Action Verbs for Kids K-5

What is an Action Verb?

An action verb is a word that describes… an action! When something happens in a sentence, the action verb is the word that expresses that action.

For example, the words eat and jump are action verbs. They tell you exactly what happened.

You probably use action verbs all the time without realizing it because they’re one of the basic building blocks of communication in English.

Simple Action Verb Flashcards For K-2

Can you sing? Do you eat breakfast? Check out these action verb flashcards with simple images. To move to the next slide click </>.

Types Of Verbs for 3-5+

Compare these verbs, and see if you can identify how they’re different:

Action Verb

to finish, to accept, to finish, to leap, to fix, to sing

Stative Verb

to have, to belong, to like, to love, to hate, to resemble

Linking Verb

to be, to become, to appear

As you can see from these lists, action verbs have a lot more energy than stative or linking verbs. This makes them essential for good writing.

Whether you’re writing essays, newspaper articles, resumes, or client reports, action verbs bring your ideas to life. In a history paper, action verbs will make your text much more exciting to read. And on your resume, action verbs will highlight all of the hard work you’ve been doing.

Importance of Action Verbs

There are several other types of verbs in English, but these don’t pack as much of a punch in writing. For example, there are stative and linking verbs.

Stative verbs, as the name suggests, report a state of being, rather than something that is actually happening. On the other hand, a linking verb simply connects the subject and the complement that describes the subject of the sentence.

Action Verb Tenses

Action verbs are a little different than stative and linking verbs because you can use action verbs in any tense. (Stative and linking verbs are more limited)

So, past, present, and future are all okay!

Here are some examples:

To Eat

I eat, I ate, I will eat
I am eating, I was eating, I will be eating
I have eaten
I will have eaten

To Go

you go, you went, you will go
you are going; you were going, you will be going
you have gone
you will have gone

To Walk

they walk, they walked, they will walk
they are walking, and they were walking, they will be walking
they have walked

Action Verb Examples

Everything you do, every single day, is an action verb! Here are some common action verbs you might come across.

Everyday Action Verbs

Here are some everyday action verbs, you may have seen some of them before!

Physical

to walk, to jog, to run
to skip, to jump, to hop
to stop, to go
to laugh, to cry, to scream
to eat, to gorge
to clean, to sweep, to wash
to punch, to kick, to bruise
to slice, to chop, to cut
to sleep, to nap, to toss and turn, to wake
to study, to write, to erase, to blot
to draw, to paint, to sculpt
to play, to climb, to build, to race
to take, to give
to smile, to frown, to sigh
to whistle, to sing, to hum
to trip, to fall, to stumble
to call, to text, to phone
to travel, to visit, to explore

Mental

to think, to ponder, to wonder
to hope, to dream, to imagine
to plan, to organize, to envision
to remember, to forget
to guess, to estimate, to predict
to hesitate, to consider, to dither, to waver

Provoking Emotion

to astonish, to amaze
to please, to impress
to surprise, to scare, to startle
to bother, to annoy
to worry, to concern

Action Verbs for School

You can quickly explain exactly what you did at school with just a word or two. So, take a look at these verbs to help you describe the work you’ve been doing and show off how good you are at school!

Leadership

to supervise, to lead, to manage
to monitor, to inspect
to oversee, to spearhead
to chair, to head, to direct
to coordinate, to organize, to facilitate
to authorize, to verify, to enforce

Creation

to create, to plan, to produce
to develop, to design
to found, to form
to institute, to pioneer
to propose, to build

Improvement

to improve, to advance, to move forward
to expand, to enhance, to increase
to stimulate, to energize
to revitalize, to restore,
to modernize, to digitize
to standardize, to maximize
to gain, to promote
to redesign, to overhaul
to revamp, to rehabilitate
to streamline, to optimize, to refine, to simplify
to strengthen, to clarify
to restructure, to remodel

Support

to support, to motivate
to train, to mentor, to teach
to cultivate, to foster
to recruit, to train
to unify, to mobilize, to enable

Research

to research, to analyze
to evaluate, to examine
to qualify, to quantify
to compile, to interview, to interpret
to discover, to explore
to project, to forecast, to model

Communication

to write, to author, to draft
to document, to outline
to edit, to critique, to review
to pitch, to sell
to acquire, to close
to campaign, to convince, to lobby, to persuade
to publicize, to present, to promote
to partner, to negotiate
to forge, to secure

Accomplishing Goals

to accomplish, to win, to finish, to attain
to overcome, to succeed,
to surpass, to exceed
to earn, to reach
to demonstrate, to complete

Conclusion

Action verbs are a very easy concept to grasp, but using them in your writing has huge implications. Action verbs are much more exciting than stative or linking verbs, so people will engage better with what you have to say.

So, add passion to your writing with more action verbs!

And for more great grammar resources, check out the other articles on this page. There are many useful tips and tricks for jazzing up your writing!

Want more resources for elementary students? Check out the links below.