Verbs — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Which word is the verb in: She paints a pretty picture?
A) she
B) pretty
C) picture
D) paints
Paints is the verb because it tells what she is doing in the sentence. The other words name a person, describe the picture, or name the thing being painted.
2. Which sentence has a verb about the past?
A) I will run tomorrow.
B) He walked home yesterday.
C) She is jumping now.
D) They play every day.
Walked is a verb that shows the action already happened because it ends in -ed and the word yesterday tells us it is in the past.
3. Pick the verb that means to make something.
A) break
B) build
C) big
D) bright
Build is the verb that means to make something, like putting pieces together to create a tower or a house.
4. What is the verb in: The bird sings every morning?
A) bird
B) every
C) morning
D) sings
Sings tells what the bird is doing, so it is the verb. The other words name the bird or tell when the action happens.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. The baby laughs when she is happy.
When the baby is happy, the action she does is laugh, and laughs is the form that goes with she, so laughs fits.
2. We built a snowman last winter.
Last winter tells us this happened in the past, so the verb needs to show past time. Built is the past form of build, which is why it fits.
3. He is riding his bike right now.
The words right now mean the action is happening this minute, so the -ing form riding is the one that fits.
4. They wash the dishes after dinner.
Cleaning the dishes after dinner is the action of washing, so wash is the verb that belongs in this sentence.
5. I learned a new game yesterday.
Yesterday tells us the action already happened, so the verb needs to be in the past. Learned is the past form of learn, which is why it fits.