Understanding How to use Action Verbs

Action Verbs

Action verbs is a word that shows what someone or something is doing.

Examples:

  • Mary sleeps on the couch.
  • Jason’s best friend thinks of a plan.
  • Ken and his mother cook dinner.

Directions:

Circle the action verb in each sentence below.

  1. Sally listens to her favorite song.
  2. Craig hits the baseball over the fence.
  3. The little pig grunts.
  4. The roof of the house leaks.
  5. The hunter searches for a deer.
  6. Dr. Gold examines his patient.
  7. The bluebird in the tree sings beautifully.
  8. The football team dashes out of the locker room.
  9. Paul reads The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
  10. Mrs. Gray buys a roll of paper towels at the store.
  11. Judy solves the mystery.
  12. Harold finds a purple crayon.

Linking Verbs

Verb is a word which expresses action or being.

A linking verb joins the subject and predicate of a sentence.

examples of linking verbs: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been

Sentence: Jamie was at the park.

Circle the linking verb in each sentence.

  1. I think the old house is haunted.
  2. The large, barking dogs were scary.
  3. My socks are in the top dresser drawer.
  4. There were five fish in the aquarium.
  5. The printer has been out of ink all week.
  6. Will you be on time tomorrow?
  7. That was a delicious pie.
  8. Those jackets are too small Billy.
  9. I am the fastest runner on the team.
  10. We were the last ones to arrive.
  11. Gina and Victor have been quiet all afternoon.
  12. Your clothes are filthy.

May and Might

A modal auxiliary verb is used to modify the mood of a verb. Here is a list of the modal auxiliary verbs:

May:

May” is used to express permission or possibility. The negative of may is “may not”

Example: I may become a doctor.

In this example “may” is used to express the possibility of me becoming a doctor in the future.

Example: May I have a glass of water?

In this example “may” is used to ask permission to have a glass of water.

Might:

Might” is used to express possibility. It differs from “may” in that the possibility it expresses is usually smaller. The negative of might is “might not”.

Example: I might become a doctor when I grow up, but I doubt it.

In this example “might” is used to express the small possibility that I will become a doctor when I grow up.

Directions: Circle the correct auxiliary modal verb in each sentence.

  1. When I grow up, I (may, might) become an engineer.
  2. There is a small chance the we (may, might) go to the beach this weekend.
  3. There is a good change that we (might, may) have to postpone the meeting.
  4. Billy and I (may, might) cook dinner tonight.
  5. The airplane (might, may) crash.
  6. You never know, I (may, might) become president one day.
  7. (May, Might) I have a piece of bread please?
  8.  It (might, may) snow tonight, but I doubt it.
  9. If Jane studied harder, she (might, may) have gotten a better grade on the test.
  10. I (might, may) not be coming to your party tonight. I told my mother that I would stay home and make cookies with her already. I’m sorry.