Language Arts: Action, Linking, and Helping Verbs
Identifying and using different kinds of verbs
Language Arts: Action, Linking, and Helping Verbs
Identifying and using different kinds of verbs
Language Arts - Grade 4-5
- 1
In the sentence 'Maya runs to the park after school,' what kind of verb is 'runs'?
Action verbs show what someone or something does.
The verb 'runs' is an action verb because it shows what Maya does. - 2
In the sentence 'The soup smells delicious,' what kind of verb is 'smells'?
The verb 'smells' is a linking verb because it connects the subject 'soup' to the word 'delicious.' - 3
In the sentence 'The students are working quietly,' which verb is the helping verb?
A helping verb comes before the main verb.
The helping verb is 'are' because it helps the main verb 'working.' - 4
Write whether the underlined verb is action, linking, or helping: 'Carlos is happy today.'
The verb 'is' is a linking verb because it connects Carlos to the word 'happy.' - 5
Write whether the underlined verb is action, linking, or helping: 'The baby slept through the night.'
If the verb shows an action, it is an action verb.
The verb 'slept' is an action verb because it tells what the baby did. - 6
In the sentence 'They have finished their project,' identify the helping verb and the main verb.
The helping verb is 'have,' and the main verb is 'finished.' - 7
In the sentence 'My brother became a doctor,' what kind of verb is 'became'?
Linking verbs connect the subject to a noun or adjective.
The verb 'became' is a linking verb because it connects 'brother' to 'doctor.' - 8
Choose the action verb in this sentence: 'The birds chirped loudly at sunrise.'
The action verb is 'chirped' because it tells what the birds did. - 9
In the sentence 'Sara was reading a mystery book,' which word is the helping verb?
Look for the verb that comes before the verb ending in -ing.
The helping verb is 'was' because it helps the main verb 'reading.' - 10
In the sentence 'The leaves turn red in autumn,' what kind of verb is 'turn'?
The verb 'turn' is a linking verb because it connects 'leaves' to the word 'red.' - 11
Write a sentence of your own that uses an action verb.
Use a verb that shows something a person or thing does.
Answers will vary. A correct answer is a complete sentence with an action verb, such as 'I kicked the ball across the field.' - 12
Write a sentence of your own that uses a linking verb.
Answers will vary. A correct answer is a complete sentence with a linking verb, such as 'The sky is blue today.' - 13
Write a sentence of your own that uses a helping verb and a main verb.
Try using words like 'is,' 'are,' 'was,' or 'have' before the main verb.
Answers will vary. A correct answer is a complete sentence with a helping verb and a main verb, such as 'We are making posters for class.' - 14
Read the sentence 'The cake tastes sweet.' Is 'tastes' an action verb, linking verb, or helping verb?
The verb 'tastes' is a linking verb because it connects 'cake' to the word 'sweet.' - 15
Read the sentence 'The dog has been barking all morning.' Identify all the helping verbs and the main verb.
Some verb phrases have more than one helping verb.
The helping verbs are 'has' and 'been,' and the main verb is 'barking.'