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What is a verb?

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Quick answer

A verb is a word that expresses an action or a state of being. It's what the subject of a sentence does or is. 'Run', 'think', 'is', and 'become' are all verbs — every complete sentence needs one. A verb shows action (jump, write, eat) or a state of being (is, are, seem).

Key things to understand

  1. A verb shows action (jump, write, eat) or a state of being (is, are, seem).
  2. Every complete sentence needs at least one verb.
  3. Verbs change form to show tense — past (walked), present (walk), future (will walk).
  4. Action verbs describe what someone does; linking verbs (is, was) connect the subject to a description.
  5. The verb usually tells you the time of the action and who is doing it.

People also ask

What is a verb, in simple terms?
A verb is a 'doing' or 'being' word — it tells you what the subject does or is, like 'sing', 'jump', 'is', or 'feel'.
What are the main types of verbs?
Action verbs (run, build) describe what someone does; linking verbs (is, seems) connect the subject to more information about it; helping verbs (will, have) support the main verb.
Does every sentence need a verb?
Yes. A complete sentence must have a verb — it's the word that makes something happen or describes a state, so without it there's no full statement.