Verbs Worksheet for Kids (Free Printable PDF)

What’s in the PDF

• Page 1 (Level 1, easier): circle the verb that matches six action pictures (run, swim, ride, sleep, dance, climb), then match five animals to their actions.
• Page 2 (Level 2, harder): circle the verb in six sentences, then use a word box to finish five sentences with a verb.
• Page 3: an answer key for both levels.

Read the instructions aloud for early readers. Children can point or say the answer before they write it.

What are verbs?

A verb tells you what someone or something does. Run, jump, eat, sing and sleep are all verbs. Every sentence needs at least one verb. If you can do it, or put “I can” in front of the word, it is usually a verb: I can swim, I can read.

Examples

• Moving: run, hop, climb, swim
• Everyday: eat, drink, sleep, wash
• Talking and sounds: sing, shout, bark, purr
• Thinking: know, like, want
• At school: read, write, draw, paint

How to teach it

Verbs are easy to act out, so get moving. Call out a verb and let your child do it: hop, wave, clap. Then swap roles and guess the verb they are acting. When you read, ask what a character is doing and listen for the verb in the answer.

Common mix-ups

Children may circle the noun in a sentence, such as ball in “Tom kicks the ball.” Ask what Tom is doing. Verbs also change form (jump, jumps, jumped), so show that these are all the same doing word.

Game: Verb charades

Write action words on slips of paper, such as swim, brush, read or fly. Take turns picking one and acting it out without speaking. The first person to say the verb gets the next turn.

Questions to ask

• What is the person doing?
• Can you act out that verb?
• Can you think of three more verbs you do every day?

Practise next

Try nouns, adjectives, pronouns. Older children can move on to our English grammar worksheets for grades 3 to 5.