Do you want to talk about actions in English? This article will help you understand action verbs—the most common and useful words in English. These verbs show what someone does, says, or feels. You will learn what action verbs are and how they are used and get a list of 200 common action verbs to improve your vocabulary.
What Are Action Verbs?
Action verbs are words that show an action. These actions can be:
- Physical (things you do with your body)
- Mental (things you think or feel)
In short, action verbs are words that tell what someone or something does.
Examples of Action Verbs
➤ She runs every morning.
➤ They eat lunch at 1 PM.
➤ He writes stories.
➤ I think about my goals.
➤ We play football on Sunday.
Where Are Action Verbs Used?
Action verbs are used in daily sentences, questions, instructions, and stories. Here are some examples in different contexts:
1. In Sentences
- The boy jumps on the bed.
- She reads a book.
2. In Questions
- Do you like tea?
- Did he call you?
3. In Instructions
- Close the door.
- Wash your hands.
4. In Stories
- The cat chased the mouse.
- He opened the box slowly.
Types of Action Verbs
There are two main types of action verbs in English:
| Type | Meaning | Words | Sentences |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Action | Shows body movement | run, jump, write, eat | She kicks the ball. They climb the hill. |
| Mental Action | Shows thoughts, emotions, or feelings | think, hope, believe, love | I know the answer. He believes in hard work. |
200 Common Action Verbs in English
Here is a full list of 200 action verbs used in English. These are simple, everyday words that help you build better sentences.
| A–B | C–D | E–F | G–H |
|---|---|---|---|
| ask | carry | eat | guess |
| answer | catch | enjoy | help |
| arrive | chase | escape | hug |
| bake | choose | explain | hit |
| build | cry | enter | hang |
| blow | clean | fold | hope |
| bring | clap | fix | hide |
| break | dance | feed | hear |
| bite | drive | float | hurry |
| borrow | dig | follow | hold |
| I–J | K–L | M–N | O–P |
|---|---|---|---|
| imagine | kick | make | open |
| improve | kill | move | observe |
| invite | laugh | meet | organize |
| include | lift | miss | obey |
| iron | listen | nod | offer |
| itch | look | notice | paint |
| ignore | learn | need | plan |
| inform | leave | name | play |
| introduce | love | mention | point |
| increase | lie (down) | manage | push |
| Q–R | S–T | U–V | W–Z |
|---|---|---|---|
| question | say | use | walk |
| quit | see | visit | wash |
| race | shout | vote | watch |
| reach | sing | vanish | whisper |
| read | sit | view | win |
| ride | sleep | value | write |
| ring | smile | volunteer | worry |
| run | speak | understand | wink |
| remind | stop | urge | wave |
| reply | study | update | yell |
30 Common Action Verbs with Examples
- Run – I run every morning.
- Eat – She eats rice for lunch.
- Drink – They drink water after playing.
- Sleep – The baby sleeps all day.
- Read – I read a book every night.
- Write – He writes letters to his friends.
- Walk – We walk to school every day.
- Talk – She talks to her mom.
- Play – The kids play in the park.
- Sit – Please sit on the chair.
- Stand – They stand in a line.
- Watch – I watch TV in the evening.
- Listen – We listen to music.
- Cook – My mother cooks delicious food.
- Clean – He cleans his room.
- Open – Please open the window.
- Close – She closes the door slowly.
- Help – I help my friend with homework.
- Buy – We buy fruits from the market.
- Give – He gives me a pen.
- Take – She takes the book from the table.
- Call – I call my brother every day.
- Laugh – They laugh at the funny story.
- Cry – The baby cries loudly.
- Jump – The boy jumps high.
- Wash – I wash my hands before eating.
- Drive – He drives a car.
- Look – Look at the sky!
- Smile – She smiles at me.
- Think – I think about my future.
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