What do you like doing?

Verbs

Our quiz introduces children to verbs (doing words) as suggested in the National Curriculum. KS1 children in their English and Literacy classes should be able to identify a verb in writing and when reading.

A verb is a doing word. It is a word that describes action and tells us that something is happening.

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'He walked to the party then danced all night and slept all day.' How many verbs are in that sentence?

Walked, danced and slept are the verbs. Did you know that honeybees dance as a way to communicate?

Which sentence doesn't contain a verb?

I wrestled him to the ground.

We practised every day for two years.

I fell on the mat and hurt my hand.

The hall was very large.

Wrestling is one of the oldest forms of combat.

Which of these words is not a verb?

kick

run

hit

table

A good way to know if a word is a verb is by asking yourself if you can do it. So, could you kick something? run? hit? table?

Which word is a verb?

the

sneeze

cat

girl

Sunlight causes many people to sneeze.

Which sentence doesn't contain a verb?

I enjoy eating in restaurants.

During the meal, my chair was uncomfortable.

I opened the menu.

We talked about our favourite food.

The second answer is the only one without a verb or a word that involves action.

'I enjoy tennis, football and playing snooker.' How many verbs are in that sentence?

The word 'enjoy' is also a verb. Snooker is played with twenty two balls.

'Every Monday I watch football.' Which word is a verb?

watch

football

Every

Monday

Many children think 'football' is a verb but it's not. If I say to you 'go football' you can't. You play football. Football is the game but the verb is 'to play'.

'I can't breathe because my nose is blocked.' Which word is a verb?

breathe

nose

can't

because

Females tend to have more colds than males.

Which word is not a verb?

laughing

cuddling

hat

smiling

Laughing is considered a universal form of communicating. That means every person in the world, despite what language they speak, will know what laughing is and means.

10.

'I will not stand when I'm told to.' - which word is the verb?

will

not

stand

when

The trick to finding out which word is a verb is to say each word to somebody and if you expect a reaction, then it's a verb. If I say 'when' to you, you don't need to do anything but if I say 'stand' then you are expected to move.

Author: Finola Waller