See here the list of verbs that indicate action, state and auxiliary verb. Examples of application and use of each of them, as well as the definition and difference that exist between them.
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Verbs are words that express action, state, change of state and phenomena of nature. According to the semantic criterion, the classification of verbs admits four types. They are: action, process, state and action-process verbs.
Here we will see verbs that indicate action, state and auxiliary verb.
Action verbs
A verb is an action verb when it is characterized by an activity expressed by an agent subject, that is, it indicates a “doing” by the subject, he acts, performs actions.
As the name says, the action verb indicates “action”. They have their own significance and reveal something accomplished by the subject, such as an event, desire, action, mental activity, among other things.
The verbs of are present in the verb-nominal predicate and in the verbal predicate, and have at least one argument, that is, something that will complete its meaning, and when there are two or three arguments, the other verbs that follow will be complements and not will be “affected” by the verbal action, such as:
- The cat climbed on the table.
- The man rode his motorcycle to work.
- I’m eating cake.
- I changed my job.
Examples of action verbs:
- Wish
- Fall
- Play
- Ask
- Think
- To stretch
- To melt
- Adapt
Verb of State
A state verb expresses a property of a situation or condition that is located in the subject. It presents dynamic situations, and those involved in the verbal process do not suffer any changes, and therefore, the verb’s argument is inactive.
In this case, the subject acts as a “support” for properties, such as state or condition, and is therefore an experimenter or beneficiary of verbal action.
The argument that represents the subject is not the agent, neither patient nor causative, and that is why these state verbs are also called estative.
You can recognize a state verb by its verbal aspect, its meaning. Its aspect is durable and may indicate an existential aspect, such as experience, existence, a locative aspect, knowledge, place, perception, announced experimentation or subjectivity. The state verb indicates a quality, a situation, a state. Some examples:
- Diego lives in Barcelona (state)
- Mariana speaks English (state)
- The president arrived here at 8 am (action)
- The results of the research point to another victory (state).
Action verb examples
- Do
- Send
- Ramp up
- Purchase
- To study
Auxiliary verb
The auxiliary verb is the verb used in verbal phrases, passive voice and compound tenses together with the nominal forms of the verbs – participle, gerund and infinitive that act as the main verb.
Auxiliary verbs are those that help to conjugate other verbs, such as:
- I have been studying for the exam (auxiliary verb to have)
- I will be able to finish that exercise (auxiliary verb to be)
- The actress was invited to the party (see helper be)
Examples of auxiliary verbs
- To be
- Tue
- Stay
- Be
- Be
