A verb is an ACTION! A verb is a word that is something you DO. Here’s a way to get
the hang of verbs: Think of a profession, and then think what do they DO?
Doctors: Examine, measure, take temperature, thump, prod, poke, and think
Bakers: Knead, ice, mix, stir, measure, smell, sift
Skiers: Slalom, slide, jump, fall, race, and win!
Babies: Cry, gurgle, nap, squirm, cuddle and burp.
All those words are VERBS because they are ACTIONS They are things people DO!
TO BE VERBS Hamlet said it best, “To be or not To BE,
that is the question.” When it comes to verbs, the verb TO BE is one big exception.
The verb “to be” is conjugated like any other verb: I AM, you ARE he,she or it IS,
we are, you (plural) Are and they ARE When you see these words in a sentence, you
may be dealing with a “TO BE” verb. I AM tired
You ARE gorgeous He, she or it IS sleepy
You ARE the winners We ARE nervous
In these sentences, just TO BE will be enough to qualify you for VERB status. When is a
TO BE verb NOT “TO BE”? Sometimes you have an action verb that needs a helping word
to explain WHEN it is going on. The way verbs change to show WHEN something happens, is
called a TENSE. There are LOTS of tenses, but for today, we’ll just show you how the
helping word can look like a “to be” verb. I AM walking to the store. In this sentence,
the verb is WALKING and the AM is “helping” the verb “to walk” So, if you want to
know if a word is a verb, or a “TO BE” verb, check and see if it is “helping”
another word along to show WHEN it happened.
Here’s a test: is the TO BE verb by itself? Or is it helping another action?
I AM hungry. Is there another action? No! So it’s a “to be” verb.
I AM skiing really well today. Is AM helping another action word? Skiing! Yes! So in this
case, you have a “helping word,” not a “to be” verb.
Remember, when you think VERBS ACTIONS speak louder than words…