Verbs describe the way someone or something does something.
They describe an action, like the words eat, sleep, love, and study.
They are actions, words that involve motion or physical activity.
Example List（動詞リスト）
Verbs beginning with the letter A
| accept add admire admit advise afford agree alert | allow amuse analyse announce annoy answer apologise appear | applaud appreciate approve argue arrange arrest arrive ask | attach attack attempt attend attract avoid |
Beginning with the letter B
| back bake balance ban bang bare bat bathe battle beam | beg behave belong bleach bless blind blink blot blush boast | boil bolt bomb book bore borrow bounce bow box brake | branch breathe bruise brush bubble bump burn bury buzz |
Verbs beginning with the letter C
| calculate call camp care carry carve cause challenge change charge chase cheat check cheer chew | choke chop claim clap clean clear clip close coach coil collect colour comb command communicate | compare compete complain complete concentrate concern confess confuse connect consider consist contain continue copy correct | cough count cover crack crash crawl cross crush cry cure curl curve cycle |
Verbs beginning with the letter D
| dam damage dance dare decay deceive decide decorate delay delight | deliver depend describe desert deserve destroy detect develop disagree disappear | disapprove disarm discover dislike divide double doubt drag drain dream | dress drip drop drown drum dry dust |
Beginning with the letter E
| earn educate embarrass employ empty encourage | end enjoy enter entertain escape examine | excite excuse exercise exist expand expect | explain explode extend |
Verbs beginning with the letter F
| face fade fail fancy fasten fax fear fence | fetch file fill film fire fit fix flap | flash float flood flow flower fold follow fool | force form found frame frighten fry |
Verbs beginning with the letter G
| gather gaze glow glue | grab grate grease greet | grin grip groan guarantee | guard guess guide |
Beginning with the letter H
| hammer hand handle hang happen harass | harm hate haunt head heal heap | heat help hook hop hope hover | hug hum hunt hurry |
Verbs beginning with the letter I
| identify ignore imagine impress improve include | increase influence inform inject injure instruct | intend interest interfere interrupt introduce invent | invite irritate itch |
Verbs beginning with the letter J
| jail jam | jog join | joke judge | juggle jump |
Verbs beginning with the letter K
| kick kill | kiss kneel | knit knock | knot |
Beginning with the letter L
| label land last laugh launch | learn level license lick lie | lighten like list listen live | load lock long look love |
Verbs beginning with the letter M
| man manage march mark marry match mate | matter measure meddle melt memorise mend mess up | milk mine miss mix moan moor mourn | move muddle mug multiply murder |
Verbs beginning with the letter N
| nail name | need nest | nod note | notice number |
Verbs beginning with the letter O
| obey object observe | obtain occur offend | offer open order | overflow owe own |
Beginning with the letter P
| pack paddle paint park part pass paste pat pause peck pedal peel peep perform | permit phone pick pinch pine place plan plant play please plug point poke polish | pop possess post pour practise pray preach precede prefer prepare present preserve press pretend | prevent prick produce program promise protect provide pull pump punch puncture punish push |
Verbs beginning with the letter Q
| question | queue |
Verbs beginning with the letter R
| race radiate rain raise reach realise receive recognise record reduce reflect | refuse regret reign reject rejoice relax release rely remain remember remind | remove repair repeat replace reply report reproduce request rescue retire return | rhyme rinse risk rob rock roll rot rub ruin rule rush |
Verbs beginning with the letter S
| sack sail satisfy save saw scare scatter scold scorch scrape scratch scream screw scribble scrub seal search separate serve settle shade share shave shelter | shiver shock shop shrug sigh sign signal sin sip ski skip slap slip slow smash smell smile smoke snatch sneeze sniff snore snow soak | soothe sound spare spark sparkle spell spill spoil spot spray sprout squash squeak squeal squeeze stain stamp stare start stay steer step stir stitch | stop store strap strengthen stretch strip stroke stuff subtract succeed suck suffer suggest suit supply support suppose surprise surround suspect suspend switch |
Beginning with the letter T
| talk tame tap taste tease telephone tempt terrify test thank | thaw tick tickle tie time tip tire touch tour tow | trace trade train transport trap travel treat tremble trick trip | trot trouble trust try tug tumble turn twist type |
Verbs beginning with the letter U
| undress unfasten | unite unlock | unpack untidy | use |
Verbs beginning with the letter V
| vanish | visit | vote | vomit |
Verbs beginning with the letter W
| wail wait walk wander want warm warn wash | waste watch water wave weigh welcome whine whip | whirl whisper whistle wink wipe wish wobble wonder | work worry wrap wreck wrestle wriggle |
Please wait here.
Walk through the park if you want to get there quicker.
Beginning with the letter X
| x-ray | xeroxed |
They had to x-ray her arm.
Beginning with the letter Y
| yank | yawn | yell |
You don’t need to yell that loud.
Beginning with the letter Z
| zip | zoom |
Grammar and Examples:
• Mr. Rowell takes a lesson in the morning.
What does Mr. Rowell do?
He takes a lesson.
The action he is doing is “taking” a lesson.
So the action is denoted by the word “takes”. In that case that word “takes” is the verb.
• The university hired him.
Here, the word “hired” is the verb.
• His boss refused to support him at critical moments.
Here, the word “refused” is the verb.
• The students write their papers in the Sapporo City Hall.
Here, the word “write” is the verb.
The verbs can be classified in different methods.
There are four main types.
1.Transitive verbs.
A transitive verb is the verb which takes an object.
2. Intransitive verbs.
An intransitive verb is a verb which does not take an object.
3. Auxiliary verbs:
A verb which helps another verb to form its tense, voice or mood is called an Auxiliary verb.
4. Modal verbs:
The following verbs are called Modal verbs:
Shall, should, will, would, may, might, can, could, must, ought and dare are called modal verbs.
Let us see them individually.
1. Transitive verbs:
Examples:
• Mr. Rowell takes a lesson in the morning.
By this sentence, Mr. Rowell takes a lesson.
Here…
“Mr. Rowell” is the noun, “a lesson” is the object and “takes” is the verb.
Only when all the three parts are there, the whole sentence becomes complete and meaningful.
In case the object word is not there, the sentence “Mr. Rowell takes” conveys no meaning and the sentence is not complete. In that case “What does Mr. Rowell take?” it is not clear.
So only when the verb “takes” gets an object, the meaning behind the verb “takes” becomes complete.
That means the verb “takes” needs an object to make itself complete.
Such a verb which needs an object is called transitive verb.
That means the action of the verb is transmitted to another noun or another thing.
• They brought the party two days back.
Here the verb “brought” (bring) needs an object to become meaningful.
What was brought?
The party was brought back by them.
So the verb “bring” (brought) is a transitive verb.
Examples
- My mother has written a book which may interest you.
- We are crossing the lake by a ferry.
- The girl is reading Japanese kanji clearly.
- An uncivilized person killed the Mayor.
- She created this design for our proposed-shop.
- My friend gave me paper before I entered the exam-room.
- They sold their properties.
In all the seven sentences given above, the respective verbs
“write”, “cross”, “read”, “kill”, “create”,“give” and “sold”
need their respective objects to make the sentences meaningful.
So, all these verbs are transitive verbs.
Few other “transitive verbs” are: build, carry, begin, bear,
eat, choose, eat, find, forget, feed, drink, deal, cling, give,
grind, have, hold, make, ride, lend, know, learn, win, steal,
weave, shut, and spread.
2. Intransitive verbs.
As stated above, an intransitive verb is the verb that does not take an object.
Examples:
• The river is winding through the forest.
Here the verb “winding” (wind) is an intransitive verb.
• I wake up at 6 am daily.
Here the verb “wake” does not need an object for completing itself.
So the verb “wake” is an intransitive verb.
• The jar fell down.
The verb “fell” (fall) is an intransitive verb.
• She laughed loudly.
In this sentence, the verb “laughed” does not need an object to complete the sentence.
So the verb “laugh” is an intransitive verb.
• They are sitting on their chairs over there.
The verb “sitting” (sit) is an intransitive verb.
Few verbs like go, fall, die, and sleep, are exclusively intransitive.
Few more “intransitive verbs” are: swim, stand, sit, sink, smite, shine, run, rise, lie, leave, kneel, and grow.
Note: Many transitive verbs can be used as intransitive verbs as well.
Examples:
a.
They fought their enemies. (Transitive verb).
They fought fiercely. (Intransitive verb).
b.
He spoke the truth. (Transitive verb).
He spoke to me. (Intransitive verb).
c.
The peon rings the bell. (Transitive verb).
The bell rings continuously. (Intransitive verb).
d.
He walks. (Transitive verb).
The hostler walks the horse. (Intransitive verb).
e.
Birds fly through the air. (Transitive verb).
The observatory flies balloons to study the weather. (Intransitive verb).
f.
The glass broke. (Transitive verb).
The students broke it. (Intransitive verb).
Another type of verb is called an “auxiliary verb”.
3. Auxiliary verbs:
A verb which helps another verb to form its tense, voice or mood is called an auxiliary verb.
Have, be (am, are, was and were) and do are usually used as auxiliary verbs, they can be used as main verbs as well.
Examples:
• I have few urgent tasks. (Main)
They have done very well in the examinations. (Auxiliary)
• Aliens are in space. (Main)
They are liked by all. (Auxiliary)
• The man does his work quietly. (Main)
Did he come here? (Main)
4. Modal verbs:
The following verbs are called modal verbs.
Shall, should, will, would, may, might, can, could, must, ought and dare are called modal verbs.
SHALL:
When “shall” is used in the second or third person, it has the force of a command, a promise,
• The man does his work quietly. (Main)
Did he come here? (Main)
4. Modal verbs:
The following verbs are called modal verbs.
Shall, should, will, would, may, might, can, could, must, ought and dare are called modal verbs.
SHALL:
When “shall” is used in the second or third person, it has the force of a command, a promise,
a thread, determination, certainty…
i. You shall not go out anymore without my written permission.
ii. She shall get my help.
iii. He shall be punished for his mistake.
iv. He shall apologize for his behavior.
v. No man shall take this way.
WILL:
When “will” is used in the first person, it can express (in addition to the future tense) willingness,
a promise, a threat, determination…
i. I will help you.
ii. I will be at your wedding party.
iii. I will not allow him to go.
iv. I will not miss this opportunity.
MAY:
“May” has the force of possibility and permission. In the past tense “might” is used.
i. He may come here.
ii. You may go now.
iii. I believed that she might be honest.
CAN:
“Can” has the force of ability and permission.
i. He can do this job easily.
ii. She can go there.
iii. Everyone can do this homework.
MUST:
“Must” has the force of compulsion, necessity, determination, duty, certainty of belief, inevitability…
i. Everybody must attend this function.
ii. I must go urgently.
iii. I must have full freedom.
iv. Ministers must be honest.
v. They must be made to talk like this.
vi. This building must be demolished in the near future.
OUGHT:
“Ought” indicated duty or moral obligation.
i. You ought to be careful.
ii. As the secretary, I ought to have attended that meeting.
This verb “ought” must be followed by “to”.
DARE:
“Dare” conveys the force of challenge or the courage to do a thing.
i. He dare not oppose me.
ii. The minister dared the opposition to prove the charge.
NEED:
“Need” has the force of necessity or obligation.
When the verb “need” is used to mean obligation in the negative or interrogative forms,
‘s’ is not added to need in the third person singular (present tense).
i. She need not come here.
ii. It need not be equipped with a nuclear warhead.
iii. He need not have worried.
