Wow, today is a super busy day! It’s Igor’s birthday, and his friends and family are planning a surprise party for him. There’s so much to do before he gets home!
Do you know what verbs are? Verbs are words that tell us about actions. They help us understand what someone is doing, thinking, or saying. There are different kinds of verbs, and each has a special job. Let’s learn about them!
Action verbs tell us what someone is doing. For example, Igor’s dad is baking cupcakes in the kitchen. The word “baking” is an action verb because it tells us what Igor’s dad is doing. Pat is whisking the eggs for the birthday cake. Here, “whisking” is the action verb because it shows what Pat is doing with the eggs.
Thinking verbs tell us what someone is thinking or feeling. Abby is deciding whether to use red or green balloons for the party. The word “deciding” is a thinking verb because it shows what Abby is thinking about—choosing the balloons. Milo wants a bone. “Wants” is the thinking verb because it tells us what Milo is dreaming about.
Saying verbs tell us how something is said. “Your clown costume is funny,” laughed Vito. The word “laughed” is a saying verb because it shows how Vito told Tess her costume was funny. “One, two, three!” Gary shouted into the megaphone. Here, “shouted” is the saying verb because it tells us how Gary spoke.
Relating verbs are a bit different. They link two pieces of information together. Some common relating verbs are is, am, are, was, and were. For example, “Igor is clueless about the surprise party.” The word “is” links Igor to his state of being clueless. “Liz was stressed about the time.” Here, “was” links Liz to her feeling of being stressed.
Relating verbs can often be replaced with an equal sign in a sentence. This helps us see how they connect two ideas. Try it out!
Now you know that verbs are words that tell us about actions, thoughts, and how things are said. They also help connect ideas. Why not try finding verbs in your own writing? See how many you can spot!
Everyone worked hard to organize the surprise party for Igor, and it was all made possible by verbs!
Verb Hunt at Home: Go on a verb hunt around your house! With the help of an adult, make a list of all the action verbs you can find. For example, if you see someone cooking, the verb could be “cooking.” If someone is reading, the verb is “reading.” Try to find at least five action verbs. Can you also find any thinking, saying, or relating verbs? Write them down and share your list with the class!
Verb Charades: Play a game of charades with your family or friends using verbs. Write different verbs on small pieces of paper, such as “jumping,” “thinking,” “laughing,” or “is.” Take turns picking a verb and acting it out without speaking. The others have to guess the verb. This will help you understand how verbs show actions, thoughts, and expressions!
Create a Verb Story: Use your imagination to create a short story using at least three different types of verbs: action, thinking, and saying. For example, “Sally is running to the park. She wonders if her friends will be there. ‘Hello!’ she shouts when she sees them.” Draw a picture to go with your story and share it with your classmates. Notice how verbs help tell your story!
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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[Music]
Wow, this place is buzzing with activity today! It’s Igor’s birthday, and his friends and family are organizing a surprise party, so there’s lots to do before he comes home.
Do you know what all these words are? They’re verbs! Verbs tell us about actions. There are different types of verbs, each with their own special function. These include action verbs, thinking verbs, saying verbs, and relating verbs.
Action verbs tell us what is being done. Igor’s dad is baking cupcakes in the kitchen. “Baking” is the action verb here; it tells us what Igor’s dad is doing in the kitchen. Pat is whisking the eggs for the birthday cake. “Whisking” is the action verb because it tells us what Pat is doing with the eggs.
The next group of verbs is thinking verbs. They tell us what someone is thinking, feeling, or sensing. Abby is deciding whether to use red or green balloons for the party. Here, the thinking verb is “deciding” because it tells us what Abby is thinking about— which balloons to choose. Milo wants a bone. “Wants” is the thinking verb here because it tells us that Milo is thinking about a bone in his dream.
Another group of verbs are saying verbs. Saying verbs tell us about how something is said. “Your clown costume is funny,” laughed Vito. The saying verb here is “laughed” because it tells us how Vito told Tess her costume was funny.
One, two, three! Gary shouted into the megaphone. The saying verb here is “shouted” because it tells us how Gary spoke into the megaphone.
Our last group of verbs are relating verbs. Relating verbs don’t represent thinking, speaking, feeling, or actions. Their main job is simply to link two pieces of information, such as a subject to its state of being.
Relating verbs include is, am, are, was, were, have, has, had, be, being, and been. The function of relating verbs might sound a bit confusing, so here’s a little trick: they can often be replaced with an equal to symbol in a sentence.
Let’s give it a go: “Igor is clueless about the surprise party.” “Is” can be replaced with an equal to symbol, and the meaning of the sentence won’t change. This means “is” is a relating verb because it has linked two pieces of information: Igor, the subject of the sentence, and his state of being, which is clueless.
“Liz was stressed about the time.” “Was” can be replaced with an equal to symbol without changing the meaning of the sentence, which means “was” is the relating verb. Can you see how it links two pieces of information? Liz, the subject, is linked to her state of being, stressed.
Everyone has put so much effort into organizing this surprise party for Igor, and it was all made possible by verbs!
Now you know that verbs are words that tell us about actions, such as doing, thinking, or saying, and how two pieces of information relate to each other. Why don’t you see how many different verbs you can spot in your own writing?
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Let me know if you need any further modifications!
