Physical Verb Examples
Physical Verb Examples
Physical Verb Examples
Physical verbs are action verbs. They describe specific physical actions. If you can create a motion with
your body or use a tool to complete an action, the word you use to describe it is most likely a physical
verb. For example, Joe sat in his chair, the dog breathes quickly after she chases her ball, and should
we vote in the election? Even when the action isn’t very active, if the action is done by the body or a
tool, consider it a physical verb.
The physical verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
1. I know the answer.
2. She recognized me from across the room.
3. Do you believe everything people tell you?
1. I am a student.
2. We are circus performers.
3. Please is quiet.
Types of Verbs
There are many types of verbs. In addition to the main categories of physical verbs, mental verbs, and
state of being verbs, there are several other types of verbs. In fact, there are more than ten different
types of verbs that are grouped together by function.
Run
Dance
Slide
Jump
Think
Do
Go
Stand
Smile
Listen.
The action verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
He does it well.
Transitive Verbs
Transitive verbs are action verbs that always express doable activities that relate or affect someone or
something else. These other things are generally direct objects, nouns or pronouns that are affected by
the verb, though some verbs can also take an indirect object, such as show, take, and make. In a
sentence with a transitive verb, someone or something receives the action of the verb.
Transitive verb examples:
Love
Respect
Tolerate
Believe
Maintain.
The transitive verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
Gary ate the cookies.
The transitive verb is ate, Gary is the subject, because it is Gary who is doing the eating,
and the cookies are the direct object, because it is the cookies that are being eaten. Other examples:
He kicked John.
John punches him.
They sold the tickets.
In this sentence, the tickets are the direct object while him is the indirect object.
In this sentence, a pie is the direct object while her mother is the indirect object.
Intransitive Verbs
Intransitive verbs are action verbs that always express doable activities. They are different from
transitive verbs because there is no direct object following an intransitive verb.
Walk
Laugh
Cough
Play
Run
The intransitive verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
We travelled to London.
The intransitive verb is travelled, the subject is we, because we are doing the travelling, but London is
not a direct object because London is not receiving the action of the verb. Other examples: