English Grammar Basics · 2 min read

Action Verbs

Action verbs express an action whether physical or mental. An action verb tells us what the subject of the sentence is doing or has done. Looking at examples helps make it clear the function of action verbs in sentences and what purpose they serve. Some action verbs are physical actions: swim, jump, drop, whistle or mental actions: think, dream, believe, suppose, love.
He swims very fast.

The train whistles loudly.

I often think about the holiday.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verb

A	B	C	D
accelerate	back	calculate	debug
accomplish	bake	catalogue	decide
achieve	balance	categorize	define
acquire	ban	chair	delegate
activate	bargain	channel	deliver
adapt	battle	change	demonstrate
add	beautify	chart	derive
adjust	begin	clarify	design
administer	believe	coach	detect
allocate	benefit	code	determine
analyze	bid	collaborate	develop
annotate	bill	collect	devise
anticipate	blend	communicate	diagnose
apply	block	compare	direct
appraise	boost	compile	discover
appoint	borrow	complete	discuss
articulate	brainstorm	compose	dispense
assemble	brief	compete	display
assess	broadcast	compute	dissect
assign	broaden	conceive	distribute
attain	budget	conduct	document
author	build	confront	draft
		connect	dramatize
		consolidate	drive
		contact	duplicate
		continue
		contract
		coordinate
		correspond
		counsel
		create
		critique
		convene

E	F	G	H

earn	fabricate	galvanize	handle
effect	facilitate	gear	harness
edit	face	generate	head
educate	fashion	govern	help
elicit	file	grant	hire
employ	finance	grasp	host
employ	fix	greet	hypothesize
encourage	focus	grill
endure	forecast	group
enlist	formulate	guarantee
entertain	foster	guide
establish	find
estimate	found
evaluate	frame
examine	fulfill
expand	function
exchange
execute
expedite
exercise
exhibit
explain
explore

I	J	L	M
increase	join	launch	maintain
insure	judge	learn	manage
invent	justify	lecture	market
influence	jumpstart	leverage	master
interpret	juggle	license	match
inventory		lift	measure
inform		link	mediate
intervene		listen	mentor
investigate		locate	merge
initiate		log	model
interview		lobby	modify
inquire		look	monitor
introduce		lower	motivate
			mold
			modernize
			mobilize
			map
			maximize
			manufacture
			moderate

N	O	P	Q
narrate	observe	participate	qualify
navigate	obtain	perceive	quantify
negotiate	offer	perform	question
nominate	operate	persuade	queue
note	optimize	plan	quote
notice	orchestrate	prepare
nurture	organize	prescribe
	outline	present
	outsource	preside
	overcome	process
	overhaul	produce
	oversee	program
		promote
		protect
		provide
		publicize
		publish
		purchase
		predict

R	S	T	U
recommend	schedule	tailor	undertake
record	search	tackle	unify
recruit	select	target	unlock
reduce	serve	teach	unveil
reinforce	service	test	update
regulate	share	track	upgrade
render	shape	train	uplift
repair	simplify	transcribe	urge
report	solicit	transfer	use
represent	solve	transform	utilize
reproduce	seek	translate
research	specify	transport
resolve	stimulate	troubleshoot
respond	study	type
restore	succeed	tabulate
retain	suggest	terminate
retrieve	summarize	tour
review	support	triage
revise	survey	triumph
rewrite	supervise	trace
route	synthesize	trim
	systematize	tutor

W	X	Y	Z
wage	X-ray	yank	zero
walk	Xerox	yearn	zip
welcome		yell	zone
go		yield	zoom
whisper		yell
widen		yoke
win
withdraw
withhold
work
weave
wrap
write