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Quizzes > English & Grammar

Find the Verb Quiz: Spot the Action in Every Sentence

Quick, free verb in a sentence quiz with instant feedback.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Geraldine SmithUpdated Aug 27, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration of cutout letters and a magnifying glass highlighting verbs in find the verb quiz on teal background.

This quiz helps you find the verb in any sentence and spot verb phrases fast. Work through short items with instant feedback to fix common mistakes before a test. For extra practice, build skills with the action verbs quiz, review forms in the verb to be quiz, and tighten phrases in the verb phrase quiz.

Identify the verb in the sentence: 'The dog barked loudly.'
barked
loudly
dog
the
The word 'barked' expresses the action the dog performed and is therefore the verb in this sentence. Verbs indicate actions or states of being. In this case, 'barked' shows what the dog did. .
Identify the verb in the sentence: 'She reads books every night.'
books
night
every
reads
The word 'reads' indicates the action she performs and is the main verb of the sentence. Verbs are words that show actions or states. 'Reads' tells us what she does with books. .
Identify the verb in the sentence: 'They play soccer on weekends.'
weekends
soccer
play
they
The word 'play' shows the action performed by 'they' and is the verb. Verbs describe what the subject does. Here, 'play' tells us the activity they engage in. .
Identify the verb in the sentence: 'John writes letters to his friend.'
to
writes
letters
friend
The word 'writes' denotes the action John is doing. Verbs are action words, and 'writes' tells us what John does with letters. .
Identify the verb in the sentence: 'The baby sleeps peacefully.'
the
sleeps
baby
peacefully
The word 'sleeps' indicates the action the baby is doing and is the verb. Verbs express actions or states of being. Here, 'sleeps' shows the state of the baby. .
Identify the verb in the sentence: 'Birds fly high in the sky.'
fly
birds
sky
high
The word 'fly' conveys the action performed by birds and is the verb. Verbs describe what the subject does. In this case, 'fly' tells us how birds move. .
Identify the verb in the sentence: 'We eat dinner at six o'clock.'
o'clock
dinner
six
eat
The word 'eat' indicates the action of consuming dinner and is the verb. Verbs show actions or states. Here, 'eat' describes what we do at six o'clock. .
Identify the verb in the sentence: 'The committee decides the winner.'
decides
winner
committee
the
The word 'decides' is the action the committee performs and is the verb. Verbs indicate what the subject does. In this case, 'decides' shows the committee making a decision. .
Identify the main verb in the sentence: 'He has been working late.'
late
been
has
working
The main verb in the present perfect continuous tense is 'working'. 'Has been' are auxiliary verbs, while 'working' expresses the core action. Verbs express the state of action. .
Identify the verb in the sentence: 'The sun rises in the east.'
sun
east
in
rises
The word 'rises' indicates the action the sun performs and is the verb. Verbs show actions or states. Here, 'rises' describes the sun's motion. .
Identify the verb in the sentence: 'Maria baked a cake yesterday.'
cake
baked
yesterday
Maria
The word 'baked' conveys the action Maria performed and is the verb in the sentence. Verbs express actions or processes. In this instance, 'baked' tells us what Maria did. .
Identify the verb in the sentence: 'You should study for the exam.'
study
you
should
exam
The word 'study' is the main action verb. 'Should' is a modal auxiliary that expresses obligation. Verbs are action words, and 'study' indicates what you are advised to do. .
Identify the verb in the sentence: 'The children are swimming in the pool.'
are
pool
children
swimming
The word 'swimming' is the main verb in the present continuous tense. 'Are' is an auxiliary verb, while 'swimming' expresses the core action. Verbs express actions or states. .
Identify the verb in the sentence: 'I could see the mountains from here.'
could
here
see
mountains
The word 'see' is the main action verb in this sentence. 'Could' is a modal auxiliary verb expressing capability. Verbs are action words, and 'see' tells us the action. .
Identify the verb in the sentence: 'The novel was written in 1925.'
novel
was
written
in
The word 'written' is the main past participle verb in the passive construction. 'Was' acts as an auxiliary. Verbs express actions or states; 'written' shows what happened to the novel. .
Identify the main verb in the sentence: 'She will have finished the project.'
have
project
will
finished
In the future perfect tense, 'will' and 'have' are auxiliary verbs, while 'finished' is the main verb expressing the completed action. Verbs show actions or states. .
Identify the verb in the sentence: 'Forgotten in the attic, the vase was covered in dust.'
covered
attic
forgotten
dust
Though 'forgotten' is a past participle, the main verb in the passive clause is 'covered'. 'Was' is auxiliary, and 'covered' conveys the action performed on the vase. .
Identify the verb in the sentence: 'If he had known, he would have left earlier.'
had
would
known
left
In the conditional clause, 'would have left' is the verb phrase, and 'left' is the main lexical verb. 'Would' and 'have' are auxiliaries. Verbs express actions or states. .
Identify the verb in the sentence: 'Running down the street, she caught the bus.'
street
caught
bus
running
While 'running' is a participle describing 'she,' the main verb is 'caught,' which indicates the action of seizing the bus. Verbs show actions or states. .
Identify the verb in the sentence: 'The painting hung crookedly on the wall.'
painting
hung
wall
crookedly
The word 'hung' is the action verb that tells us how the painting was positioned. Verbs express actions or states. Here, 'hung' describes the painting's state on the wall. .
Identify the verb in the sentence: 'Watching the stars, we felt peaceful.'
stars
peaceful
felt
watching
Although 'watching' is a participle phrase describing 'we,' the main verb is 'felt,' which indicates a state of being. Verbs express actions or states. .
Identify the verb in the sentence: 'Neither the teacher nor the students were convinced.'
convinced
students
neither
were
The word 'were' is the linking verb connecting the subject to the adjective 'convinced.' Verbs express actions or states, and here 'were' shows a state of being. .
Identify the main verb in the sentence: 'The report, having been submitted yesterday, was incomplete.'
incomplete
having
submitted
was
Actually, 'incomplete' is not a verb but an adjective; the main verb here is 'was,' which links the subject to its state. However, among the options, 'incomplete' is incorrectly listed as the state, so the only verb option is 'was.' Verbs express states or actions. .
Identify the verb in the conditional sentence: 'Should you decide to accept the offer, please notify us immediately.'
decide
should
please
accept
In the conditional clause, 'decide' is the main action verb, while 'should' serves as a modal auxiliary. Verbs express actions or states, and here 'decide' shows the action you take. .
Identify the main lexical verb in the sentence: 'They had been being watched by the agency.'
watched
being
been
had
In this complex passive construction, 'had,' 'been,' and 'being' are auxiliaries. The main lexical verb is 'watched,' expressing the core action that happened to the subject. .
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand the Function of Verbs -

    Learn what verbs do in a sentence and why they are essential for conveying action and state of being.

  2. Identify Verbs in Context -

    Practice to find the verb in the sentence quickly by spotting action words and using clues from sentence structure.

  3. Differentiate Verbs from Other Parts of Speech -

    Analyze sentences to distinguish verbs from nouns, adjectives, and adverbs for clearer grammatical insight.

  4. Apply Strategies to Locate Action Words -

    Use proven techniques to find verb in a sentence across simple and complex examples with confidence.

  5. Evaluate Your Accuracy and Speed -

    Track your quiz performance to identify strengths and areas for improvement when identifying the verb in the sentence.

  6. Reinforce Learning Through Interactive Practice -

    Engage with fun, bite-sized quizzes that challenge you to continuously refine your verb-spotting skills.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Definition and Role of Verbs -

    Verbs are words that express action, occurrence, or state of being, making them the engine of every sentence. When you find the verb in the sentence, look for the word that shows what the subject does or experiences (e.g., "The scientist experiments," "The sky is blue"). This clear definition, drawn from Purdue OWL, will help you confidently identify the verb in the sentence every time.

  2. Action, Linking, and Auxiliary Verbs -

    Understanding the three main types of verbs allows you to find verb in a sentence more accurately: action verbs describe what the subject does, linking verbs connect the subject to a state or quality, and auxiliary verbs support a main verb. For example, in "She will dance," "dance" is the action verb and "will" is the auxiliary. Cambridge Grammar emphasizes this distinction to boost your ability to spot each verb type instantly.

  3. Recognizing Verb Phrases -

    Many sentences use verb phrases - a combination of auxiliary verbs and a main verb - to convey tense, aspect, or mood (e.g., "has been running"). When you find the verb in the sentence, identify both the helpers (has, been) and the main action (running). Michigan's writing center recommends underlining the entire phrase to clearly identify the verb in a sentence.

  4. Subject-Verb Agreement -

    Ensuring the verb matches its subject in number and person is key: singular subjects take singular verbs ("The cat purrs"), while plural subjects take plural verbs ("The cats purr"). A quick trick is to cover prepositional phrases and locate the true subject before choosing the verb form. This rule, supported by grammar texts from Oxford University Press, guarantees you'll correctly find the verb in the sentence every time.

  5. Verb Tenses and Forms -

    Verbs change form to indicate past, present, and future (e.g., "walk," "walked," "will walk"), so when you identify the verb in the sentence, also note its tense. A handy mnemonic is "FAST" (Form, Agreement, Subject, Tense) to check all verb properties at once. The University of Cambridge advises practicing with various tenses to sharpen your ability to spot verb forms quickly.

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