Action Words in Sentences Notes & Questions | Class 1 English | Drishti OS

Action Words in Sentences

NCERT anchor: NCERT English Mridang Class 1 — identifying action words within simple sentences

What you'll learn

Find the action word inside a simple sentence.
Understand that the action word tells what the subject is doing.
Read a short sentence and pick out naming words and action words separately.

Key concepts

1. Parts of a simple sentence

Level 1 (Verbal): "The boy runs in the park." boy = naming word (who), runs = action word (what he does).

2. Spotting the action word

Verbal: Ask "what is happening in this sentence?" The word that answers is the action word.

Example: "The girl reads a book." Action word: reads.

3. Action words can end in -s

Verbal: When we talk about one person or animal doing something, the action word often ends in -s: run → runs, play → plays.

Worked example

Finding the action word in "The dog runs in the park."

Step 1 — Read the sentence slowly.
Step 2 — Find the naming word: dog.
Step 3 — Ask what the dog is doing: it runs.
Step 4 — runs is the action word.
Answer: runs.

Common mistakes

Mistake	Why	Fix
Picking the naming word instead	Naming word tells who, action word tells what they do	Ask "what is happening?"
Picking a small word like "the"	"the" is not a naming or action word	Focus on the doing-word only
Missing the -s at the end	The full action word includes -s here	Read the whole word carefully

Quick check

In "The cat sleeps at night," which word is the action word?
In "We play in the garden," which word shows the action?
Is park an action word in "The boy walks to the park"?
Stretch: Write your own sentence and circle the action word.

Revision tip: Read one sentence from a story each day and underline the action word.

Open the Practice tab for graded questions on Action Words in Sentences.

Action Words in Sentences