Chapter
Three Types of Verbs
There are three types of verbs.
- Alive verbs ——– show we are alive. is, was, were, are
- Action verbs ——— show action. put, ask, remember, think
- Noun verbs ———- nouns acting as verbs. hammer, saw, nail, collar
Noun-verbs are verbs that can also be nouns. They are the best kinds of verbs. They show an object and an action at the same time.
![](https://www.gws.training/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Verbs-three-types-1024x854.jpg)
Three Types of Verbs Activity 1
Determine if these are alive verbs, action verbs, or noun verbs
1. plant | 6. table | 11. label | 16. is |
2. were | 7. think | 12. paper | 17. roof |
3. imagine | 8. was | 13. curtain | 18. weigh |
4. crawls | 9. chicken | 14. beg | 19. wall |
5. gallop | 10. picture | 15. cloud | 20. sigh |
Verbs and Wordiness
Strong verbs help us say things quicker:
John rode his bicycle from Oregon to Washington.
John bicycled from Oregon to Washington.
The game was put on television.
The game was televised.
The dogs chased a raccoon up a tree.
The dogs treed a raccoon.
Sometimes you must find a better verb from outside the sentence. For example, make in this sentence is weak. The writer finds a stronger verb that is not in the sentence.
Wordy and weak: To make cookies, turn on the oven to 350°.
Stronger: Bake the cookies at 350°.
Three Types of Verbs Activity 2
Reduce the following by changing a noun to a noun-verb.
1. I want you to put those papers into boxes. |
2. Jane was the chair of the basketball committee. |
3. Barry and Wendy played on the teeter-totter after school. |
4. Juanita put up wallpaper in her bedroom. |
5. John rode a jet-ski to Paradise Island. |
6. Sally jumped all the way to school on her pogostick. |
7. Jennifer used a tape recorder for the work she needed to memorize. |
8. Ms. Prince managed to get tickets for her clients for their trip to Figi. |
Three Types of Verbs Activity 3
Use a stronger action verb or a noun-verb to reduce the following:
1. The giraffe reached its neck up like a crane to eat the highest leaf. |
2. The malfunctioning stoplight caused traffic to bottleneck for an hour. |
3. Jeff flew a helicopter to Lake Swan for some fabulous fishing. |
4. Can you tell me if Paris Hilton likes to shop in Paris, France? |
5. I submitted an application for the job. |
6. Sonya took her boat to Crew Island. |
7. Jesse put icing on the wedding cake. |
8. John pushed the accelerator to 110. |