1. What is the Subject Doing?
* Ask yourself: "What is the subject of the sentence doing?"
* Example: "The dog barked loudly." The subject is "dog," and the action verb is "barked."
2. Look for Words That Show Action
* Action verbs describe physical or mental actions. Examples:
* Physical: run, jump, eat, write, build, sing
* Mental: think, believe, know, understand, remember
3. Exclude Linking Verbs
* Linking verbs connect the subject to a noun or adjective. They don't show action. Common linking verbs are:
* be (is, are, was, were, been, being)
* appear, become, feel, grow, look, remain, seem, smell, sound, taste
* Example: "The sky is blue." (The verb "is" connects "sky" to the adjective "blue").
4. Consider Helping Verbs
* Helping verbs work with the main verb to create verb phrases.
* Example: "She is playing the piano." (The main verb is "playing," and "is" helps it.)
* Common helping verbs include: can, could, will, would, should, may, might, must, have, has, had, do, does, did.
Here are some examples to practice:
* Action verb: The cat purred contentedly.
* Linking verb: The cat is fluffy.
* Action verb: The child will learn to read.
* Action verb: I wrote a letter.
* Linking verb: The flowers smell sweet.
Let me know if you have any other questions!