Verb and Its Types, Concepts, Strategies, Tips and Tricks

A verb is a vital part of English grammar that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being. It is the word that tells us what the subject of a sentence is doing or what is happening to it. Verbs help form sentences that clearly communicate time, mood, and meaning, making them essential for effective language use.

In this blog, we have provided all the details about verbs, covering their definitions, types, and significance in competitive exams like SSC, IBPS, SBI PO, and RRB along with practical tricks, and recent solved examples.

What Is a Verb in English?

A verb is a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being. It tells us what the subject is doing or what is happening to the subject.

Why do verbs appear in exams?

Verbs form the backbone of sentence structure, making them crucial for understanding grammar, tense, subject-verb agreement, and sentence correction. Competitive exams test verb usage to assess a candidate’s command over English grammar and their ability to interpret and construct meaningful sentences.

Skills required to solve verb questions:

  • Logical understanding of sentence structure
  • Knowledge of verb forms and tenses
  • Ability to visualize the correct action or state in context
  • Decoding meaning from sentence cues

Why Is Verb Important in Competitive Exams?

Verbs are a core part of English grammar and are tested regularly in various exams. Their importance lies in how they affect sentence meaning and grammar correctness.

ExamNo. of QuestionsDifficulty
SSC CGL / CHSL1–2Easy
IBPS PO / SBI PO1–2Moderate
RRB NTPC / Group D1Easy
State PSC / Police1–2Moderate

Types of Verbs

The details about the types of verbs are as follows:

TypeDetails
Action VerbShows physical or mental action (run, think)
Linking VerbConnects subject to a state/condition (is, seem)
Auxiliary VerbHelps the main verb (am, have, will)
Transitive VerbRequires an object (eat an apple)
Intransitive VerbNo object needed (sleep, arrive)
Regular VerbForms past by adding -ed (walk → walked)
Irregular VerbPast forms vary (go → went)
Finite VerbShows tense, agrees with subject
Non-finite VerbInfinitives, participles, gerunds (to run, running)

Concepts to Solve Questions Based on Verbs

Concepts that are useful to solve questions are as follows:

ConceptExplanation
VerbWord showing action, state, or occurrence
TenseTime of action (past, present, future)
Subject-Verb AgreementVerb matches subject in number and person
Auxiliary VerbsHelping verbs to form tenses and voices
Active and Passive VoiceWho performs the action and who receives it
Modal VerbsExpress possibility, permission, obligation (can, must)

What Are the Types of Verb Questions in English?

Verb questions in exams usually test:

  • Identify the correct verb form
  • Choose the appropriate tense
  • Subject-verb agreement
  • Fill in the blanks with correct verb
  • Sentence correction involving verbs
  • Voice change (active/passive)
  • Use of modals and auxiliaries

Verb Question Patterns in English

To solve verb questions quickly, use these templates:

  • Subject-Verb Agreement Rule: Singular subject → singular verb; plural subject → plural verb
  • Tense Check: Identify time marker words to decide tense (yesterday → past, now → present)
  • Auxiliary Help: Use auxiliary verbs for questions/negations (Is he going? He does not run.)
  • Active-Passive Conversion: Identify the subject performing the action for voice change
  • Modal Usage: Know modals express mood, not tense (can, could, may)

Verb Tricks for SSC CGL and Other Exams

Here are quick tips to crack verb questions:

  1. Read the whole sentence carefully to understand time and subject.
  2. Look for time indicators like yesterday, now, soon to fix tense.
  3. Identify the subject clearly before selecting the verb form.
  4. Eliminate options that don’t match the subject in number/person.
  5. Check auxiliary verbs for forming correct tense/voice.
  6. Watch out for irregular verbs and memorize common ones.
  7. Practice active-passive transformations regularly.

Solved Verb Questions from 2024–25 Exams

Example 1: SSC CGL 2024 Tier 1

Question:
Choose the correct verb: She _______ to the market yesterday.
a) go
b) went
c) going
d) goes

Answer: b) went

Explanation: The time word “yesterday” indicates past tense; the correct past tense of “go” is “went.”

Example 2: IBPS PO Prelims 2024

Question:
Fill in the blank with the correct form: They _______ playing cricket now.
a) is
b) are
c) was
d) be

Answer: b) are

Explanation: The subject “They” is plural, so use plural verb “are” in present continuous tense.

Example 3: RRB NTPC 2025

Question:
Identify the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement:
a) The team are winning the match.
b) The teams is playing well.
c) The team is winning the match.
d) The teams was late.

Answer: c) The team is winning the match.

Explanation: “Team” is singular; verb should be singular “is.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid while Solving Verb Questions

Common mistakes to avoid while solving questions based on the topic verb are as follows:

  • Ignoring the subject’s number and person
  • Overlooking time markers that indicate tense
  • Confusing irregular verb forms
  • Forgetting auxiliary verbs in compound tenses
  • Misapplying singular/plural agreement in collective nouns

FAQs

Q1. How do action verbs differ from linking verbs?

Action verbs show doing; linking verbs connect the subject to a state.

Q2. What is subject-verb agreement?

The verb must agree in number and person with its subject.

Q3. What is an irregular verb?

A verb that forms past tense and past participle in an unpredictable way.

Q4. How to solve subject-verb agreement questions quickly?

Identify the subject first and match the verb form accordingly.

Q5. How to use auxiliary verbs in question formation?

Auxiliary verbs are placed before the subject in questions (e.g., Are you coming?).


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