Most of us are initially taught that verbs are simply “action words.” While this definition offers a starting point, it doesn’t fully capture the essence of what verbs truly are. This “action word” approach can be misleading because many verbs don’t describe overt actions, and conversely, many action-packed words aren’t verbs at all. To truly understand “what’s a verb,” we need to delve deeper into their function within sentences.
Consider words like “have,” “wait,” “remain,” or “be.” These verbs don’t exactly scream action, yet they are undeniably verbs. On the flip side, nouns like “action,” “explosion,” or “performance,” though full of action, are not verbs. Even the word “verb” itself isn’t a verb when we are discussing grammar!
As explored in our guide on nouns, identifying word classes effectively involves understanding their function – how they behave and are modified within a sentence. Verbs possess a unique characteristic: they are the only words in the English language capable of showing tense. This ability to indicate time is a far more reliable way to define and identify verbs.
Alt text: Functional definition of a verb emphasizing tense, illustrating present, past, and future verb forms.
We can change the tense of verbs to place actions or states of being in different time frames. Typically, we shift verbs to the past tense by adding “-ed,” like transforming “wait” into “waited.” For present tense, we often add “-s,” making “wait” become “waits.” And for future tense, we use auxiliary or helping verbs such as “will,” resulting in “will wait.” While these examples may not convey strong action, their capacity to express tense firmly identifies them as verbs. Therefore, a more accurate and functional definition of “what’s a verb” is any word that can demonstrate tense.
This principle holds true even for irregular verbs, which modify their form in less predictable ways to show tense. For instance, “have” morphs into “had” in the past tense, not “haved.” Similarly, “go” becomes “went,” not “goed.” Despite these irregular changes, they are still fundamentally showing tense, confirming their verb status.
What makes verbs particularly dynamic is that they belong to an “open word class.” This means our language constantly evolves, with new verbs being created and integrated over time. Not long ago, words like “Google” or “text” didn’t function as verbs showing tense. They were nouns. “Google,” the noun, referred to a website or search engine (originally a misspelling of “googol,” a massive number). “Text,” the noun, denoted written material.
However, language adapts. We now commonly use these nouns as verbs to describe actions, and crucially, we can apply tense to them. We say, “I googled the definition of a verb” or “I texted the answer to a friend.” In essence, we’ve “verbed” these nouns, demonstrating the flexibility of language. Even the word “verb” itself can be verbed, as we just illustrated!
Alt text: Examples of verbs in sentences, highlighting action and non-action verbs like ‘run’, ‘is’, ‘think’, and ‘become’.
This process allows for the creation of vivid and evocative language. Imagine saying, “I trapezed across the playground” or “I actioned the scene once the cameras started rolling.” In these instances, nouns morph into verbs, showcasing why the functional definition centered on tense is significantly more robust and precise than simply relying on meaning. Our language is in constant flux, becoming richer, more adaptable, and expanding its expressive capabilities. Yet, the defining boundary of a verb remains constant: its ability to effectively demonstrate tense.
