Action
Action verbs — run, read, play; spotting the doing word in a sentence.
Action
Action Verbs
NCERT anchor
English (Mridang) — Fun with Friends / Helping Each Other. Action words in play and helping stories match verbs in Mridang.
What you'll learn
- An action verb tells what someone or something does.
- Common verbs: run, jump, eat, read, write, play.
- To find the action word in a short sentence.
Key concepts
Verbal: An action verb tells what someone does — run, jump, eat, read, play.
Symbolic: Subject + verb: The boy kicks the ball. Find the doing word.
Level 1 — Action verbs
| Verb | Sentence |
|---|---|
| run | The dog runs in the park. |
| eat | We eat lunch at noon. |
| read | I read a story. |
Level 1 — One word = one action
The verb often comes after the person: The boy kicks the ball.
Level 2 — Present and past (intro)
walk → walked (yesterday). play → played.
Level 2 — Not action verbs
is, am, are show state, not action — covered in Be & Have.
Indian real life
Connect this idea to your daily routine at home, school, or the local market in India.
Worked example
Find the action verb: 'Meera draws a picture.'
Step 1 — Who? Meera
Step 2 — What does she do? → **draws**
Step 3 — Draws is an action verb
Answer: draws
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Why | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Picking 'picture' | Noun (thing) | Verbs show doing |
| Picking 'a' | Article | Find the action word |
| Confusing noun and verb | Same word can differ | Play (verb) vs a play (noun) |
Quick check
- Action verb in: 'Birds fly in the sky.'
- Give the past of jump.
- Write a sentence with the verb write.
Stretch: Write three sentences about playing kho-kho — underline each action verb.
Revision tip: Act out a verb charade — friend guesses the action word.
Open the Practice tab for graded questions on Action Verbs.
Key Takeaways (TL;DR)
- NCERT anchor
- What you'll learn
- Key concepts
- Worked example
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