Identifying verbs Worksheet Practice Exercises with Answers

Unit 2: Verbs

Lesson 7: Identifying Verbs

What's a verb? Verbs are words that usually show an action. Here are two simple ways to find a verb; you can try either one.

Quick Tip 7.1

If a word can have should in front of it and the phrase sounds complete, the word is a verb. Examples: should leave, should sail, should discover, should complain. Leave, sail, discover, and complain are all verbs.

Quick Tip 7.2

If a word can have to in front of it and the phrase sounds complete, it's a verb. Examples: to leave, to sail, to discover, to complain. Leave, sail, discover, and complain are all verbs. (Note that we're not talking here about two, too, or the to that indicates direction, as in Let's go to the park.)

Examples Of Verbs

Here are some examples of verbs. You can see that they all meet the test with should and the test with to.

Examples Of Non-Verbs

In contrast, the following words do not pass the should or to test:

Thus, coffee, beautiful, hardly, and under are not verbs.

Question 1. Is "defend" a verb?
Answer: Yes, defend is a verb. You can say "should defend" or "to defend," and both sound complete.
In simple words: The word defend works with should and to, so it is a verb.

Exam Tip: Apply either the should test or the to test - both work equally well to identify verbs.

Question 2. Is "include" a verb?
Answer: Yes, include is a verb. You can say "should include" or "to include," and both sound complete.
In simple words: The word include works with should and to, so it is a verb.

Exam Tip: Use either test consistently - should and to both reveal verbs clearly.

Question 3. Is "largest" a verb?
Answer: No, largest is not a verb. If you try "should largest" or "to largest," the phrases sound incomplete and wrong.
In simple words: The word largest does not work with should or to, so it is not a verb.

Exam Tip: Words that describe qualities (like largest) fail both tests and are not verbs.

Question 4. Is "how" a verb?
Answer: No, how is not a verb. If you try "should how" or "to how," the phrases sound incomplete and wrong.
In simple words: The word how does not work with should or to, so it is not a verb.

Exam Tip: Question words and adverbs like how fail the test and are not verbs.

Question 5. Is "learn" a verb?
Answer: Yes, learn is a verb. You can say "should learn" or "to learn," and both sound complete.
In simple words: The word learn works with should and to, so it is a verb.

Exam Tip: Common action words pass both the should and to tests - these are clear verbs.

Question 6. Is "sightsee" a verb?
Answer: Yes, sightsee is a verb. You can say "should sightsee" or "to sightsee," and both sound complete.
In simple words: The word sightsee works with should and to, so it is a verb.

Exam Tip: Compound action words like sightsee also work with should and to tests.

Question 7. Is "unbelievably" a verb?
Answer: No, unbelievably is not a verb. If you try "should unbelievably" or "to unbelievably," the phrases sound incomplete and wrong.
In simple words: The word unbelievably does not work with should or to, so it is not a verb.

Exam Tip: Adverbs that describe how something is done fail both tests and are not verbs.

Question 8. Is "look" a verb?
Answer: Yes, look is a verb. You can say "should look" or "to look," and both sound complete.
In simple words: The word look works with should and to, so it is a verb.

Exam Tip: Simple, common action words pass both tests every time.

Question 9. Is "grow" a verb?
Answer: Yes, grow is a verb. You can say "should grow" or "to grow," and both sound complete.
In simple words: The word grow works with should and to, so it is a verb.

Exam Tip: Action words of any type pass the should and to tests.

Question 10. Is "ambitious" a verb?
Answer: No, ambitious is not a verb. If you try "should ambitious" or "to ambitious," the phrases sound incomplete and wrong.
In simple words: The word ambitious does not work with should or to, so it is not a verb.

Exam Tip: Words describing qualities or traits fail both tests and are not verbs.

Test Yourself 7.2

Question 11. Underline the verbs in the phrase: must not worry
Answer: worry
In simple words: The word worry works with should and to, so it is the verb in this phrase. The words must and not are helper words that go with the verb.

Exam Tip: Find the action word first - helper words like must, might, and may always come before the main verb.

Question 12. Underline the verbs in the phrase: might keep
Answer: keep
In simple words: The word keep works with should and to, so it is the verb in this phrase. The word might is a helper that comes before the verb.

Exam Tip: Modal helper words like might, may, can, and will come before the main action verb.

Question 13. Underline the verbs in the phrase: wish for peace
Answer: wish
In simple words: The word wish works with should and to, so it is the verb in this phrase. The words for and peace are not verbs.

Exam Tip: Only the action word is the verb - prepositions and nouns that follow are not verbs.

Question 14. Underline the verbs in the phrase: may sometimes cook
Answer: cook
In simple words: The word cook works with should and to, so it is the verb in this phrase. May and sometimes are helper and time words, not the main verb.

Exam Tip: Look past helper words and time words to find the main action verb.

Question 15. Underline the verbs in the phrase: will travel
Answer: travel
In simple words: The word travel works with should and to, so it is the verb in this phrase. The word will is a helper that shows future action.

Exam Tip: Modal helpers like will, would, shall, and should always come before the main verb.

Question 16. Underline the verbs in the phrase: can usually sleep late
Answer: sleep
In simple words: The word sleep works with should and to, so it is the verb in this phrase. Can and usually are helper and time words.

Exam Tip: Adverbs like usually describe how or when the action happens - they are not verbs themselves.

Question 17. Underline the verbs in the phrase: won't go home
Answer: go
In simple words: The word go works with should and to, so it is the verb in this phrase. Won't is a helper (will not) that comes before the main verb.

Exam Tip: Contractions with won't, can't, or don't always hide a modal helper before the main verb.

Question 18. Underline the verbs in the phrase: would like guidance
Answer: like
In simple words: The word like works with should and to, so it is the verb in this phrase. Would is a helper that shows what might happen, and guidance is a noun.

Exam Tip: Modal helpers precede the main action verb - watch for them in front of the action word.

Question 19. Underline the verbs in the phrase: could never build
Answer: build
In simple words: The word build works with should and to, so it is the verb in this phrase. Could is a helper and never is a time or intensity word.

Exam Tip: Look past negative and time words to find the main verb - modals and adverbs surround the action word.

Question 20. Underline the verbs in the phrase: shall do
Answer: do
In simple words: The word do works with should and to, so it is the verb in this phrase. Shall is a helper that shows future intention or promise.

Exam Tip: Shall is an older modal helper that works the same way as will or should.