500+ Common Verbs in English That You Must Know!

Common verbs in English are essential for everyday communication, expressing actions, states, or occurrences. Examples include “run,” “eat,” “think,” and “sleep.” These verbs form the backbone of sentences. For instance, “She runs every morning” or “I think it’s a great idea.” Mastering them enhances fluency and understanding in English.

From the simplest “I am” to the more complex “She eloquently articulated her perspective,” Verbs are the driving force behind every statement we make. But with so many verbs in the English language, where do you even begin? 

This blog is your comprehensive guide to understanding and mastering common verbs in English. These verbs will equip you with the tools you need to speak and write with confidence and clarity.  

Find more information on Verbs here

What are Verbs?

Verbs, also known as action words show action, occurrence or state of being. One can think of them as the engine of a sentence — they are responsible for making things happen! In English writing, each sentence must have atleast one verb and the other component being the subject. 

Whenever you look for the main verb in a sentence, you must look for linking verbs such as: am, are, is, were, was, been, being and so on. 

Importance of Verbs

Let us look at the importance of verbs in a sentence:

1. Verbs are essential for sentences as they are used to express a complete thought. 
2. Verbs tell us what the subject of the sentence is doing or being.
3. Lastly, they can change form to show when something happened (past, present or future).

Let us look at some examples of verbs in sentences:

1. The cat sleeps on the mat. (action)   
2. The sun rises in the east. (occurrence)   
3. She is a doctor. (state of being)

Also Read: Types of Verbs: Definition, Examples, Verb Conjugation

Now that we have a basic idea about what verbs are, let us now look at some of the common verbs which are used in the English language. 

Common Verbs in English with Example Sentences

Take a look at the following list of common verbs in English which are part of the language and can be used in all the sentences. 

Common Verbs in English	Example Sentences
Be	She will be happy to help.
Have	I have a new car.
Do	What do you do for a living?
Say	He said hello. What did she say?
Get	I get up early in the morning.
Make	I make breakfast every day
See	Did you see the movie?
Know	I know the answer.
Take	I take the bus to work.
Think	I think it’s a good idea.
Come	Please come to my house for dinner.
Give	Please give me the book.
Look	Look at the stars!
Use	I use my computer every day.
Find	I can’t find my keys.
Want	I want to go to the beach.
Tell	Please tell me the story.
Put	Please put the book on the table.
Mean	This word means something different.

Become	He wants to become a doctor.
Leave	I leave for work at 8 am.
Work	I work in a bank.
Need	I need a cup of coffee.
Feel	I feel happy today.
Seem	She seems tired.
Ask	I asked her a question
Show	Please show me your passport.
Try	I will try my best.
Call	I will call you later.
Keep	Please keep the room clean.
Provide	The school provides lunch for the students.
Hold	Please hold my hand.
Turn	Please turn off the lights.
Follow	Please follow me.
Begin	The concert will begin at 7 pm.
Bring	Please bring me a glass of water.
Like	I like to read.
Going	I am going to the store.
Help	Can you help me with my homework?

Start	The race will start in five minutes.
Run	The dog runs very fast.
Write	I write emails every day
Set	Please set the table.
Move	The car moved slowly.
Play	The children are playing in the park
Pay	I need to pay my bills.
Hear	I can hear the birds singing.
Include	The price includes tax.
Believe	I believe in you.
Allow	The rules do not allow smoking.
Meet	I will meet you at the station
Lead	The path leads to the lake
Live	I live in London.
Stand	Please stand up.
Carry	Can you carry this bag for me?
Talk	We talked for hours.
Appear	The sun appeared from behind the clouds
Produce	The factory produces cars.
Sit	Please sit down.

Offer	The restaurant offers a variety of dishes.
Consider	Please consider my proposal.
Expect	I expect you to be on time.
Suggest	I suggest we go to the beach.
Let	Please let me know if you can come.
Read	I like to read books.
Require	This task requires a lot of attention
Continue	Please continue your work.
Lose	I don’t want to lose my keys.
Add	Please add some sugar to my coffee.
Change	The weather is changing.
Fall	The leaves fall from the trees in autumn
Remain	The situation will remain the same.
Remember	I remember my childhood fondly.
Buy	I need to buy some groceries
Speak	She speaks English fluently.
Stop	Please stop the car.
Send	I will send you an email.
Receive	I received a package today.
Decide	We need to decide on a date for the meeting.

Win	Our team won the game.
Understand	I understand the instructions.
Describe	Please describe the suspect.
Develop	The company is developing a new product.
Agree	I agree with you.
Open	Please open the door
Reach	We need to reach an agreement
Build	She built a strong reputation.
Involve	The project involves a lot of work.
Spend	I spend too much money
Return	I will return the book tomorrow.
Draw	I like to draw pictures
Die	The plant died from a lack of water
Hope	I hope you have a good time
Create	She creates beautiful artwork.
Walk	I walk to work every day.
Sell	The store sells clothes.
Wait	Please wait for me.
Cause	The storm caused a lot of damage
Pass	The car passed us on the highway.

Lie	I lie down when I’m tired.
Accept	I accept your apology.
Watch	I like to watch movies.
Raise	Please raise your hand.
Base	The movie is based on a true story.
Apply	You need to apply for the job.
Break	Please don’t break the glass.
Explain	Can you explain this to me?
Learn	I am learning Spanish.
Increase	The price of gas is increasing.
Cover	Please cover the food
Grow	The plants are growing quickly.
Claim	He claims to be innocent.
Report	Please report the incident.
Support	I support your decision.
Cut	Please cut the paper.
Form	The clouds are forming a storm
Stay	Please stay here.
Contain	The box contains books
Reduce	We need to reduce our expenses.

Establish	The company was established in 1990.
Join	I’d like to join the club.
Wish	I wish you all the best
Achieve	He achieved his goals.
Seek	She is seeking advice.
Choose	Please choose a book to read.
Deal	The company deals in electronics
Face	We need to face the facts.
Fail	The project failed.
Serve	The waiter served us dinner.
End	The movie ended abruptly.
Kill	The hunter killed the deer.
Occur	The accident occurred yesterday.
Drive	I drive to work every day.
Represent	The flag represents our country.
Rise	The sun rises in the eas
Discuss	We discussed the problem.
Love	I love chocolate.
Pick	Please pick a flower.
Place	Please place the book on the shelf.

Argue	They argued about politics.
Prove	Can you prove your claim
Wear	I wear glasses
Catch	I tried to catch the ball.
Enjoy	I enjoy listening to music
Eat	I eat breakfast every morning.
Introduce	Let me introduce you to my friend.
Enter	Please enter the room.
Present	He presented his research
Arrive	The train will arrive soon.
Ensure	Please ensure that the door is locked.
Point	He pointed at the map.
Plan	We are planning a trip.
Pull	Please pull the door open.
Refer	Please refer to the instructions.
Act	He acted quickly.
Relate	I can relate to your situation.
Affect	The weather will affect our plans.
Close	Please close the door.
Identify	Can you identify the suspect?
Manage	I manage a team of five people

Thank	I want to thank you for your help
Compare	We need to compare the price.
Announce	The company will announce the results tomorrow.
Obtain	Where did you obtain this information?
Note	Please note the changes.
Forget	Don’t forget your keys.
Indicate	The sign indicates the direction.
Wonder	I wonder what time it is.
Maintain	You need to maintain your car.
Publish	The author published a new book.
Suffer	He suffered a serious injury.
Avoid	Try to avoid making mistakes.
Express	He expressed his opinion.
Suppose	I suppose you’re right
Finish	I need to finish my work.
Determine	We need to determine the cause.
Design	He designed the building.
Listen	Please listen to me.
Save	I need to save money.
Tend	He tends to be late

Treat	The doctor treated the patient.
Control	He controls the situation
Share	Please share your food with me.
Remove	Please remove your shoes.
Throw	Please throw the ball.
Visit	I will visit my family next week
Exist	Dinosaurs no longer exist.
Encourage	We need to encourage creativity.
Force	They forced him to leave.
Reflect	The mirror reflects the light.
Admit	He admitted his mistake.
Assume	I assume you know the answer.
Smile	She smiled at me.
Prepare	I need to prepare dinner.
Replace	We need to replace the batteries.
Fill	Please fill the glass with water.
Improve	We need to improve our communication
Mention	He mentioned your name.
Fight	They fought for their rights.
Intend	I intend to go to college.

Bonus List of Common Verbs in English

A list of common verbs in English serves as a foundation for mastering the language. These verbs, including action verbs like “run” and “speak,” linking verbs like “is” and “seem,” and auxiliary verbs like “have” and “will,” are vital for forming sentences. Below is an exhaustive list to guide learners.

Now, check out other common verbs in English language:

Miss	Discover
Drop	Hit
Push	Prevent
Refuse	Regard
Lay	Reveal
Teach	Answer
Enable	Record
Check	Complete
Cost	Sound
Laugh	Realise
Extend	Arise
Notice	Define
Examine	Fit
Study	Bear
Hang	Recognise
Shake	Sign
Attend	Fly
Gain	Perform
Result	Travel
Adopt	Confirm

Protect	Demand
Stare	Imagine
Attempt	Beat
Born	Associate
Care	Marry
Collect	Voice
Employ	Issue
Release	Emerge
Mind	Aim
Deny	Mark
Shoot	Appoint
Order	Supply
Drink	Observe
Reply	Ignore
LLink	Propose
Ring	Settle
Strike	Press
Respond	Arrange
Survive	Concentrate
Lift	Approach

Cross	Test
Charge	Experience
Touch	Acquire
Commit	Demonstrate
Grant	Prefer
Repeat	Sleep
Threaten	Feed
Insist	Launch
Limit	Promote
Deliver	Measure
Own	Retain
Assess	Attract
Belong	Consist
Contribute	Hide
Promise	Reject
Cry	Impose
Invite	Sing
Vary	Warn
Address	Declare
Destroy	Worry

Divide	Head
Name	Stick
Nod	Recognise
Train	Attack
Clear	Combine
Handle	Influence
Realise	Recommend
Shout	Spread
Undertake	Account
Select	Climb
Contact	Recall
Secure	Step
Transfer	Welcome
Conclude	Disappear
Display	Dress
Illustrate	Imply
Organise	Direct
Escape	Generate
Investigate	Remind
Advise	Afford

Earn	Hand
Inform	Reply
Succeed	Approve
Burn	Fear
Vote	Conduct
Cope	Derive
Elect	Gather
Jump	Last
Match	Matter
Persuade	Ride
Shut	Blow
Estimate	Recover
Score	Slip
Count	Hate
Attach	Exercise
House	Lean
Roll	Wash
Accompany	Accuse
Bind	Explore
Judge	Rest

Steal	Comment
Exclude	Focus
Hurt	Stretch
Withdraw	Back
Fix	Justify
Knock	Pursue
Switch	Appreciate
Benefit	Lack
List	Occupy
Permit	Surround
Abandon	Blame
Complain	Connect
Construct	Dominate
Engage	Pain
Quote	View
Acknowledge	Dismiss
Incorporate	Interpret
Proceed	Search
Separate	Stress
Alter	Analyse

Arrest	Bother
Defend	Expand
Implement	Possess
Review	Suit
Tie	Assist
Calculate	Glance
Mix	Question
Resolve	Rule
Suspect	Wake
Appeal	Challenge
Clean	Damage
Guess	Reckon
Restore	Restrict
Specify	Constitute
Convert	Distinguish
Submit	Uge
Trust	Feature
Land	Locate
Predict	Preserve
Solve	Sort

Struggle	Cast
Cook	Dance
Invest	Lock
Owe	Pour
Shift	Kick
Kiss	Light
Purchase	Race
Retire	Bend
Breathe	Celebrate
Date	Fire
Monitor	Print
Register	Resist
Behave	Comprise
Decline	Detect
Finance	Organise
Overcome	Range
Swing	Differ
Drag	Guarantee
Oppose	Pack
Pause	Relax

Resign	Rush
Store	Waste
Compete	Expose
Found	Install
Mount	Negotiate
Sink	Split
Whisper	Assure
Aware	Borrow
Bury	Capture
Deserve	Distribute
Doubt	Enhance
Phone	Sweep
Tackle	Advance
Cease	Concern
Emphasise	Exceed
Qualify	Slide
Strengthen	Qualify
Transform	Favour
Grab	Lend
Participate	Perceive

Pose	Practise
Satisfy	Scream
Smoke	Sustain
Tear	Adapt

20 Common Phrasal Verbs in English with Meaning & Sentences

Here are 20 common phrasal verbs with their meanings and example sentences:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Break Down	Stop functioning	The car broke down on the highway.
Bring up	Raise a topic	I didn’t want to bring up the subject of money.
Call off	Cancel	They called off the meeting due to the storm.
Carry on	Continue	Please carry on with your work.
Catch up	Reach the same level	I need to catch up on my reading
Check out	Leave a hotel; examine	We checked out of the hotel at noon.
Come across	Find by chance	I came across an old photo album in the attic.
Cut off	Disconnect; interrupt	The phone line was cut off during the storm.
Drop off	Deliver; decrease	I’ll drop off the package on my way home.
Figure out	Understand; solve	I’m trying to figure out how to assemble this bookshelf.
Give up	Stop trying	Don’t give up on your dreams.
Go on	Continue	The show must go on.
Look after	Take care of	She looked after her younger siblings.
Look forward to	Anticipate with pleasure	I’m looking forward to the holidays.
Put off	Postpone	We had to put off the meeting until next week.
Put up with	Tolerate	I can’t put up with his rudeness any longer.
Run out of	Have no more of something	We’ve run out of milk.
Set up	Arrange; establish	They set up a new business.
Take after	Resemble	He takes after his father.
Turn down	Refuse; decrease volume	She turned down the job offer. / Please turn down the music.

Also Read: Past Tense and Present Tense Exercise

Tips for Learning and Remembering Common Verbs in English

Here are some tips to help you learn and remember common verbs in English:

• Group verbs together: This can make it easier to remember them. For example, you could group verbs by their meaning (e.g., verbs of motion, verbs of emotion), or by their form (e.g., regular verbs, irregular verbs).
• Use visuals: Visual aids can help you remember verbs more easily. For example, you could use flashcards with pictures of the verbs on them, or you could draw your own pictures to help you remember the verbs.
• Make it personal: Try to connect the verbs to your own life and experiences. This will make it easier to remember them because they will be more meaningful to you.
• Practice regularly: The more you use the verbs, the easier it will be to remember them. Try to use them in your everyday conversations, and make a point of reviewing them regularly.
• Make it fun: Learning new verbs doesn’t have to be a chore. There are many fun ways to learn new verbs, such as playing games, watching movies, and listening to music.

Here are some specific techniques you can use to learn and remember common verbs in English:

• Use flashcards: Write the verb on one side of the card, and the meaning and an example sentence on the other side. Review the flashcards regularly.
• Create a verb chart: Make a chart with the verbs you want to learn and write the meaning and an example sentence for each verb. Review the chart regularly.
• Use the verbs in sentences: The more you use the verbs in sentences, the easier it will be to remember them. Try to use them in your everyday conversations, and make a point of writing them down as well.
• Find a study buddy: Studying with a friend can make the process more fun and motivating. You can quiz each other on the verbs, and help each other to remember them.
• Use mnemonics: Mnemonics are memory aids that can help you remember information. For example, you could use a mnemonic to remember the different forms of an irregular verb.
• Use online resources: There are many online resources that can help you learn and remember verbs. For example, you can find websites with lists of common verbs, and you can find apps that can help you practice using the verbs.

Also Read: What is Transitive Verb and Intransitive Verbs with Examples

Practice Exercises on Common Verbs in English

Here are 5 practice exercises focusing on common verbs in English and different aspects of verb usage, along with their answers:

Exercise 1: Subject-Verb Agreement Exercise

Instructions: Choose the correct verb form to agree with the subject.

1. The team (is/are) practicing hard for the upcoming tournament.
2. My dog (barks/bark) at every passing car.
3. Neither the cat nor the dogs (was/were) fed this morning.
4. Everyone (has/have) their own opinion on the matter.
5. There (is/are) several reasons why I can’t attend.

Answers:

1. Is
2. Barks
3. Was
4. Has
5. He

Exercise 2: Verb Tenses Exercise

Fill in the blanks with the correct tense of the verb in parentheses.

1. I (see) him yesterday at the library.
2. She (work) on this project for the past three months.
3. By next week, they (finish) painting the house.
4. If I (have) enough money, I would travel around the world.
5. He (sleep) when the phone rang.

Answers:

1. Saw
2. Has been working/has worked
3. Will have finished
4. Had
5. Was sleeping

Exercise 3: Irregular Verbs Exercise

Give the past simple and past participle forms of the following irregular verbs.

1. Go
2. Eat
3. Know
4. Write
5. Break

Answers:

1. Went, Gone
2. Ate, Eaten
3. Know, Known
4. Wrote, Written
5. Broke, Broken

Exercise 4: Phrasal Verbs Exercise

Match the phrasal verb with its meaning.

Look up	a)Resemble
Put off	b) Postpone
Take after	c) Find Information
Give up	d) Stop Trying
Figure Out	e) Understand

Check Answers:

1. c) Find Information
2. b) Postpone
3. a) Resemble
4. d) Stop Trying
5. e) Understand 

Exercise 5: Active vs. Passive Voice Exercise

Instructions: Identify whether the following sentences are in active or passive voice.

1. The cat chased the mouse.
2. The cake was eaten by John.
3. She wrote a beautiful poem.
4. The window was broken by the ball.
5. They are building a new school.

Answers:

1. Active
2. Passive
3. Active
4. Passive
5. Active

Explore more blogs from Learn English!

What are Consonants?	What are Vowels in English Grammar?
Double Negatives: Definition, Usage, Examples	What are Conditional Sentences?
What are Auxiliary Verbs	Auxiliary Verb Worksheet for Students
What are Negative Sentences in English Grammar?	Negative Sentences Worksheet for Students
Prefix and Suffix: Definition, Rules and Examples	Prefix and Suffix Examples

FAQs

We hope this blog on ‘Common Verbs in English’  was informative and helped you improve your English skills. You can also follow the Learn English page of Leverage Edu for more exciting and informative blogs related to English grammar and the English language.