English

Verbs (Action Words, Helping Verbs, Linking Verbs)

Class 3

🎯 Learning Objectives

Students will understand what a verb is and why it is important in a sentence.
Students will identify and use action verbs in sentences.
Students will learn about helping verbs and how they support main verbs.
Students will understand linking verbs and how they connect the subject to information.
Students will be introduced to past and present forms of verbs.
Students will use verbs in Indian context sentences (cricket, festivals, daily life).

📖 What Is a Verb?

A verb is a word that tells us what someone or something does, is, or has. Every sentence needs a verb to be complete. Without a verb, a sentence cannot make sense!

Think of a verb as the engine of a sentence — it makes the sentence move and work. Just like a car cannot run without an engine, a sentence cannot work without a verb.

Examples:
• Ravi plays cricket every evening. (plays = verb)
• Amma is cooking dinner. (is = verb)
• The children have finished their homework. (have = verb)

Three Types of Verbs

In Class 3, we learn about three important types of verbs:

Type	What It Does	Examples
Action Verbs	Shows what someone does (an action)	run, eat, write, play, cook
Helping Verbs	Helps the main verb in a sentence	is, am, are, was, were, has, have
Linking Verbs	Connects the subject to more information	is, am, are, was, were

🏃 Action Verbs

An action verb is a word that shows what a person, animal, or thing does. These are the most common verbs. When you can see or imagine someone doing something, that word is an action verb.

Think: Close your eyes and imagine someone "running". Can you see the action? That's why "run" is an action verb!

Common Action Verbs

At Home	At School	At Play	In Nature
cook, eat, sleep	read, write, draw	run, jump, play	grow, bloom, fly
wash, sweep, iron	listen, speak, count	kick, throw, catch	swim, crawl, climb
chop, stir, serve	study, recite, spell	bat, bowl, score	dig, plant, water

Action Verbs in Indian Context

Sentence	Action Verb
Arjun bats in the cricket match.	bats
Grandmother rolls the roti on the tawa.	rolls
Priya studies for her maths exam.	studies
The children burst crackers on Diwali.	burst
Father drives the auto-rickshaw.	drives
Meena draws a rangoli at the door.	draws
The farmer ploughs the field.	ploughs
Ravi flies a kite on Makar Sankranti.	flies
Amma lights the diya in the evening.	lights
The students sing the national anthem.	sing

🖼️ Image 1

Children doing various actions - running, reading, cooking, painting with verb labels

🤝 Helping Verbs

A helping verb is a verb that comes before the main verb and helps it. It does not show the action itself — it helps the action verb by telling us about time (when) or state.

Helping verbs are also called auxiliary verbs.

The main helping verbs are:
is, am, are (present) | was, were (past) | has, have (possession/completion)

How Helping Verbs Work

Sentence	Helping Verb	Main Verb
Ravi is playing cricket.	is	playing
I am reading a storybook.	am	reading
The girls are dancing on stage.	are	dancing
Meena was cooking dal.	was	cooking
They were celebrating Diwali.	were	celebrating
She has finished her homework.	has	finished
We have eaten lunch.	have	eaten

Which Helping Verb to Use?

Subject	Present	Past
I	am	was
He / She / It	is	was
We / You / They	are	were

Think: "I am eating" ✓ but "I is eating" ✗ — the helping verb must match the subject!

🔗 Linking Verbs

A linking verb does not show action. Instead, it connects (links) the subject to a word that describes or renames it. Think of it as an equals sign (=) in a sentence.

Common linking verbs: is, am, are, was, were

• Ravi is happy. (Ravi = happy)
• I am a student. (I = student)
• The mangoes are sweet. (mangoes = sweet)
• She was tired after the race. (She = tired)
• They were excited about the trip. (They = excited)

Linking Verb vs Helping Verb — What's the Difference?

Sentence	Type	Why?
Ravi is tall.	Linking verb	"is" connects Ravi to the description "tall"
Ravi is playing cricket.	Helping verb	"is" helps the main verb "playing"
She was happy.	Linking verb	"was" connects she to "happy"
She was singing a song.	Helping verb	"was" helps the main verb "singing"

Tip: If a verb is followed by another verb (like "is playing"), it is a helping verb. If it is followed by a describing word or noun (like "is tall"), it is a linking verb.

🖼️ Image 2

Chart showing Action Verbs vs Helping Verbs with examples

⏰ Past and Present Forms of Verbs

Verbs change their form to show when an action happens. If it is happening now, we use the present form. If it happened before (yesterday, last week), we use the past form.

Regular Verbs (add -ed for past)

Present (Now)	Past (Before)	Example Sentence (Past)
play	played	Arjun played cricket yesterday.
cook	cooked	Amma cooked biryani last night.
study	studied	Priya studied for the test.
jump	jumped	The frog jumped into the pond.
walk	walked	We walked to the temple.
clean	cleaned	Ravi cleaned his room.

Irregular Verbs (change spelling for past)

Present (Now)	Past (Before)	Example Sentence (Past)
run	ran	She ran in the school race.
eat	ate	We ate samosas at the fair.
write	wrote	He wrote a letter to his friend.
sing	sang	The choir sang beautifully.
go	went	They went to the zoo.
come	came	Grandmother came to visit us.
give	gave	Father gave me a new book.
see	saw	I saw a peacock in the garden.

Verbs in Daily Life — Indian Context

Here are sentences using verbs from everyday Indian life:

Activity	Sentence	Verb
Playing cricket	Virat hits the ball for a six!	hits
Cooking roti	Amma kneads the dough and rolls the roti.	kneads, rolls
Studying for exams	Priya is revising her science chapter.	is revising
Celebrating Diwali	The family decorates the house with diyas.	decorates
Morning routine	Ravi wakes up early and brushes his teeth.	wakes up, brushes
School assembly	Students stand in line and sing the prayer.	stand, sing
Festival of Holi	Children throw colours and dance with joy.	throw, dance
Visiting grandparents	We travel by train to our village.	travel

📝 Key Words

Word	Meaning
Verb	A word that shows action, state, or helps another verb
Action verb	A verb that shows what someone does (run, eat, write)
Helping verb	A verb that helps the main verb (is, am, are, was, were, has, have)
Linking verb	A verb that connects the subject to a description (is, am, are)
Main verb	The most important verb in a sentence that shows the action
Present tense	The form of a verb that shows action happening now
Past tense	The form of a verb that shows action already done
Subject	The person or thing doing the action in a sentence

⭐ Key Points to Remember

A verb is a word that shows action, being, or having. Every sentence needs a verb.
Action verbs show what someone does: run, eat, write, play, cook, sing.
Helping verbs come before the main verb and help it: is, am, are, was, were, has, have.
Linking verbs connect the subject to a description: "She is happy." (is = linking verb)
The same word (is, am, are) can be a helping verb OR a linking verb depending on the sentence.
If followed by another verb → helping verb. If followed by a noun/adjective → linking verb.
Verbs have present (now) and past (before) forms.
Regular verbs add -ed for past (play → played). Irregular verbs change spelling (run → ran).

Finished learning? Now test what you know!

🎯 Quick Quiz — Test Yourself!

Answer these questions right here. You get instant feedback — no paper needed!

Score: 0 / 8

1. A verb is a word that shows:

A verb is a doing/action word.

2. Which of these is a verb?

"Jump" is an action, so it is a verb.

3. In "Birds fly in the sky", which word is the verb?

"Fly" is the action word (verb).

4. Which sentence has a verb?

"Reads" in "Ravi reads a book" is a verb.

5. Write a verb for what we do with food using our mouth:

"Eat" is a verb (action word).

6. Find the verb: "The girls sing a song."

"Sing" is the action word (verb).

7. Write a verb for what you do with a pencil in a notebook:

"Write" is a verb.

8. Words like "is", "am", "are", "was", "were" are called:

Words like is, am, are, was, were are being/helping verbs.

✏️ Practice Questions

A. Fill in the Blanks (10 marks)

1. A word that shows an action is called a .

2. In "Ravi is playing cricket", the helping verb is .

3. In "She is happy", the linking verb is .

4. The past tense of "play" is .

5. The past tense of "run" is .

6. "Is, am, are, was, were" are examples of verbs.

7. Amma cooking dinner. (is / are)

8. The children playing in the park. (is / are)

9. I a good student. (am / is)

10. The past tense of "eat" is .

B. Multiple Choice Questions (5 marks)

1. Which of these is an action verb?

(a) is(b) am(c) jump(d) are

2. Find the helping verb: "She is singing a song."

(a) She(b) is(c) singing(d) song

3. Which sentence has a linking verb?

(a) Ravi runs fast.(b) She is happy.(c) He is playing.(d) They ate lunch.

4. What is the past tense of "write"?

(a) writed(b) wrote(c) writing(d) writes

5. In "They were celebrating Diwali", the helping verb is:

(a) They(b) were(c) celebrating(d) Diwali

C. Identify the Verb Type (5 marks)

Write whether the underlined verb is an Action Verb, Helping Verb, or Linking Verb:

1. Arjun kicks the football.

2. She is dancing on stage.

3. The mango is sweet.

4. We have finished our work.

5. The bird flies high in the sky.

D. Write the Past Tense (5 marks)

Write the past tense of each verb:

1. cook →

2. sing →

3. go →

4. study →

5. give →

E. Make Sentences (5 marks)

Use each verb in a sentence of your own:

1. plays —

2. is cooking —

3. are (linking) —

4. was reading —

5. celebrated —

🎨 Fun Activity — Verb Detective

Read the paragraph below and circle all the verbs. Then write them in the correct column.

"It is Sunday morning. Ravi wakes up early. He brushes his teeth and eats breakfast. Amma is making parathas. Father is reading the newspaper. After breakfast, Ravi plays cricket with his friends. They are having fun. Ravi hits the ball and runs fast. He is happy because his team won!"

Action Verbs	Helping Verbs	Linking Verbs

Want to review the lesson again?

🎯 Learning Objectives

Students will understand what a verb is and why it is important in a sentence.
Students will identify and use action verbs in sentences.
Students will learn about helping verbs and how they support main verbs.
Students will understand linking verbs and how they connect the subject to information.
Students will be introduced to past and present forms of verbs.
Students will use verbs in Indian context sentences (cricket, festivals, daily life).

📖 What Is a Verb?

A verb is a word that tells us what someone or something does, is, or has. Every sentence needs a verb to be complete. Without a verb, a sentence cannot make sense!

Think of a verb as the engine of a sentence — it makes the sentence move and work.

Three Types of Verbs

Type	What It Does	Examples
Action Verbs	Shows what someone does	run, eat, write, play, cook
Helping Verbs	Helps the main verb	is, am, are, was, were, has, have
Linking Verbs	Connects subject to description	is, am, are, was, were

🏃 Action Verbs

An action verb shows what a person, animal, or thing does.

At Home	At School	At Play	In Nature
cook, eat, sleep	read, write, draw	run, jump, play	grow, bloom, fly
wash, sweep, iron	listen, speak, count	kick, throw, catch	swim, crawl, climb
chop, stir, serve	study, recite, spell	bat, bowl, score	dig, plant, water

Action Verbs in Indian Context:

Sentence	Action Verb
Arjun bats in the cricket match.	bats
Grandmother rolls the roti on the tawa.	rolls
Priya studies for her maths exam.	studies
The children burst crackers on Diwali.	burst
Meena draws a rangoli at the door.	draws
The farmer ploughs the field.	ploughs
Ravi flies a kite on Makar Sankranti.	flies
The students sing the national anthem.	sing

🤝 Helping Verbs

A helping verb comes before the main verb and helps it. It tells us about time or state.

Main helping verbs: is, am, are (present) | was, were (past) | has, have (completion)

Sentence	Helping Verb	Main Verb
Ravi is playing cricket.	is	playing
I am reading a storybook.	am	reading
The girls are dancing on stage.	are	dancing
Meena was cooking dal.	was	cooking
They were celebrating Diwali.	were	celebrating
She has finished her homework.	has	finished
We have eaten lunch.	have	eaten

Which Helping Verb to Use?

Subject	Present	Past
I	am	was
He / She / It	is	was
We / You / They	are	were

🔗 Linking Verbs

A linking verb does not show action. It connects the subject to a word that describes or renames it.

Common linking verbs: is, am, are, was, were

• Ravi is happy. (Ravi = happy)
• I am a student. (I = student)
• The mangoes are sweet. (mangoes = sweet)
• She was tired. (She = tired)

Linking Verb vs Helping Verb:

Sentence	Type	Why?
Ravi is tall.	Linking	"is" connects Ravi to "tall"
Ravi is playing.	Helping	"is" helps "playing"
She was happy.	Linking	"was" connects she to "happy"
She was singing.	Helping	"was" helps "singing"

Tip: Followed by another verb → helping verb. Followed by adjective/noun → linking verb.

⏰ Past and Present Forms

Regular verbs add -ed for past. Irregular verbs change spelling.

Present	Past	Present	Past
play	played	run	ran
cook	cooked	eat	ate
study	studied	write	wrote
jump	jumped	sing	sang
walk	walked	go	went
clean	cleaned	give	gave

Verbs in Daily Life — Indian Context

Activity	Sentence	Verb
Cricket	Virat hits the ball for a six!	hits
Cooking	Amma kneads dough and rolls roti.	kneads, rolls
Studying	Priya is revising her chapter.	is revising
Diwali	The family decorates with diyas.	decorates
Holi	Children throw colours and dance.	throw, dance
Travel	We travel by train to our village.	travel

📝 Key Words

Word	Meaning
Verb	A word that shows action, state, or helps another verb
Action verb	Shows what someone does (run, eat, write)
Helping verb	Helps the main verb (is, am, are, was, were, has, have)
Linking verb	Connects subject to a description (is, am, are)
Present tense	Action happening now
Past tense	Action already done

⭐ Key Points to Remember

A verb is a word that shows action, being, or having. Every sentence needs a verb.
Action verbs show what someone does: run, eat, write, play, cook, sing.
Helping verbs come before the main verb: is, am, are, was, were, has, have.
Linking verbs connect the subject to a description: "She is happy."
Same word can be helping or linking depending on what follows it.
Regular verbs add -ed for past. Irregular verbs change spelling (run → ran).

A. Fill in the Blanks (10 marks)

1. A word that shows an action is called a .

2. In "Ravi is playing cricket", the helping verb is .

3. In "She is happy", the linking verb is .

4. The past tense of "play" is .

5. The past tense of "run" is .

6. "Is, am, are, was, were" are examples of verbs.

7. Amma cooking dinner. (is / are)

8. The children playing in the park. (is / are)

9. I a good student. (am / is)

10. The past tense of "eat" is .

B. Multiple Choice Questions (5 marks)

1. Which of these is an action verb?

(a) is(b) am(c) jump(d) are

2. Find the helping verb: "She is singing a song."

(a) She(b) is(c) singing(d) song

3. Which sentence has a linking verb?

(a) Ravi runs fast.(b) She is happy.(c) He is playing.(d) They ate lunch.

4. What is the past tense of "write"?

(a) writed(b) wrote(c) writing(d) writes

5. In "They were celebrating Diwali", the helping verb is:

(a) They(b) were(c) celebrating(d) Diwali

C. Identify the Verb Type (5 marks)

Write whether the underlined verb is an Action Verb, Helping Verb, or Linking Verb:

1. Arjun kicks the football.

2. She is dancing on stage.

3. The mango is sweet.

4. We have finished our work.

5. The bird flies high in the sky.

D. Write the Past Tense (5 marks)

1. cook →

2. sing →

3. go →

4. study →

5. give →

E. Make Sentences (5 marks)

Use each verb in a sentence of your own:

1. plays —

2. is cooking —

3. are (linking) —

4. was reading —

5. celebrated —

🎨 Fun Activity — Verb Detective

Read the paragraph and find all the verbs. Write them in the correct column.

Action Verbs	Helping Verbs	Linking Verbs

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Verbs (Action Words, Helping Verbs, Linking Verbs)

🎯 Learning Objectives

📖 What Is a Verb?

Three Types of Verbs

🏃 Action Verbs

Common Action Verbs

Action Verbs in Indian Context

🖼️ Image 1

🤝 Helping Verbs

How Helping Verbs Work

Which Helping Verb to Use?

🔗 Linking Verbs

Linking Verb vs Helping Verb — What's the Difference?

🖼️ Image 2

⏰ Past and Present Forms of Verbs

Regular Verbs (add -ed for past)

Irregular Verbs (change spelling for past)

Verbs in Daily Life — Indian Context

📝 Key Words

🎯 Quick Quiz — Test Yourself!

✏️ Practice Questions

Verbs (Action Words, Helping Verbs, Linking Verbs)

Verbs — Practice Questions