List of Common Verbs (400+ in English with Examples)

What are common verbs? Ever wondered the purpose behind studying grammar? Every language needs rules, principles and conventions to ensure that there are no ambiguities in usage and is uniformly adopted by all the speakers of the language.

The English language has 8 parts of speech: verb, noun, pronoun, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction and interjection.

Each part-of-speech explains the context of the word and not its meaning. For example, a word can act as a verb, a noun or adjective depending on the context.

In this article, we will study about verbs, their types and a comprehensive list of commonly used verbs.

What are common verbs?

Common verbs are words used to describe a physical action, state, condition, situation or an occurrence.

Common verbs in English

Some commonly used verbs in English are listed below:

Accelerate
Advise
Accept
Alert
Ask
Attach
Argue
Arrest
Assist
Abandon
Abbreviate
Annoy
Beat
Begin
Beg
Back
Babble
Bother
Bug
Catch
Challenge
Compete
Convince
Call
Command
Comfort
Comment
Concur
Condemn
Condone
Collect
Dye
Distract
Disturb
Divert
Divide
Dress
Doubt
Dodge
Donate
Drink
Drift
Drive
Drop
Dust
End
Enclose
Encircle
Encourage
Endorse
Endure
Engrave
Enhance
Entice
Envy
Erase
Forget
Flash
Found
Frame
Free
Fret
Fumble
Fume
Gape
Gasp
Gauge
Gang
Hang
Handle
Hike
Investigate
Inquire
Irritate
Jut
Jump
Justify
Juggle
Kill
Ring
Rinse
Rip
Rise
Risk
Roam
Roar
Roast
Rob
Rock
Roll
Teach
Tear
Tease
Tell
Temper
Tempt
Undo
Undertake
Uphold
Upset
Urge
Use
Wed
Wedge
Wet
Welcome
Whine
Whip
Who
X-ray
Yap
Zig-zag

What are dynamic verbs?

Dynamic verbs are verbs used to represent a physical action, a continued change or progressive action by a person or thing.

Most of these actions have a specific duration with a clear beginning and end.

A dynamic verb may be physical,a mental state or thought process.

E.g. jump, run, walk, talk etc.

What are stative verbs?

Stative verbs, on the other hand,are used to describe a state of being rather than a physical action.

They describe conditions that are static i.e. unchanging. Stative verbs are used to describe:

Mental state
Emotions
Senses
Possessions
Measures and costs
Opinions and beliefs

What are modal verbs?

Modal verbs are used to indicate a modality like order, necessity, possibility, probability, intent, ability or even suggestion.

The modal verbs in English are can, could, shall, should, may, might, must, will, would and ought to.

Difference between common and irregular verbs

Common verbs have a particular pattern or trait that can be identified across all the verbs. Irregular verbs on the other hand deviate from this pattern and have anomalous forms.

Regular Verbs:

I can walk fast. (Simple Present)

I walked fast.(Simple Past)

I can jump high.

I jumped high.

Here, we notice that the Simple Past tense of the common verbs walk and jump, both have -ed as a suffix.

Irregular Verbs:

I go home after school. (Simple Present)

I went home after school. (Simple Past)

I know the song.

I knew the song.

But for irregular verbs, go and know, the past tense is different.

Example of verbs in simple tense

I run five miles a day.
I walk with my dog in the park.
I know she likes me.

Example of verbs in continuous tense

He is having breakfast now.
He will be going to the museum tomorrow.
He was eating an icecream.

Example of verbs in perfect tense

I have seen the movie twice this summer.
If she had gone to my aunt’s house during the vacation, I would have seen her.
He has been in class all morning.

Example of verbs in perfect continuous tense

We have been waiting for you since 5 pm.
They had been going to yoga classes all year.
Gary has been coming late for class all semester.

List of verbs with example sentences

A

Accelerate

My dad scolded me when I accelerated the car beyond the speed limit.

Accommodate

My upstairs neighbor was very kind to accommodate all of us in their guest bedroom until the flood waters receded from our home.

Accompany

Will you accompany me to the wedding next week?

Accomplish

What will you accomplish by plotting revenge,Carl? It will only end up hurting you.

Accumulate

The laundry pile has been accumulating and I am running out of clothes to wear.

Achieve

I will achieve my goal of reading 100 books this year by November end!

Acquire

The multi-national company, Plato, announced that it acquired a major stake in Sock & Crates, an ed-tech platform.

Act

Acting out your anger on others is a mark of a bad personality.

Activate

How do you activate the SIM card after buying it?

Adapt

Did you adapt well to the climate up north?

Add

Add a pinch of salt to the salad before serving it.

Address

I wanted to address the elephant in the room as the whole family was acting as if nothing happened.

Adjust

Did you adjust my seat when you were here?

Administer

The nurse administered my second dose of Covid vaccine on my left arm.

Advertise

We advertised our brand through flyers, billboards and focussed digital marketing.

Advise

I advised our daughter to approach us with any issue without any apprehension.

Advocate

My Math professor advocated for my selection as the school representative to the District Math Whiz competition.

Aid

Tanya aided my quick recovery from leg injury by helping me with physiotherapy and taking me for doctor’s visits every week.

Align

I wanted to align the books on the shelf in alphabetical order but it looks awkward now due to the uneven sizes of the books.

Analyse

I analysed the game I played with Marcus and found that I missed a win by a whisker.

Appoint

I was appointed as the class monitor for the entire term.

Arbitrate

The coach arbitrated the argument between the two basketball teams.

Arrange

I arranged the flowers in the bouquet I gave you last Summer.

Assemble

Why were the students asked to assemble at the park?

Assess

The professor assessed our papers and I got an “A”!

Assist

My friend assisted me in the project work.

Attain

Buddha attained Nirvana under the Bodhi tree.

Audit

Our company was audited last September by the IRS.

Authorize

I was authorized to conduct the search by the superintendent.

Automate

The automated sprinkler saved me so much time.

Avert

An accident was averted by the skilled car driver who pressed the brakes on time.

Award

I was awarded the title of “Ms.Clean and Green” at the office for contributing sustainable ideas to the project.

B

Balance

I balanced the pencil on the tip of my finger for twenty minutes without dropping it even once.

Begin

We always begin the Social class with a group activity.

Boost

My extra-curricular activities boosted my application for college and I got into the college of my dreams.

Brief

The general briefed us on the mission at the camp.

Build

We built our house on the east side of the river adjoining our farm.

Button

Did you button your shirt properly this time, Jim?

Butcher

The remake of the classic was butchered by the new director and robbed of all its essence.

Bust

The illegal drug ring was busted by the enforcement authorities in a thrilling encounter.

Bury

The ostrich does not bury its head in the sand out of fear of predators.

Burst

The balloons were burst by a cheeky kid even before the party started.

Burp

The whole family burst into laughter when the toddler burped.

Burn

I burned the candles all night long as there was a power cut due to the storm.

Bundle

I bundled up my clothes and shoved it into the closet since I had no time to fold.

Bunch

He bunched the papers and handed them over to me for examination.

Bump

I bumped into Lizzie last night at the restaurant.

Bumble

Wasn’t the speaker at the convention bumbling a lot?

Bully

Megan confessed that she bullied her younger brother to steal some cookies from the cabinet.

Buzz

Mosquitoes ruined my sleep by constantly buzzing near my ears.

C

Call

I called Valerie to join us for the dance practice sessions.

Calculate

Keshav calculated the risk of buying a house during a recession and decided against it.

Calm

I calmed my mother down when she was worried about serving food to 30 guests and promised to help out.

Capture

Keith captured a prize-worthy shot of the Amsterdam albatross.

Care

I cared for the chicks since they lost their mother.

Caress

I loved the way mom caresses my forehead when I lie down on her lap.

Carry

I carried the heavy luggage up the seven flights of stairs as the lift was under maintenance.

Carve

I carved our names on the old bench at grandpa’s place.

Cash

I cashed the checks in the morning and two of them bounced.

Cast

She cast her ring into the ocean during the cruise.

Catalog

The store cataloged all the inventory in an organized manner.

Catch

I caught the last train to Mussoorie.

Categorize

All the food items were categorized based on the country of origin.

Cause

The faulty traffic light caused a massive traffic jam.

Caution

My mom cautioned me against receiving food from strangers.

Cease

The store ceased selling CDs due to the falling demand.

Celebrate

We celebrated our anniversary at home with minimal decorations.

Center

The centre-table has to be centered.

Certify

We were certified as professionals at the end of the year-long course.

Challenge

She challenged us to a duel after school.

Change

She changed into her gym clothes.

Chant

The crowd chanted his name as he went up the stage.

Chaperone

I chaperoned the kids to their prom.

Charge

He charged us with assault.

Chase

I chased the warden down and asked him about the event.

Confuse

The kids confused the narrator with bizarre questions.

D

Dab

She dabbed the cotton in antiseptic lotion and pressed it against my wound.

Damage

The cyclone damaged the communication lines.

Dampen

The rains did not dampen the festive spirits of the children.

Dance

We danced around the bonfire at the camp.

Defend

The accused was asked to defend himself against all the allegations.

Dictate

The team lead dictated the project plan and other details during the last meeting.

Differ

My husband and I differ in our political views.

Differentiate

My mom never differentiated between me and my siblings.

Dig

We dug our backyard for hours in search of buried gold.

Digest

It was hard for her to digest the fact that her son was a thief.

Digress

The teacher digressed from the subject and veered the conversation into an interesting anecdote.

Dim

Let me dim the lights first.

Diminish

Debt does not diminish your personality, your attitude about it can!

Dine

Will you dine with me tonight?

Dip

I dipped my chip in sauce and it tasted like love.

Disagree

Why did you disagree with meeting her in the evening?

E

Eat

Do you eat after sunset all the time?

Eavesdrop

Eavesdropping is an invasion of privacy and an act of betrayal.

Echo

The committee echoed the concern of the common people and called for a blanket ban on alcohol.

Edge

The new company edged out all its competitors by the first quarter.

Educate

I need to educate my grandparents on the latest tech lingo.

Elaborate

Would you care to elaborate your stand on veganism?

Elbow

I elbowed him when he was not paying attention to the teacher.

Elect

The Parliament elected a President for the forty-fifth time in history.

Elevate

She was elevated to the rank of a General owing to her distinguished service.

Embrace

We embraced each other at the airport entrance.

Emerge

Out of a fierce competition between hundreds of schools, I emerged as the sole winner.

Empathize

Don’t you empathize with the victims of climate change who lost their homes due to a rise in sea level?

Emphasis

The syllabus emphasized on the importance of practical training.

Employ

The company employed millions of workers and ensured they enjoyed all benefits.

Empower

Women must be empowered to make their own decisions without the guilt of being selfish.

Empty

Can you empty the garbage can in the morning?

F

Face

Facing your fears may vanquish them.

Fail

I failed to notice the wet floor sign near the elevators.

Faint

I fainted during the morning assembly as I skipped my breakfast.

Fake

Sheila faked a leg injury to fool her friend on April Fool’s Day.

Fall

Gloria slipped and fell into the puddle.

Falter

I did not falter even when the examiner cross-questioned my research findings.

Familiarize

I had to familiarize myself with the local customs before travelling to foreign country.

Fan

I had to fan myself until the power came back.

Fancy

Nikhil fancied the gold jewelry on display.

Fantasize

My nephew fantasized about growing up so that he could join the Avengers!

Fasten

Mom always fastens the seat-belt for my five-year old brother even now.

Favor

He always favors his right while hiking.

Fear

She feared snakes and avoided the woods like the plague.

Feel

I felt a furry thing in the basement and ran out of there in an instant.

Feign

The thief feigned innocence the first time and got out.

Ferry

That man ferried us across the river safely.

Fetch

I fetched her spectacles from the cupboard.

Fidget

The teacher found him fidgeting with his new toy and confisticated it.

Fight

I fought a bear in my dreams and won!

File

Why is she filing for divorce?

Fill

Have you filled out the patient forms yet?

Finalize

The wedding was finalized last week.

G

Gamble

He gambled away their life savings.

Gargle

She gargled with salt water twice a day.

Gash

He gashed his arm while working in the garage.

Gather

They gathered all their things and left the place.

Gauge

Julie gauged the reaction of her parents and decided that the truth would be better.

Gawk

They gawked at his well-built body.

Gaze

She gazed out of her window.

Gesture

He gestured to her to get down from the train.

Get

They got the first coupon.

Giggle

The children giggled throughout the play.

Give

Would you give me another chance?

Glance

I glanced in her direction.

Glare

The driver glared at the honking bus driver.

H

Hack

He hacked into the computer systems.

Hail

The Millers hailed from a remote village.

Hallucinate

She hallucinated her dog during depression.

Halt

They halted the train to Kentucky when the protests started.

Hammer

I hammered the picture on the wall.

Hand

They handed me an award for bravery.

Handle

I handled the event adeptly.

Hang

She hung the portrait in the living room.

Harass

The guys harassed her until her friends arrived.

Harden

The egg hardened after some time.

Harm

No one harmed the puppy.

Harvest

She harvested the eggs right on time.

Hasten

The leader hastened the march.

I

Idealize

Ken idealized me from his childhood.

Identify

The kith and kin of the victim identified the remains.

Idolize

Kids idolize celebrities.

Ignite

He ignited many minds with his fiery speeches.

Ignore

They ignored the warning and paid for it.

J

Jab

The nurse jabbed me on my arm.

Jam

The car jammed on the lorry late at night.

Jerk

The train jerked a lot and made me vomit.

Jibe

The comedian jibed at the politician.

Keep

I keep the spare keys under the doormat.

Kick

Lily kicked the door open as her hands were full.

Kill

Her laughter killed the surprise for Jack.

Kiss

She kissed him goodnight every night!

Knead

Did you knead the dough properly?

Kneel

Why did they kneel at the game?

Knit

Grandma knits a sweater every winter and gifts it to me.

Knock

Knock twice before entering my room.

Knot

I knotted the rope in an amateur manner and was chided for it.

Know

I knew the movie was underrated.

L

Limp

Sam limped the whole term due to a serious bone fracture.

Linger

The smell of jasmine lingered in the air for two days.

List

I listed the strengths and weaknesses of all the team members before assigning responsibilities.

Listen

Do you listen to classical music like Anya?

Long

The astronauts longed for solid food during their 2 year outer space stay.

Look

The house looked deserted and haunted.

Loosen

She loosened her pants before devouring the large meal.

Love

I love watching the sunrise at the beach.

Lower

Never lower your expectations from society.

Lunge

The tiger lunged forward at the sight of a prey.

Lure

The kidnapper lured the children with chocolates and sweets.

Lurk

A stranger lurked near my room last night.

M

Morph

They had morphed the pictures badly.

Mourn

I mourned the death of my dog.

Mouth

He mouthed the words to the song during the concert.

Move

They moved the furniture to the other room.

Muffle

Their cries were muffled.

Mull

He mulled over his decision to quit.

Multiply

Jack multiplies his savings by investing.

Mumble

The maid mumbled throughout the day.

Munch

We munched on chips all evening.

Murmur

The children murmured when the kid forgot his lines.

Mutter

He muttered his name to his neighbor.

N

Need

Lang needed a pass to use the public transport in the city.

Neglect

Avrin neglected to visit the dentist and ended up with multiple cavities.

Negotiate

Remi negotiated and brought down the price of the car to almost half of the initial price.

Nest

The crows often nest in tall trees.

Nestle

Our farm is nestled in the valley adjoining the northern hills.

Nibble

The squirrel nibbled on the nuts we kept in the backyard.

Nip

A stray puppy nipped me on the leg.

Nod

We nodded in agreement when asked if the examination was tough.

Nominate

The class nominated Uri as the monitor unanimously.

Normalize

We need to normalize boys crying to help them grow into strong adults free to express themselves.

Note

She noted down the important announcements quickly.

Notice

Did you notice something different in the lab today?

Notify

We have to notify the authorities about the theft immediately.

Nudge

My friend nudged me to ask our seniors about the inter-cultural competitions.

Number

I always number the tokens to have a rough idea about the total number of attendees.

Nurse

My mother nursed me back to health after I fell sick with pneumonia.

O

Obey

You should always obey your parents.

Object

I objected to the use of crackers near the hospital premises.

Oblige

Mary was obliged to pay for the service.

Observe

She observed that the crowd went crazy every time the singer paused.

Obsess

I was obsessed with capturing the night sky on my new camera until the new project started.

Obtain

He obtained a pass for the New Years Party by waiting in line for hours.

Occur

The Geminid meteor shower occurs annually during the month of December.

Offend

He offended me by not offering to share his snacks when I had forgotten to bring mine.

Offer

Sam offered to drive me home last night.

Ogle

The fans ogled at the actress during the award ceremony.

Ooze

The juice oozed down the glass since I was not paying attention while pouring.

Open

Have you opened a bank account yet?

Operate

Have you operated on a heart in your experience as a surgeon?

Opine

The public opined that the new law was draconian.

Oppose

She opposed the new dress code rules stipulated by the college.

Opt

I opted for a difficult course this semester as I had enough time in the evening.

Order

The judge ordered the police to produce more evidence to substantiate the allegations levelled against the accused.

P

Prove

I proved to the teacher that my project was not plagiarised.

Provide

The city corporation provides water to the entire city using infrastructure that is failing, under repair or outdated.

Provoke

She provoked me by stating that atheists are mad and stubborn people.

Pry

I hate it when my neighbors pry on our personal affairs.

Publicize

The city publicized the beach-cleaning projects and was able to garner the support of millions as volunteers.

Pucker

She puckered her lips as she bent down to kiss the toddler.

Pull

He pulled the emergency brake when the woman screamed that a thief stole her chain and jumped out of the train.

Pummel

The wrestler pummeled his opponent on the ground with his strong fists.

Pump

I pumped gas into my car last week but ran out of fuel within hours.

Punch

She punched me in the jaw for bullying her.

Puncture

I punctured my tires by driving on rocky terrain and was stuck there for a day.

Punish

We were punished for lying about not playing games during study holidays.

Purchase

My brother purchased a brand new SUV and gifted it to our parents on their anniversary.

Purse

He pursed his lips when asked about his accomplice in stealing.

Pursue

The cops pursued the thieves for an hour before surrounding them and handcuffing them.

Push

I pushed the shopping cart around while my friend picked out the items from the shelves.

Put

I put two cubes of sugar in my tea and three cubes of sugar in my coffee.

Q

Qualify

We finally qualified for the Badminton finals after twelve years of consecutive eliminations.

Quarrel

My neighbors quarrelled over the parking space for an hour.

Question

The watchman questioned us when we arrived 10 minutes after curfew.

Queue

People queued up to watch the latest Marvel movie at the theatres.

Quicken

He quickened the drying by increasing the ventilation.

Quiet

The puppy quietened after screaming incessantly for hours.

Quit

He quit the job over disagreements with the management and even refused to meet the dean to iron out differences.

Quiz

We were quizzed on the anatomy of a frog this morning.

Quote

The price quoted was way over the budget and the plan fell through despite all his efforts.

R

Rhyme

Nothing rhymes with orange.

Rid

We got rid of the old typewriter and replaced it with a new one.

Riddle

My nephew riddles me every time we meet.

Ride

We rode the train to the carnival last summer and had loads of fun.

Ridicule

She ridiculed me over my choice of food but ended up sharing it with me.

S

Suspect

I suspected that she was also involved in the crime.

Swallow

I swallowed a bell when I was a child.

Sway

The trees swayed as the wind blew from the north.

Swear

She swore that she didn’t know of the deadline.

Sweep

The help swept the floor and found a gold ring under the table.

Swell

The wound swelled up after a day.

Swerve

I swerved the car to avoid the cow on the road!

Swim

She swims every evening at the club with her friend.

Swing

He swung the bat like a professional and wowed the audience.

Swipe

She swiped left and turned on the camera.

Swirl

He swirled her for capturing a boomerang on Instagram.

Switch

She switched on the lights.

Swoon

She swooned at his charming behavior.

T

Take

Do you take sugar with your coffee?

Talk

He talked me out of going out for dinner.

Tame

They tamed a wild squirrel and trained him to do some adorable tricks.

Tangle

They tangled the lights while unboxing it.

Task

We were tasked with finding the origin of chocolates.

taste

She tasted the soup and spat it out as it was too hot.

Tattoo

Chris tattooed a bird on his left wrist.

Taunt

The children taunted the monkeys but scattered away when the monkeys growled back.

U

Unbutton

I unbuttoned my shirt and changed into my t-shirt and pajamas.

Unclench

I unclenched my fist when I realized that the stranger lurking near my room was my friend.

Uncover

The police uncovered a major drug heist.

Undergo

She underwent a massive heart surgery in her teenage years.

Understand

He understood that it was not easy to keep lying.

V

Validate

The teacher validated my lab results.

Vanish

The stains vanished after washing.

Veer

She veered the cab towards the curb to avoid the pedestrian.

Vex

He was vexed over losing the championship.

Vibrate

The phone vibrated and woke me up.

View

I viewed the movie twice with my friends.

Visit

I will visit my aunt this fall.

Visualize

Can you visualize your success?

Vocalize

How do I vocalize my concerns to the committee?

Volunteer

We volunteered to help the team paint the wall.

Vomit

I vomited after driving uphill.

Vote

When can you vote for the President?

Vouch

She vouched for my innocence and I was able to escape punishment.

Vow

I vow to never smoke since I learnt the long-term adverse effects of smoking.

W

Wade

The lifeguard warned us not to wade into the deep end of the pool.

Waft

The smell of Hyderabadi biryani wafted out from the food stall.

Wag

Jerry wagged his tail quite vigorously when he saw the car and we knew he remembered them.

Wager

Tom wagered a large bet on the fastest horse but still lost all of his life’s fortunes.

Wail

Tina wailed so loud when her dog went missing that it woke up all the neighbors.

Wait

I waited in line to buy the latest novel by Ruskin Bond.

Wake

I woke up drenched in sweat as the power was out since midnight

Walk

I walked to school every day with my best friend who lives right down my street.

Wallow

My father always said, “Don’t wallow in self-pity. It will drown you.”

Waltz

King waltzed his way into the new team by showcasing his fine dribbling skills.

Wander

Wandering around the forest at night is prohibited by the government.

Want

She wanted an ice-cream.

Wind

Some old watches require winding before use.

Wink

My dad winked when my mom refused to let us buy icecreams.

Withstand

Will the house withstand a hurricane?

Witness

The little girl witnessed a miracle when her pet returned home after five months.

Wobble

The table has been wobbling since this morning.

Wonder

Don’t wonder where all the cookies went, just check the weighing scale!

Work

The team worked all night to submit the project on time.

Worry

She worried over her SAT results and spent many sleepless nights.

Worship

The early humans may have worshipped the elements of nature.

Wrap

The director ordered the crew to wrap up the shoot by noon.

Wreck

Tom wrecked my sand castle accidentally.

Wrestle

James wrestled his brother over the remote but it broke during the scuffle.

Wring

Wring the clothes well before hanging them so that they dry faster.

Wrinkle

I wrinkled my uniform by wrestling with my brother.

Write

I wrote an essay for the competition and won first place.

Writhe

Etty writhed in pain in the hospital after meeting with a car accident.

X

X-ray

All hand-luggages are X-rayed at the airport.

Y

Yank

Sally yanked Sue by her hair when she tried to cross the road without looking at the oncoming traffic.

Yap

Grandpa was yapping away stories from his childhood all evening while we munched on chips and cookies.

Yawn

I yawned during my Science class so I was pulled up and asked if I hadn’t slept last night.

Yell

Sonya yelled at her friend for littering on the road.

Yield

I yielded to pressure from my friends and entered the Quidditch championship.

Z

Zig-zag

When chased by a wild elephant, zig-zagging may be your best option.

Zone

I zoned out during the meeting and missed a couple of points.

Zoom

If you zoomed in, you would notice a hidden ring in the picture.

Stative verbs list with example sentences

Mental state

Examples:

I agreed to go to the concert.
He annoyed me relentlessly.
The plan was approved.
Sal astonished everyone with his painting.

agree	annoy	approve
astonish	believe	bias
concern	confuse	deny
disagree	disapprove	doubt
enrage	forget	imagine
impress	irritate	know
mean	neglect	please
promise	realize	recognize
remember	resent	satisfy
suppose	surprise	think
understand	vex	wreck

Possession

Examples:

He conceded defeat to his opponent.
She contained her laughter during the exam.
He wanted a new bike for his birthday.
Sheila dropped her new phone thrice!

concede	contain	desire
drop	fancy	hold
include	involve	keep
lack	lost	maintain
misplace	occupy	own
release	relinquish	retain
surrender	use	want
yield	possess	protect

Emotions

Examples:

I adored my niece until she grew up and stole all my books!
The crowd was agitated.
He appreciated the efforts of the planning committee.
The police apprehended the criminals.

adore	agitate	appreciate
apprehend	astonish	awe
bewilder	bore	care
content	delight	depress
desire	dishearten	dislike
envy	excite	fear
frighten	frustrate	grieve
hate	horrify	impress
like	loathe	love
mourn	need	obsess
please	sadden	shame
surprise	thrill	unnerve
vex	want	worry

Measure, cost, and more

Examples:

It cost me nothing.
They depended on me to move the furniture.
I included the guest list in the email.

be	cost	depend
include	consist	contain
measure	weigh	fit
lack	equal	add
owe	total	zero

Movement verbs list

Bend	bolt	clap
crawl	dart	drag
drop	duck	fiddle
fidget	flip	gallop
glide	hold	hop
hurry	jog	jump
kneel	lean	leap
lift	limp	march
move	pick	poke
propel	punch	race
ramble	roam	roll
rush	saunter	scurry
shake	shrug	shuffle
sit	slither	soar
spin	sprint	squirm
stand	strut	sway
swerve	swipe	swoop
tap	travel	tumble
twist	twitch	walk
wobble	wriggle	run

Classroom verbs list

act	agree	answer
ask	calculate	close
count	cut	draw
eat	experiment	explain
greet	laugh	listen
narrate	observe	open
paint	participate	question
raise	read	show
sit	spell	stand
study	test	thank
think	try	understand
wish	write	learn

Sports verbs list

bounce	bowl	catch
cheat	climb	compete
dive	do	dribble
go	hit	jump
kick	pass	play
practice	serve	skate
stretch	surf	swim
throw	warm-up	win
shoot	pitch	lose
bend	kneel	skip

Hospitality verbs list

accept	acknowledge	afford
appreciate	arrange	assist
bar	book	cancel
check-in	check-out	claim
coordinate	demand	dispense
enjoy	exceed	expect
experience	extend	give
greet	handle	help
join	leave	oblige
offer	postpone	prefer
provide	receive	refuse
register	render	require
serve	share	urge
welcome	warm	wake

Cooking verbs list

add	bake	barbecue
blanch	blend	break
burn	caramelize	carve
char	chop	churn
cover	crush	debone
defrost	dice	dip
drain	drizzle	dry
ferment	freeze	fry
garnish	glaze	grease
heat	infuse	knead
layer	marinate	measure
melt	microwave	peel
poach	pour	prepare
reduce	roast	sieve
simmer	snip	spread
steam	stew	stir-fry
strain	sweeten	taste
tenderize	toss	warm
weigh	whip	whisk

Action verbs list

act	bend	catch
drink	eat	fly
go	hurl	jump
lie	make	nod
push	run	sing
talk	throw	walk

Auxiliary verbs list

be	am	are
is	was	were
being	will	would
can	could	shall
should	may	might
must	do	does
did	doing	have
has	had	having

Causative verbs list

Verbs that describe an action that is triggered or forced are called causative verbs.

In other words, the person performing the action is not acting out of their own volition. They are instead made to act/forced to perform it by command, persuasion or request.

The major causative verbs in English are :

make/force
get/have
require/allow/let

have	get	make
force	require	allow
let	permit	help
cause	enable	keep
hold

Infinitive verbs list

avoid	ask	agree
arrange	attend	appear
accuse	awake	aim
believe	beg	begin
bother	care	choose
claim	condescend	consent
dare	decide	demand
deserve	determine	endeavor
expect	fail	forget
guarantee	happen	have
help	hesitate	hope
learn	long	manage
mean	need	neglect
offer	plan	prepare
pretend	proceed	promise
refuse	resolve	seem
stop	swear	tend
threaten	trouble	undertake
vow	want	wish

Verbs followed by gerunds list

admit	advise	allow
avoid	begin	bear
complete	consider	defer
delay	deny	enjoy
entail	finish	forget
hate	intend	imagine
involve	keep	like
love	mention	mind
miss	need	neglect
postpone	practice	prefer
propose	quit	recall
recollect	recommend	regret
remember	report	require
resent	resist	risk
start	stop	suggest
tolerate	try	understand
urge	can’t stand	can’t help

Irregular verbs list

Simple Present	Simple Past	Past Participle
arise	arose	arisen
awake	awoke	awoken
be	was/were	been
bear	bore	born
beat	beat	beaten
become	became	become
befall	befell	befallen
begin	began	begun
behold	beheld	beheld
bend	bent	bent
bet	bet	bet
bind	bound	bound
bite	bit	bitten
bleed	bled	bled
blow	blew	blewn
break	broke	broken
breed	bred	bred
bring	brought	brought
build	built	built
burst	burst	burst
buy	bought	bought
cast	cast	cast
catch	caught	caught
choose	chose	chosen
cling	clung	clung
come	came	come
creep	crept	crept
cost	cost	cost
cut	cut	cut
deal	dealt	dealt
dig	dug	dug
do	did	done
draw	drew	drawn
dream	dreamed/dreamt	dreamed/dreamt
drink	drank	drunk
drive	drove	driven
dwell	dwelled/dwelt	dwelled/dwelt
eat	ate	eaten
interweave	interwove	interwoven
fall	fell	fallen
feed	fed	fed
feel	felt	felt
fling	flung	flung
fly	flew	flown
forget	forgot	forgotten
forgive	forgave	forgiven
foresee	foresaw	foreseen
freeze	froze	frozen
Get	got	gotten
give	gave	given
go	went	gone
grind	ground	ground
grow	grew	grown
hand	hanged/hung	hanged/hung
have	had	had
hear	heard	heard
hide	hid	hid
hit	hit	hit
hold	held	held
hurt	hurt	hurt
keep	kept	kept
kneel	knelt	knelt
know	knew	known
lay	laid	laid
lead	led	led
learn	learned/learnt	learnt
lend	lent	lent
let	let	let
lie	lay	lain
lose	lost	lost
make	made	made
meet	met	met
pay	paid	paid
oversleep	overslept	overslept
put	put	put
read	read	read
rid	rid	rid
ride	rode	ridden
rise	rose	risen
run	ran	ran
say	said	said
sell	sold	sold
set	set	set
shake	shook	shaken
show	showed	shown
shrink	shrank	shrunk
shut	shut	shut
sing	sang	sung
sit	sat	sat
sleep	slept	slept
speak	spoke	spoke
spend	spent	spent
spin	spun	spun
spread	spread	spread
spring	sprang	sprung
stand	stood	stood
steal	stole	stolen
stick	stuck	stuck
stride	strode	stridden
swear	swore	sworn
swim	swam	swum
take	took	taken
tear	tore	torn
throw	threw	thrown
thrust	thrust	thrust
understand	understood	understood
undo	undid	undone
upset	upset	upset
wake	woke	woken
wear	wore	worn
win	won	won
wind	wound	wound
withdraw	withdrew	withdrawn
wring	wrung	wrung
write	wrote	written

Modal verbs list

Context	Modal Verbs	Examples
ability / possibility /permission	can	1. I can recite up to 100 digits of pi from memory. 2. John can use the stairs on the left.3. Can I bring my dog on the picnic?
possibility / past ability / make suggestions or requests	could	1. Kim could top the class if only he tried a little. 2. You could always use the helpline to ask for help with initial set-up. 3. I could gulp down five glasses of orange juice in a single sitting after my football game.
permission/ speculate/ strong certainty about hypotheticals/possibility	may	1. May I please enter? 2. You may be the last person to enter the race but your chances of winning are very high.3. It may rain in the evening too, so take an umbrella with you.
possibility/permission/suggest/conditional	might	1. You might be late for class. 2. I might know the answer to this question. 3. If you leave early, you might make it to the play.
command/promise/confirmation/offer help	shall	1. Shall we begin our practice session? 2. We shall meet for coffee at the corner bistro in the evening. 3. Shall I make dinner for you?
advice/obligation/probability	should	1. You should eat more vegetables and fruits.2. Should I stay back and help the students with their project?3. He should be on time for dinner since he took the 7pm train.
request/offer/future plans/first conditional	will	1.Will you help me with my homework? 2.I will do the dishes today. 3. I will go to Egypt for my next vacation.
request/ second or third conditional	would	1. Would you help me with this puzzle?2. If I lived by the beach, I would go surfing every day. 3. If you had made it to dinner, I would have not been alone.
strong recommendation/positive assumption/ deduction/prohibition/certainty	must	1. Tina must submit her homework by noon. 2. You must be Claire’s daughter, Haley. 3. It must have rained this morning. 4. You must not drink coffee that late in the night.
moral obligation	ought to	1. You ought to respect each other’s beliefs and opinions. 2. He ought to help his grandmother get up from the bed.

Dynamic verbs list

act	clap	close
complete	compete	cook
do	enjoy	fill
finish	fix	go
grow	hear	intervene
knock	make	meet
narrate	outline	paint
persuade	play	reach
read	record	ride
roar	run	savour
say	see	shout
sing	sleep	slice
steal	stop	swing
talk	target	throw
type	wag	wash
watch	write	walk

Linking verbs list

am	is	are
was	were	been
being	seem	become
smells	appears	looks
sounds	be	grow
go	stay	taste
feel	fall	get
come	prove	indicate

Reflexive verbs in Spanish

The reflexive pronouns in Spanish are:

me : myself
te : yourself
se : himself/herself/itself
nos : ourselves
os : yourselves
se : themselves

The reflexive verbs in Spanish are:

Irse : to leave
Acordarse: to remember
Olvidarse :to forget
Sentirse :to feel
Darse :to give oneself
Encontrarse :to find oneself
Preocuparse :to worry
Fijarse :to take notice
Casarse :to marry
Sentarse :to sit down
Levantarse :to get up
Despertarse :to wake up oneself
Preguntarse:to wonder
Llamarse :to call oneself
Creerse :to believe
Reunirse: to meet up or reunite
Cuidarse :to take care

Strong and powerful verbs list

Weak verbs	Strong verbs
talk	orate, bumble, babble, prattle, yap, express, articulate, voice,utter
walk	stroll, march, wander, tread, roam, advance, hike, patrol, meander
shout	cry, wail, yell, howl, bawl, shriek, screech, yelp, clamour
happy	content, delight, elate, exhilarate, excite, thrill, stimulate, invigorate
sad	depress, regret,distress,upset, trouble, unsettled
ask	request, demand, urge, beg, pray, solicit, inquire, examine, dispute, debate, clarify
move	accelerate, glide, gallop, slide, crawl,limp, propel, swerve, duck
find	discover, locate, find, track, uncover, unearth
run	sprint, race, rush, dash, hurry, bolt, charge, zoom, whizz, streak, speed, scuttle

Verbs with prepositions list

At	On	In	To	From	With	About
aim at	agree on	believe in	speak to	benefit from	agree with	ask about
look at	base on	confide in	reply to	come from	begin with	care about
stare at	comment on	involve in	write to	differ from	compare with	dream about
laugh at	count on	participate in	apologize to	resign from	compete with	forget about
point at	depend on	result in	adjust to	suffer from	cope with	know about
hint at	insist on	specialize in	admit to	escape from	disagree with	laugh about
smile at	pride on	succeed in	relate to	refrain from	start with	think about
wink at	work on	trust in	talk to	retire from	associate with	worry about

List of adverbs modifying verbs

slowly	highly	very
adequately	seriously	loudly
impatiently	badly	incredibly
warmly	quickly	happily
slightly	well	sincerely
beautifully	frequently	outside
selfishly	tomorrow	never

Parts of speech

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About the author

Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain.