5.

1 Verbs and Verb Groups

As explained in the section on clauses, verbs and verb groups are the core of the clause as these
are the words which express what is happening - an action or a state. Clauses need a verb in
order to make sense. At primary school verbs are often called 'doing' or 'being' words.
Verb groups consist of more than one word. For example, auxiliary verbs (helping verbs) may be
needed to form different tenses (see below).
5.1. Types of Verbs
Different types of verbs refer to different aspects of our experience:
action verbs
saying verbs
sensing verbs (verbs to express thinking, feeling, perceiving)
relating verbs ('being' and 'having' verbs)
Not all verbs fit neatly into just one category, and you may find your ideas about a particular kind
of verb differ from the suggestions here. See, for instance, sing and cry under saying verbs.
Action verbs
These are the 'doing' verbs which represent actions and physical happenings. They often occur in
narratives and recounts when a sequence of events is being related.
Some Examples are: run, skip, hop, jump, do, swim, hold, smack, write, eat, work, play
Saying verbs
When experiences and events are reported through words, saying verbs are used. These saying
verbs are often used in narratives to express the characters' thoughts and responses to events.
eg: say, shout, call, whisper, beg, sing*, growl, whimper, cry*, yell, suggest, explain, tell

*NOTE: Some verbs can act as either action or saying verbs.

"Jay sings beautifully." AND "The baby's always crying." describe something that Jay and
the baby do and may be classed as action verbs.

BUT Alex sang joyfully "Oh what a beautiful morning!"/"Don't do that!" Ann cried show how
Alex and Ann are expressing themselves and may seen as saying verbs.

Sensing verbs
These verbs are used to describe our mental activities, for example the thoughts, feelings,
understandings and perceptions of humans. Again they are often used in narratives to reveal the
characters' personalities and ideas. They are also found in expositions where ideas and opinions
are being discussed, but not generally in factual information reports.
eg: love, see, believe, forget, understand, hear, *smell, remember, imagine, fear, want

*NOTE: Once again some verbs don't fit neatly into just one category and may be regarded as
different types of verbs in different contexts.
In the sentence "Jo tasted the wine", taste can be regarded as a deliberate physical action
on Jo's part.

BUT IN "Jo could taste the garlic in the casserole" Jo can perceive (sense) the taste of the garlic.
Taste in a sentence such as "Yum! This tastes great!" functions as a relating verb as it links
two pieces of information. (See below)