What are Action Verbs? Think about these two sentences:
- "Fatima was in the chair and looked happy when there was music around her."
- "Fatima perched on the chair and smiled as she listened to the music."
You might notice that the second sentence feels like a clearer description of what's going on. That's because of action verbs! Many verbs you use every day are examples of action verbs. Their function in a sentence is to explain the action the subject is taking.
Action Verb: Definition
Action verb: Also called a dynamic verb, an action verb expresses an action in a sentence.
In other words, the function of an action verb is to tell readers what the subject of the sentence is doing.
Action Verb: Examples
Action verbs show up everywhere in our speech and writing. Try listing out the first few verbs that pop into your head. Most of them are probably action verbs! Here is a list of some action verb examples in English:
| jump | sit | sigh | eat | remove | laugh |
| run | accept | smile | stand | adjust | own |
| decline | love | sleep | yell | clean | catch |
You can find an action verb in a sentence by asking, "what does the subject do?" Take this example sentence: "Henry paints a picture." What does Henry do? Henry paints.
Action Verbs vs. Linking Verbs
It's important to know the difference between the action verb and another common type of verb, the linking verb.
Linking verb: a verb that expresses a state of being in a sentence instead of an action.
Linking verbs link the subject together with the rest of the sentence. They show what the subject is instead of what it does.
Here are some examples of linking verbs in use:
In the above sentence, the linking verb "is" doesn't express any kind of action. It just connects "she" with "a musician."
In the same way as in the previous example, the linking verb "seem" doesn't tell the reader what the subject is doing. It connects it with the adjective "sad."
Linking verbs are very common and useful in language, but in descriptive writing, it's encouraged to use action verbs when you can (more on that later!)
Fig. 1 - Replacing Linking Verbs with Action Verbs.
Types of Action Verbs
There are two main types of action verbs: transitive and intransitive.
Transitive Action Verbs
Transitive action verbs take an object. That means that something is doing the action, and something else is being acted upon. In linguistics, you would say this kind of verb takes two arguments: a subject and an object.
Here are some examples of transitive action verbs in use:
In the above sentence, "Henry" is the subject, the one doing the painting. "Paints" is the action verb, expressing the action of the sentence. "A picture" is the object, the thing being painted.
The duchess declined the invitation.
In this example, "the duchess" is the subject, the one declining. "Declined" is the action verb. "The invitation" is the object, the thing being declined.
Intransitive Action Verbs
Intransitive action verbs do not take an object. That means that something is doing the action, but nothing is being acted upon. These verbs take one argument.
Here are some examples of intransitive action verbs in use:
"Caroline" is the subject, the one doing the laughing. The action verb "laughed" can't easily take an object. "Caroline laughed the movie" doesn't make sense.
"The dog" is the subject, the one sleeping. Again, the action verb "sleeps" can't take an object. "The dog sleeps the bed" doesn't make sense.
Some verbs can be used as both transitive and intransitive. For example, you can say "Doug cleaned" with no object or "Doug cleaned the kitchen" with an object. Transitivity is about how you use the word, not just the word itself!
Using Action Verbs for Effective Description
As already mentioned, it's a good idea to replace linking verbs with action verbs where you can in a descriptive essay. Using action verbs can make your writing clearer and more specific. Here are some tips for using action verbs effectively in your writing.
Look Out for the Links
Using more action verbs doesn't have to mean rewriting your entire paragraph. Making some little changes to the verbs can make a big difference. Picking out the linking verbs is a great start.
Fig. 2 - Linking verbs connect the subject of a sentence to something else (like a noun, adjective, or pronoun) that completes the meaning of the verb.
When you're done writing a sentence, try to find all of the linking verbs. Look for verbs like these examples:
- Forms of the verb to be, including be, been, being, am, is, are, was, and were.
- Verbs that express an impression of something, including seems, looks, appears, sounds, tastes, smells, and feels.
Shawna looked tired when she was in the kitchen after being in the garden.
The three linking verbs in the above sentence ("looks," "was," and "being") express an impression instead of an action.
Sometimes the same word can be used as both an action verb and a linking verb. For example, in the sentence "Luke feels sick," the verb "feels" is a linking verb, linking "Luke" with "sick" rather than expressing an action. In the sentence "Luke feels the cold wind," the verb "feels" is an action verb, showing what Luke is doing.
Replace Them with Actions
When you've found the linking verbs in your writing, try replacing them with more descriptive action verbs!
This is just like identifying action verbs in a sentence. Look at the phrase with the linking verb and ask, "what is the subject doing?" This can help you come up with a more descriptive vocabulary.
The following example demonstrates how one could identify the linking verbs in the previous example and replace them with action verbs:
Shawna looked tired when she was in the kitchen after being in the garden.
- What was Shawna doing that made her look tired?Maybe she yawned or rubbed her eyes.
- What was she doing in the kitchen?Maybe she was washing the dishes or brewing a cup of tea.
- What was she doing in the garden?Maybe she was planting seeds or pulling weeds.
Consider how to swap from of these verbs for a better description: "Shawna yawned while brewing a cup of tea after planting seeds in the garden."
Thinking about doing instead of being will fill your essay with action verbs. The more you practice this in your writing, the clearer your description will become.
Sometimes a linking verb really is the best option. If you try to come up with good descriptive action verbs to replace a linking verb, and nothing reads naturally, just leave it the way it is.
Using more action verbs in your writing applies beyond descriptive essays too! When looking for jobs, it's encouraged to include lots of action words in your resume and cover letters. This makes you come across as a more powerful job candidate. Building skills with action words in writing now will help you through your whole career!
Action Verbs - Key Takeaways
- An action verb expresses an action in a sentence by telling readers what the subject is doing.
- An action verb is different from a linking verb which links the subject with the rest of the sentence by telling readers what the subject is.
- There are two types of action verbs: transitive, which takes an object, and intransitive, which doesn't take an object.
- Using more action verbs in your descriptive essay can make your writing clearer and more specific.
- Try to find the linking verbs in your writing and replace them with more descriptive action verbs. Ask yourself, "what is the subject doing?"
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