Essential Verb Exercises for All Levels

Here’s a quick quiz about verbs that you can use to test your knowledge. It covers basic and intermediate verb usage.


Verb Quiz

Part 1: Identify the Verb

Find the verb(s) in each sentence:

  1. She runs every morning.
  2. The cake was baked by my grandmother.
  3. We will travel to Italy next summer.
  4. He enjoys reading mystery novels.
  5. They have been practicing for the concert.

Part 2: Verb Tenses

Choose the correct verb form to complete the sentence:
6. She _____ (walk/walks) to school every day.
7. I _____ (studied/study) hard for the exam yesterday.
8. They _____ (are playing/played) basketball right now.
9. By this time next year, she _____ (will graduate/will have graduated).
10. We _____ (have/had) lunch before we left for the park.


Part 3: Active or Passive Voice

Decide whether the sentence is in the active or passive voice:
11. The letter was written by Sarah.
12. The team won the championship.
13. The movie is being watched by millions.
14. The chef cooked a delicious meal.
15. The homework has been completed.


Part 4: Verb Agreement

Choose the correct verb to agree with the subject:
16. Either my brother or my sister _____ (is/are) coming to the party.
17. Neither the students nor the teacher _____ (was/were) aware of the change.
18. The group of friends _____ (enjoy/enjoys) hiking on weekends.
19. Everybody _____ (knows/know) the answer.
20. The books on the shelf _____ (belong/belongs) to her.


Let me know if you’d like me to create answers or additional sections for this quiz!

Here’s the answer sheet for the verb quiz:


Verb Quiz Answer Sheet

Part 1: Identify the Verb

  1. runs
  2. was baked
  3. will travel
  4. enjoys, reading
  5. have been practicing

Part 2: Verb Tenses

  1. walks
  2. studied
  3. are playing
  4. will have graduated
  5. had

Part 3: Active or Passive Voice

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

Part 4: Verb Agreement

  1. is
  2. was
  3. enjoys
  4. knows
  5. belong

Here are some interactive activities to make learning verbs more engaging:


Activity 1: Verb Charades

  • Write verbs (e.g., jump, dance, read, think) on small slips of paper.
  • Players take turns picking a slip and acting out the verb without speaking.
  • The other players guess the verb.
  • This works great for physical and mental action verbs!

Activity 2: Verb Story Builder

  • Start with one sentence, e.g., Yesterday, I walked to the park.
  • Each player adds a sentence, but they must change the verb tense (e.g., future, past perfect).
    • Player 1: Tomorrow, I will visit the zoo.
    • Player 2: By then, I will have seen many animals.
  • Continue until the story becomes amusing or ends!

Activity 3: Verb Scavenger Hunt

  • Choose a short text (a story or article).
  • Set a timer for 2 minutes.
  • Find as many verbs as possible in the text.
  • Bonus: Identify their tense or whether they are active or passive.

Activity 4: Verb Match-Up

  • Create two columns:
    • Column A: Base verbs (e.g., run, eat, go, watch)
    • Column B: Tenses (e.g., ran, eating, will go, watched)
  • Players draw lines connecting the base verb to its correct tense.
  • Add a twist: Include distractors to increase difficulty!

Activity 5: Verb Bingo

  • Create bingo cards with verb tenses (e.g., past, future, present perfect).
  • Call out sentences, and players mark the tense that matches the verb.
    • Example: She has finished her homework. (Present perfect)

Activity 6: Verb Pictionary

  • Similar to charades, but players draw the action instead of acting it out.
  • The group guesses the verb.

Activity 7: Verb Swap

  • Give a sentence with a verb and ask players to replace the verb with a synonym or a similar verb:
    • Sentence: She ran to the store.
    • Options: She dashed to the store. or She jogged to the store.
  • Discuss subtle differences between the verbs (e.g., speed, tone).

Activity 8: Sentence Transformation

  • Provide a simple sentence like: He eats lunch at noon.
  • Ask players to transform it into:
    • Past tense: He ate lunch at noon.
    • Future tense: He will eat lunch at noon.
    • Passive voice: Lunch is eaten by him at noon.

Here’s a verb worksheet with answers included at the end. It covers various aspects of verbs, including tenses, agreement, and voice.


Verb Worksheet

Part 1: Fill in the Blanks (Verb Tenses)

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in parentheses:

  1. She _____ (study) every evening.
  2. Yesterday, we _____ (watch) a movie.
  3. By this time next week, they _____ (complete) the project.
  4. He _____ (not, like) spicy food.
  5. They _____ (run) in the park when it started to rain.

Part 2: Verb Agreement

Choose the correct verb to agree with the subject:
6. The group of students _____ (is/are) preparing for the competition.
7. Neither the manager nor the employees _____ (was/were) aware of the meeting.
8. Everyone _____ (enjoy/enjoys) the holiday season.
9. The scissors _____ (is/are) on the table.
10. Each of the players _____ (has/have) a unique role on the team.


Part 3: Active and Passive Voice

Rewrite the following sentences in the opposite voice:
11. The chef prepared a delicious meal. (Change to passive)
12. The book was returned by the student. (Change to active)
13. The house is being painted by a professional. (Change to active)
14. She will write the report tomorrow. (Change to passive)
15. A decision has been made by the committee. (Change to active)


Part 4: Verb Identification

Underline the verbs in the following sentences:
16. They were dancing under the stars.
17. She has been learning French for three years.
18. The flowers bloom in spring.
19. He might visit us this weekend.
20. The presentation is being prepared by the team.


Answer Key

Part 1: Fill in the Blanks

  1. studies
  2. watched
  3. will have completed
  4. does not like
  5. were running

Part 2: Verb Agreement

  1. is
  2. was
  3. enjoys
  4. are
  5. has

Part 3: Active and Passive Voice

  1. A delicious meal was prepared by the chef.
  2. The student returned the book.
  3. A professional is painting the house.
  4. The report will be written by her tomorrow.
  5. The committee has made a decision.

Part 4: Verb Identification

  1. were dancing
  2. has been learning
  3. bloom
  4. might visit
  5. is being prepared

Here’s a set of additional verb exercises with the answer key provided at the end.


Additional Verb Exercises

Part 1: Correct the Sentence

The verbs in the following sentences are incorrect. Rewrite each sentence with the correct verb form:

  1. She go to school every day.
  2. They was playing in the garden.
  3. He have finished his homework.
  4. I seen her at the store yesterday.
  5. By next month, she complete her internship.

Part 2: Mixed Verb Tenses

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in parentheses:
6. When I arrived, they _____ (already, leave).
7. She _____ (call) me tomorrow to discuss the project.
8. He _____ (write) two books so far this year.
9. If it _____ (rain), we will cancel the trip.
10. The students _____ (discuss) the topic when the teacher walked in.


Part 3: Choose the Right Verb

Circle or underline the correct verb to complete the sentence:
11. Either the cat or the dog (is/are) making that noise.
12. Ten dollars (is/are) enough for lunch.
13. The news (was/were) surprising to everyone.
14. A number of people (is/are) waiting outside.
15. Neither the brothers nor their sister (is/are) at home.


Part 4: Sentence Transformation

Transform the following sentences as directed:
16. He wrote a letter. (Change to passive)
17. The house was cleaned by the maid. (Change to active)
18. She has completed the assignment. (Change to future tense)
19. They are building a new library. (Change to passive)
20. I will finish the report. (Change to present perfect tense)


Answer Key

Part 1: Correct the Sentence

  1. She goes to school every day.
  2. They were playing in the garden.
  3. He has finished his homework.
  4. I saw her at the store yesterday.
  5. By next month, she will have completed her internship.

Part 2: Mixed Verb Tenses

  1. When I arrived, they had already left.
  2. She will call me tomorrow to discuss the project.
  3. He has written two books so far this year.
  4. If it rains, we will cancel the trip.
  5. The students were discussing the topic when the teacher walked in.

Part 3: Choose the Right Verb

  1. Either the cat or the dog is making that noise.
  2. Ten dollars is enough for lunch.
  3. The news was surprising to everyone.
  4. A number of people are waiting outside.
  5. Neither the brothers nor their sister is at home.

Part 4: Sentence Transformation

  1. A letter was written by him.
  2. The maid cleaned the house.
  3. She will complete the assignment.
  4. A new library is being built.
  5. I have finished the report.

Would you like more exercises focusing on specific verb aspects like irregular verbs, modal verbs, or phrasal verbs?

Here’s a detailed set of practice exercises focusing on irregular verbs, modal verbs, and phrasal verbs, along with the answer sheets.


Irregular Verbs Exercises

Part 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the irregular verb in parentheses:

  1. Yesterday, she _____ (go) to the market.
  2. I have _____ (see) this movie before.
  3. They _____ (begin) the project last week.
  4. He _____ (break) the vase accidentally.
  5. We _____ (take) a taxi to the airport.

Part 2: Rewrite the Sentence

Rewrite each sentence in the tense indicated in parentheses:
6. She eats breakfast every morning. (Past tense)
7. I drove to the office yesterday. (Present perfect tense)
8. They have written an essay. (Past tense)
9. He speaks three languages. (Future tense)
10. The cat caught a mouse. (Present perfect tense)


Modal Verbs Exercises

Part 1: Fill in the Blanks

Use an appropriate modal verb (can, could, may, might, must, should, etc.) to complete the sentence:
11. You _____ finish your homework before playing.
12. She _____ speak three languages fluently.
13. We _____ go to the park if it doesn’t rain.
14. He _____ have forgotten his keys at home.
15. _____ you help me with this project?


Part 2: Choose the Correct Modal Verb

Choose the correct modal verb to complete the sentence:
16. You (must/could) not smoke in this area.
17. I (may/must) be late because of traffic.
18. She (can/should) try harder to achieve her goals.
19. They (could/might) visit us next week.
20. You (should/might) always say thank you.


Phrasal Verbs Exercises

Part 1: Match the Phrasal Verb with Its Meaning

Match the phrasal verb to its meaning:
21. Look after a. To postpone
22. Give up b. To care for someone
23. Run out c. To stop doing something
24. Put off d. To exhaust a supply
25. Turn on e. To activate


Part 2: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences with the correct phrasal verb:
26. Please _____ (put off/look after) the meeting until next week.
27. We _____ (ran out/gave up) of milk, so we need to buy some.
28. She decided to _____ (give up/look after) smoking for good.
29. Could you _____ (turn on/put off) the lights? It’s getting dark.
30. I need someone to _____ (look after/give up) my dog while I’m away.


Answer Sheet

Irregular Verbs Answers

  1. went
  2. seen
  3. began
  4. broke
  5. took
  6. She ate breakfast every morning.
  7. I have driven to the office yesterday.
  8. They wrote an essay.
  9. He will speak three languages.
  10. The cat has caught a mouse.

Modal Verbs Answers

  1. should
  2. can
  3. might
  4. must
  5. Can
  6. must
  7. may
  8. should
  9. might
  10. should

Phrasal Verbs Answers

  1. b (Look after → To care for someone)
  2. c (Give up → To stop doing something)
  3. d (Run out → To exhaust a supply)
  4. a (Put off → To postpone)
  5. e (Turn on → To activate)
  6. put off
  7. ran out
  8. give up
  9. turn on
  10. look after


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