This document defines and provides examples of the three types of verbs: action verbs, linking verbs, and helping verbs. It explains that action verbs show what the subject is doing, linking verbs connect the subject to a noun or adjective, and helping verbs help express tense and voice and need to be used with an action verb. Examples of each verb type are given.

1. Types of Verbs
Parts of Speech Review

2. Types of Verbs
 A verb is a word that shows action
or links a subject to another word
in a sentence.
 There are 3 types of verbs:
 Action
 Linking
 Helping

3. Types of Verbs
 Action Verb - tells what the subject
is doing
 ran
 hide
 walk
 swim
 told

4. Types of Verbs
 Linking Verb – connects or links a
subject to a noun or an adjective in
the predicate
 Common linking verbs:
 is are was were
being been am
 Mark is a football player.
subject noun

5. Types of Verbs
 Verbs such as smell, look, taste, feel,
remain, turn, appear, become, sound,
seem, grow, stay can also be linking
verbs.
 How do you know if it is linking or
action? You need to ask yourself if the
verb is linking the subject to a noun or
adjective in the predicate.

6. Types of Verbs
 Helping Verb – helps the main verb
express tense and voice – Helping verbs
need an action verb with them.
 Susie will go to the store.
helping
action

7. Types of Verbs
 Common helping verbs:
 shall will should
would could must
might can may have
had has do did is
are was were
am being been

8. Types of Verbs
 How do you know if it is a helping verb
or a linking verb?
 If there is an action verb in the clause
also, it is a helping verb. If you do not
see any other kind of verb, it is a linking
verb.

9. Verb Tense
 Verbs are either past, present or
future tense. In writing, you
should always use the same tense
for your verbs within your
paragraph or essay.

10. What is the verb tense for
each sentence?
 Michael had played the piano for an hour.
 past tense
 Cheryl will walk home after school.
 future tense
 Susie is a cheerleader.
 present tense

11. Subject – Verb Agreement
 The subject and verb in a clause should always
agree in number.
 Joey walks. (singular subject/singular verb)
 Joey and Maggie walk. (plural subject/plural verb)
 She runs. (singular subject/singular verb)
 They run. (plural subject/plural verb)