What are some action verb examples?

Action verbs (aka dynamic verbs) describe an action performed by something as opposed to the state or condition of something.

Some verbs can be action verbs or another type of verb (e.g., a linking verb and/or a stative verb) depending on the context. For example, “look” is an action verb in “she looked at me” but is a stative and linking verb in “she looked happy.”

Here are some examples of common action verbs in the simple present tense:

  • Cough
  • Cry
  • Drink
  • Eat
  • Laugh
  • Play
  • Read
  • Run
  • Shout
  • Sigh
  • Sleep
  • Wash