Action+Verbs

The Action Verb

Recognize an action verb when you see one.
Explode! Scream! Sneeze! Type! Kick! What are these words doing? They are expressing action, something that a person, animal, force of nature, or thing can do. As a result, we call these words action verbs. Look at the examples below: >> In the library and at church, Michele __giggles__ inappropriately. >> __Giggling__ is something that Michele can do. >> Because of the spicy Jamaican pepper, David reached for his glass of iced tea. >> __Reaching__ is something that David can do—happily, if his mouth is on fire. >> Carlos __watched__ pretty women in skimpy bikinis parading on the beach. >> __Watching__ is something that Carlos can do. >> The alarm clock __buzzed__ like an angry bumblebee. >> __Buzzing__ is something that the alarm clock can do. >> The coffee maker __gurgled__ on the kitchen counter. >> __Gurgling__ is something that the coffee maker can do. If you are unsure whether a sentence contains an action verb or not, look at every word in the sentence and ask yourself, "Can a person or thing do this?" Read the sentence below: Can you __during__? Is during something you can do? Can you __biology__? Is there someone __biologying__ outside the building right now? Can you __class__? Do your obnoxious neighbors keep you up until 2 a.m. because they are __classing__? Can you __Omesh__? What does a person do when he's __Omeshing__? Can you __nap__? Bingo! Sure you can! You'd probably prefer __napping__ to listening to a biology lecture yourself. Can you __at__? Of course not! Can you __his__? Show me __hising__. Can you __desk__? Demonstrate __desking__ for me! <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">In the sentence above, there is only one action verb: <span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">napped <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">.
 * <span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">During biology class, Omesh napped at his desk.