Want to know where all the action is? Verbs! Verbs are words that represent actions that are external (runjumpwork) and internal (lovethinkconsider). Without verbsyou can’t do anythingyou can’t feel anything—you can’t even be anything.
As the heart of sentences and clausesverbs show what the subject is doing or feelingeven if they’re just existing. Verbs are also the only type of word that’s absolutely necessary to make a sentence. Not even nounswhich represent thingsneed to be in every sentence.
Because verbs are so importantthey have more rules than other types of words. This can make verbs a little confusing in Englishbut read on for our explanation of everything you need to know: the different types of verbsthe different forms they takehow to conjugate them in every tenseand some expert tips on how to use them when speaking or writing.
Table of contents
How to conjugate verbs in English
3 expert tips for putting verbs into action
What is a verb?
Let’s start with the basics: What is a verb? Verbs are words that describe actionswhether physical or mental. Verbs also describe a “state of being,” like the verbs bebecomeor exist.
Salah ran across the fieldkicked the balland scored a goal.
“I am the State.” —King Louis XIV
Some verbs also act as “helper verbs” to change the tense of another verb. Likewisethese helper verbs can change a positive statement to a negative one with words like “not.”
She has been jogging for a month and already feels her stamina increasing.
“I don’t feel so good.” —Spider-Man
Every sentence needs at least one verb. If there’s no verbit’s an incomplete sentence or a sentence fragment. Except for imperative sentences (commands)a sentence also needs a subjectthe thing doing the action.
Subjects are important for a verb because they change how it’s conjugatedwhich we explain below. This is especially true for the most common verb: be.
Types of verbs
Dynamic (action) verbs
Most verbs describe a physical action or activitysomething external that can be seen or heard. These verbs are formally known as dynamic verbsbut can also be called action or event verbs.
Examples: walklaughswimplayeatdrinksingdancetalksay
There are a lot of actions that take place in our minds and feelingswhich are not external. Verbs that describe mental or internal actions are still dynamic verbsbut they’re not always so obvious. These include “process verbs,” which describe actions of transition.
Examples: considerguesschangegrowliveenduresucceedfail
Stative (state-of-being) verbs
The opposite of dynamic verbs of action is stative verbs of being. Stative verbs describe a subject’s state or feelingincluding things they like and don’t like.
Examples: wantneedpreferlovehatelikedislikeseemunderstandknowbelieveinvolverealize
One of the most important parts of stative verbs is that you can’t use them in the continuous tenses. Stative verbs stick to the simple tensesor occasionally use the perfect.
The trouble is that some verbs can be dynamic or stativedepending on the specific meaning and how they’re used. This includes the most popular verb be. Let’s take a deeper look at these.
Verbs that can be dynamic or stative
A lot of verbs have more than one meaningso they can be used as dynamic or stative. These include perception words: seeheartastesmellfeel.
When perception verbs are used as an involuntary actionsuch as passive or unintentional actionsthey are stative. This applies when these verbs are used in the general sensea state of being that’s always happening.
I can’t see without my glasses.
Cake still tastes great even if it’s not your birthday.
When those same verbs are used for a voluntary action—specificdeliberateand/or temporary events—they are dynamic. Among other thingsit means they can be used in the continuous tenses.
I haven’t been seeing well since I lost my glasses.
We were tasting cakes for the wedding all afternoon.
Likewisesome perception verbs have alternative meaningsespecially if they’re part of expressions or phrasal verbs. Oftenthis means they act as dynamic verbs.
Romeo and Juliet had been seeing each other for just five days when they died.
Other verbslike thinkhaveandabove all befollow the same voluntary/involuntary rules as perception verbs. Depending on how they’re usedthey can be either dynamic or stative.
I think toads are better than frogs.
(stative: expresses an opinion or feeling always there; involuntary)
All morning I was thinking about how toads are better than frogs.
(dynamic: expresses the temporary action of thinking; voluntary)
I have a ten-year-old dog.
(stative: expresses permanent ownership; involuntary)
I am having a party for my dog’s eleventh birthday.
(dynamic: used as part of phrase; voluntary)
He is nice to everyone.
(stative: expresses an ongoing state or personality trait; involuntary)
He was just being nice to everyone to get a promotion.
(dynamic: expresses a temporary/intentional state; voluntary)
Auxiliary (helping) verbs
Auxiliary verbsor “helping verbs,” are used in English to change another verb’s tensevoiceor mood. When auxiliary verbs are usedthere’s always a main verb that represents the main action. Howeverthe auxiliary verb must still be conjugated correctly.
The main auxiliary verbs are behaveand do. We explain how they’re used specifically for conjugating belowbut here are a few quick examples:
I have eaten sushi many times before. (tense)
That piece of sushi was eaten by me. (voice)
Did you eat my sushi? (mood)
Modal auxiliary verbs
Some auxiliary verbs are added to another verb to show necessitypossibilityor capability. Like other auxiliary verbsmodal auxiliary verbs are not the main verbbut they do change its meaning slightly. Some common examples are canmaycouldshouldwouldmustoughtand might.
I could swim across the English Channelbut should I do it?
She must be the strongest person on the teamand might be the strongest person in the region.
Phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs are phrases that act as individual verbsoften combining two or more words and changing their meaning. The verb getfor examplebecomes many different phrasal verbs when combined with different prepositions.
When the bus stopspassengers get out on the sidewalk.
After losing his jobhe’s getting by on savings.
The important thing to remember about phrasal verbs is that they act as a single verbso you can still use them with other verbs and prepositions. Howeverwhen you conjugate a phrasal verbyou only conjugate the part of the phrase that’s actually a verblike get.
>>Read More: Master These 30 Common Phrasal Verbs in English
Verb categories
Aside from the different typesverbs also come in different categories. Dynamicstativeand auxiliary verbs all make up the categories below.
Transitiveintransitiveand ditransitive
Transitiveintransitiveand ditransitive refer to how a verb acts with direct and indirect objects. A direct object is the person or thing that the action happens towhile an indirect object is the person or thing that receives the direct object.
Lindor threw the ball to deGram.
In this examplethe subject is Lindor and the verb is threw. The direct object is the ball because that is what was thrown—Lindor did the action to the ball. The indirect object is deGram because he received the direct objectthe ball.
Verbs that don’t use either a direct or indirect object are called intransitive. These verbs are complete actions by themselves.
Examples: gowalkruntalksitsleepwork
Verbs that use a direct objectbut not an indirect objectare called transitive. They don’t always need a direct objectbut they have the option.
Examples: cleanlikelovedislikehatewantlearndeservesay
Verbs that use both direct and indirect objects are called ditransitive. They don’t always need an indirect objectbut they have the option.
Examples: throwmakebuysellreadgivelendbring
Just as a verb can be either dynamic or stative depending on the meaninga verb can sometimes act transitive while at other times act intransitive. These are known as ambitransitive. For exampleif you ask someone if they’re hungrythey might respond:
NoI already ate. (intransitive)
NoI already ate a sandwich. (transitive)
Active vs. passive voice
In Englishthe standard format where the subject performs the action is known as the active voice. Howeveryou can switch around your words to make the direct or indirect objects the subject of the sentenceknown as the passive voice. As explained in our guide to the passive voiceyou can make a verb passive by adding a conjugated form of be in front of its past participle.
Stricklen threw the ball to Williams. (active)
The ball was thrown to Williams by Stricklen. (passive)
Williams was thrown the ball by Stricklen. (passive)
Linking (copular) verbs
A linking verb is any verbdynamic or stativethat directly connects or “links” the sentence’s subject to other words in the sentence. For example:
Garfield is a cat.
Here“Garfield” and “a cat” are the same thingso “is” acts as a linking verb.
A linking verb—also known as a copula or copular verb in formal linguistics—connects the subject not just to other nouns and adjectivesbut also to prepositional phrases and other verbs in the infinitive form. Although the verb be is the most-used linking verb in Englishother linking verbs like seem and become are also common.
Garfield is in the kitchen.
Garfield became fat by eating lasagnas.
Garfield seems to hate Mondays.
Likewiseperception verbs are often linking verbs as wellbut only when they describe what is being perceived.
The mild sauce also tastes spicy.
Birds look happy when the sun comes out.
The student felt pride when they used perfect grammar.
Regular vs. irregular Verbs
Verbs have different forms to show different usessuch as an action that happened in the pastor an action that happens continuously. Normallythese forms follow the same patterns of conjugationso that you can use the same rules on all verbs. Verbs that use the normal forms are regular verbs.
Unfortunatelysome verbs don’t want to play by the rules. They have their own unique forms with no patternsspecifically for the simple past tense and past participle forms. These are the notorious irregular verbsand there are quite a few of them—including the most common verb be.
To make matters worsethe only way to learn how to use irregular verbs is to study them and all their forms. On the bright sidewe explain the best ways to memorize irregular verbs. But firstyou’ll want to learn the standard verb forms of the majority regular verbs below.
Verb forms
Before we explain how to conjugate verbs in Englishyou need to understand the different forms a verb takes. This helps immeasurably when you conjugate on your own—you just need to use the right form at the right time. Keep in mind that these forms work mostly for regular verbs; irregular verbs each have their own special forms.
If you want to learn morewe have a more detailed guide on verb forms here.
| ROOT | 3RD PERSON SINGULAR | SIMPLE PAST | PRESENT PARTICIPLE | PAST PARTICIPLE |
| Dance (regular) | dances | danced | dancing | danced |
| Sing (irregular) | sings | sang | singing | sung |
Root
The root form is the basic form of the verb with no changes. It’s also the simple present tense for everything except the third-person singular.
Third-person singular present
Used with subjects like heshethe singular theyor itthe third-person singular in the present tense just adds an -s to the end of the root form most of the time.
For verbs that end in a consonant and -y (try, carry)you remove the y and add -ies (triescarries). If the verb ends in a vowel and -y (saybuy)you just add an –s like normal (saysbuys).
Verbs that end in -ch-sh-x-z, or -s add -es to the end instead of just –s. For examplewatch becomes watches and kiss becomes kisses.
Simple past
The past tense shows an action that already happened. In most cases it’s made by adding -ed to the end of the root formor just -d if the root form already ends in an e. Howeverbe careful of irregular verbs—their rules for the past don’t tend to be consistent.
Present participle
The present participle is used for the continuous tenses to show ongoing or current actionand in more advanced English can be used for participial phrases. In most cases you simply add –ing to the end of the root formalthough sometimes you have to remove an E first.
Past participle
The past participle is used for the perfect tenses. In regular verbsit’s the same as the simple past tenseso there’s nothing extra to learn. Howeverirregular verbs often use unique past participlesso you may have to memorize their forms.
Infinitives and gerunds
Do you like to swim? Do you enjoy learning? If you want to use a verb as a nounyou can turn it into an infinitive or gerundthe noun forms of verbs.
An infinitive adds the preposition to in front of a verb’s root form. Although technically two wordsan infinitive acts as a single wordusually a nounbut sometimes also an adjective or adverb.
To forgive is divine. (noun)
Bring a snack to eat if you get hungry. (adjective describing “snack”)
Alternativelyyou can turn the verb into a gerund by adding -ingidentical to the present participle. A gerund is strictly used as a nounand occasionally you can use them to create gerund phraseswhich act as a single unit to modify the gerund.
Running is too difficult.
Studying the cosmos is not the same as understanding the cosmos.
So what’s the difference between infinitives and gerunds? Oftenthey are interchangeable—both infinitives and gerunds can act as subjects and direct objects.
Living with a dog changes your outlook on life. (correct)
To live with a dog changes your outlook on life. (also correct)
Howeveronly gerunds can be the object of a preposition.
When I’m not fishingI’m thinking about fishing.
Moreoversome transitive verbs only use infinitives as a direct object—for examplewant.
I want to break free. (correct)
I want breaking free. (incorrect)
Although there are otherssome common verbs use infinitives. They include the following: choosedecidehopeplanpreparepromisewish.
In generaluse the infinitives for situations that are abstractunrealor haven’t happened yet. Use gerunds for situations that are specificrealor have already happened.
In the morningsI really like to exercise. (abstract; infinitive)
This morningI really liked exercising. (specific; gerund)
How to conjugate verbs in English
Using verbs isn’t as easy as just tossing them in a sentence. They need to represent the tense you wantas well as match the subject (subject-verb agreementexplained below). This is called verb conjugationor changing the verb to fit the sentence. In Englishthere are four main tenseseach divided into three time periodstotalling twelve tenses. Some other tenses existbut these are the most common ones.
Main tenses:
- simple
- continuous
- perfect
- perfect continuous
Time periods:
- present
- past
- future
Belowwe explain how to conjugate each of the main tenses in the presentpastand future. Keep in mind that irregular verbs may use different forms.
No matter what tense you useyour verb has to match the number of the subject. In other wordssingular subjects conjugate verbs differently than plural subjects.
A lot of the timeyou either add –s to the end of the verb or you don’t. Howevermore advanced tenses with auxiliary verbs can get tricky—both be and have are irregular verbsso you have to pay close attention to using their right forms even when they’re not the main verb.
How to conjugate simple tenses
The simple tenses are the most straightforward—that’s what makes them simple. They represent individualone-time actions.
How to conjugate the present tense
The simple present tense is used for actions that happen regularly or things that don’t changesuch as preferences or opinions. It’s made with the root formunless the subject is third-person singular (heshethe singular theyit)in which case you use the third-person singular present form.
[ROOT] or [THIRD-PERSON SINGULAR PRESENT]
Kim feels lousy today.
I study every night before bed.
How to conjugate the past tense
The simple past tense describes a single action that already took placeor a habitual action that no longer occurs. It uses the simple past form explained above.
[SIMPLE PAST]
When I was youngI played in the backyard every day.
They lost againand no one was surprised.
How to conjugate the future tense
The simple future tense describes events that have not happened yetas in planning or preparing. It uses the root formbut adds the word will in front.
will + [ROOT]
You will study verbs until you understand them.
Once againhistory will repeat itself.
How to conjugate continuous tenses
The continuous tense—also known as the progressive tense—is used for mostly ongoing events that are temporary.
Remember that stative verbs cannot be used in the continuous tense. Actions about feelings or states of being that happened in the past use the simple past tense.
How to conjugate the present continuous tense
The present continuous tense is used oftenand has many different uses:
- events happening right now
- ongoing events that are temporary
- plans for the near future
It’s often confused with the present simple; situations which might seem like the simple present—such as actions happening currently—are actually best represented by the present continuous.
Form the present continuous by adding the conjugated simple present form of be before the present participle of your main verb (the -ing form).
am / is / are + [PRESENT PARTICIPLE]
Tony is sleeping at the moment.
Laterwe’re seeing the new zombie movie. Everyone is talking about it!
How to conjugate the past continuous tense
The past continuous tense shows ongoing events that happened in the pastspecifically ones that have a definitive beginning and end. It can also be used to show a past event that was interrupted by another past event. Note that the past continuous is only used for events that are completed.
Form the past continuous by adding the conjugated simple past form of be before the present participle. Yesthe present participle.
was/were + [PRESENT PARTICIPLE]
They were eating dinner when the phone rang.
It was raining all daybut we still had fun indoors.
How to conjugate the future continuous tense
The future continuous tense describes ongoing events that will happen in the futurespecifically if they have a definitive beginning and end.
It’s formed by adding the words will be before the present participle.
will be + [PRESENT PARTICIPLE]
We will be skiing all day Saturday.
After I quityou will be begging me to come back to work.
How to conjugate the perfect tense
As one of the most confusing tenses in Englishthe perfect tense takes some practice. It has very particular usage guidelines—especially the present perfect—and it’s closely related to the simple past.
How to conjugate the present perfect tense
The present perfect tense is used for a few special circumstancesmostly connected to past events that haven’t yet ended:
- actions started in the past but continue into the present
- repeated actions in the past without mentioning when
- past actionsfor more emphasis or dramatic effect
To form the present perfect tenseadd the present conjugation of have before the verb’s past participle.
has/have + [PAST PARTICIPLE]
I’ve worked here since the beginning.
Macbeth has murdered the king!
(Macbeth murdered the king! is also correctbut the present perfect makes it sound more dramatic.)
How to conjugate the past perfect tense
When a sentence has two past eventsuse the past perfect tensealso known as the pluperfectto show which one happened first. It’s typically used in compound or complex sentences with two clauses to show the order in which they happened.
For the past perfect tense by adding had before the past participle.
had + [PAST PARTICIPLE]
I had forgotten about our date until she reminded me.
When our plane finally landedthey had already left the airport.
How to conjugate the future perfect tense
The future perfect tense refers to an unfinished event from a future when it’s already completed. Confused? Say you’re riding your bike on Saturday. By Sundayyou’ll be finished riding your bike. You can say“My bike ride will have finished by Sunday.” That’s why the future perfect tense is usually used with an expression of timefor context.
It’s formed by adding the words will have before the past participle. You don’t need to conjugate “have,” because it’s the same no matter what the subject is.
will have + [PAST PARTICIPLE]
By the time I can voteI will have graduated already.
We will have stayed together for twenty-five years in August.
How to conjugate the perfect continuous tense
One of the more complicated tenses in Englishthe perfect continuous tense combines the perfect and continuous tenses at the same time. It’s largely used like the perfect tensebut with ongoing or continuous actions.
How to conjugate the present perfect continuous tense
The present perfect continuous tense describes an ongoing action started in the past that continues to the present. If that sounds familiarit’s because that’s one of the situations we use the normal present perfect tensetoo.
So what’s the difference? The present perfect and the present perfect continuous can often be used interchangeablybut the big difference is emphasis. The present perfect continuous emphasizes that the event is ongoingwhereas the present perfect alone emphasizes completion or achievement.
To form the present perfect continuousadd the conjugated form of havethe word beenand the present participle.
has/have + been + [PRESENT PARTICIPLE]
The town has been mining gold since the 1800s.
I’ve been locked in my closet for hours!
How to conjugate the past perfect continuous tense
Like the past perfectthe past perfect continuous tense is used in complex and compound sentences to show which event happened first. While the past perfect tense describes an individual actionthe past perfect continuous shows an ongoing action that is already finished.
Form the past perfect continuous tense by adding the words had been before the present participle.
had been + [PRESENT PARTICIPLE]
Until the moment our picnic beganthe sun had been shining all day.
She had been waiting for a sign before she finally asked him out.
How to conjugate the future perfect continuous tense
The future perfect continuous tense functions just like the future perfect tenseexcept with an ongoing action. The major difference is that with the future perfect tensethe event will have endedbut with the future perfect continuousthe event would still be happening by that time in the future. Bothhoweverare frequently used with expressions of time.
The future perfect continuous tense is formed by adding the words will have been before the present participle.
will have been + [PRESENT PARTICIPLE]
In a few weeksshe will have been studying English for a whole year.
By 6:00we will have been stuck in this elevator for four hours.
3 expert tips on putting verbs into action
1 Use verbs instead of other words for more powerful writing
Verbs aren’t just necessary for grammar—they’re also the most helpful words for writing. Whether you’re writing a school essaywork emailor social media posttry to use verbs over nouns or adjectives to provide the details.
This may involve rewording some of your sentencesbut your changes will improve your writing as a whole. Strong writing uses as few words as possibleso a single verb sounds better than a group of words that say the same thing.
He is a proofreader for work.
He proofreads for work.
In the endwe were successful.
In the endwe succeeded.
2 Use the active voice whenever you can
Although the passive voice is grammatically correctthe active voice is usually preferred. It follows the same principle mentioned above: Fewer words mean stronger writing. Not only does the active voice sound betterbut also it’s easier for your reader to understand because the subject comes first.
Whenever you notice a sentence in the passive voicesee if you can reword it to say the same thing in the active voice.
The homecoming game was attended by almost every student.
Almost every student attended the homecoming game.
It was there that they found the lost ring.
They found the lost ring there.
3 Use specific verbs instead of modifying general verbs
Our last tip again follows the principle that fewer words are better. Instead of modifying or describing your verb to get across your meaningtry using anothermore specific verb instead.
There are thousands of verbs in the English language; instead of adding words to describe the verb you haveuse another more precise verb to take its place.
run fast → sprint
talk quietly → whisper
bump into each other → collide
Of courseknowing the right word in every circumstance is not easyespecially if English isn’t your primary language. Don’t be afraid to use the Grammarly writing assistant. In addition to catching all spelling and grammar mistakes while you write, Grammarly can also suggest better word choice. Grammarly’s writing feedback can recommend betterstronger verbs with the meaning you’re looking foras well as suggest alternatives to words you use over and over again. Try it and see how your writing improves!
This article was originally written in 2017. It’s been updated to include new information.
