for my cousin’s wedding.

My brother sleeps by 10 p.m. every night.

Could you draft a mail to your manager requesting a transfer?

The teacher asked the students to submit their assignments before 8 in the morning.

Mary Kom won a gold medal at the Olympics in the boxing tournament.

Could you please pass the attendance register?

Action verbs in English with pictures