Change the numbers, layout and number of problems, then download a new PDF with its answer key.
These free verbs worksheets help children in grades 1 to 3 find the words that show action. Each page has ten sentences from a bank of 60, such as “The brave firefighter climbed the ladder,” and children circle every verb, including the helping verbs in questions like “Did you see the rainbow?” There is a cut-and-glue sort, a past tense page and a mixed page, all with answer keys, in color or black and white.
Verbs worksheets to print (PDF)
The pages below show a find-the-verbs sheet, a past tense verbs sheet, a mixed sheet where children circle nouns, verbs and adjectives, and a noun, verb and adjective sort. Use the maker at the top of this page to change the number of pages, the font, black and white ink or the paper size, then press New sentences for a fresh set. Every sheet has an answer key.
Find the verbsCircle them, with a key.PDFPast tense verbsToday I… Yesterday I…PDFCircle all threeVerbs with nouns and adjectives.PDFWord sortCut out and glue.PDF
Action verbs worksheets: what is a verb?
A verb is a word that shows an action, such as run or paint, or a state of being, such as is. Children find action verbs most easily by asking: What is someone or something doing? Wikipedia’s verb article explains the idea in more depth. The sentence bank has 60 different verbs, and 66 verbs appear in all.
Kind of verb
What it does
Examples from the worksheets
Action verb
Shows something being done
chased, painted, sing, kicked, ate, planted and carried
Helping verb
Helps another verb, or asks a question
Did, is, Can, does, Will and Do
54 of the 60 verbs are action verbs and 6 are helping or being verbs, which mostly appear in the question sentences (“Will the bus come soon?”). Children who find only the action word in a question are only half right, and the answer key shows both.
Find the verb worksheet: circle the verb in three steps
The “I” test. Put I or we in front: we jump works, so jump is a verb.
The “yesterday” test. Say the sentence with yesterday. The word that changes is the verb: The puppy chases becomes The puppy chased.
Act it out. If you can mime it, it is probably an action verb.
Verb tenses: present, past and future
Verbs change to show when something happens. Grade 1 children learn that yesterday uses the past, today the present and tomorrow the future with will. The worksheets above are mostly in the past tense (chased, painted, kicked), which prepares children for the past tense verbs worksheets.
Today (present)
Yesterday (past)
Tomorrow (future)
walk
walked
will walk
jump
jumped
will jump
bake
baked
will bake
eat
ate
will eat
run
ran
will run
sing
sang
will sing
Verbs and matching nouns
A verb must match its noun: The dog sleeps but The dogs sleep. Many sentences on the sheets show this, such as “Owls hunt at night” (plural, no s) and “The cat yawned” (past tense, same for singular and plural). Ask children to read the sentence aloud and listen for the match.
Verbs for 1st grade: a five-day plan
Day
What to do
Monday
Act out ten verbs, then do the find-the-verbs page
Tuesday
Try the “I” test and the “yesterday” test on five sentences
Wednesday
Sort words into nouns, verbs and adjectives
Thursday
Write the past tense on the past tense verbs page
Friday
Play the nouns, verbs and adjectives game
These verbs worksheets work best in short sessions of ten to fifteen minutes, and the answer keys make it easy for a child to check the work alone.
Helping verbs worksheet: is, can, will and do
A helping verb works with another verb or asks a question. In “Will the bus come soon?” the helping verb will comes first, and the main verb is come. A being verb such as is links a noun to a word that describes it: “Is the soup hot?” The helping verbs worksheet idea is simple: ask children to find the “little” verbs in the question sentences, because they are the ones that start the sentence. The answer key marks both the helping verb and the main verb, so children can see the pair.
Verbs worksheets for grade 1: how to use the answer key
The answer key lists the verbs after each sentence. Ask children to cover it, finish the page, and then lift the cover. For each miss, read the sentence aloud and ask what is happening in it. Over a few weeks the misses become fewer, and the keys show which kinds of verb, helping or action, still need practice.
Teaching verbs grade by grade
Grade
What children learn about verbs
Standard
1
Use verbs to show past, present and future; match singular and plural nouns with verbs
L.1.1.c, L.1.1.e
2
Form and use the past tense of irregular verbs such as sat, hid and told
L.2.1.d
3
Form and use regular and irregular verbs and simple tenses
What grade learns verbs? Verbs for 1st grade and beyond
Grade 1 introduces action verbs and the three tenses, grade 2 adds irregular past tense verbs, and grade 3 uses regular and irregular verbs in writing.
Are is, can and will verbs? (helping verbs worksheet)
Yes. They are helping or being verbs. The worksheets include some in the question sentences, and the answer key marks them.
How do I tell a verb from a noun?
Try the “I” test: put I or we before the word. We jump works, so jump is a verb. We puppy does not.
Can a word be a noun and a verb?
Yes, words such as run, paint and water do both jobs. The worksheets use words with one clear job in each sentence.
Are the verbs worksheets free?
Yes. They are free to print for home and classroom use.
