1st Grade Verbs: Action Words Worksheet
A verb is an action word — it tells what someone or something does. Find the verb in each sentence.
- Homework
- Centers
- Review
- Morning Work
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No sign-up required. Clean, low-ink US Letter format.
- Grade
- 1st Grade
- Subject
- Grammar
- Skill
- Verbs
- Topic
- action verbs
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 12 minutes
- Pages
- 2 (incl. answer key)
- Format
- Printable PDF (US Letter)
- Answer key
- Included
- Best for
- homework, centers, review, morning work
Worksheet details
What This Worksheet Practices
Students will identify the action verb in a simple sentence and use action verbs in their own sentences.
- Spotting the action word in a sentence
- Understanding what a verb does
- Writing a sentence with an action word
Inside This Printable
Student directions: Circle (or write) the action word — the verb — in each sentence.
Worked example
The dog runs fast. -> runs
Sample questions
- The boy kicks the ball.
- Birds fly in the sky.
- She reads a book.
The PDF contains 8 practice questions plus 2 challenge questions.
Worksheet Preview
Action words make sentences move
A verb is an action word — it tells what someone or something does. Jump, read, swim, sing: every sentence needs one. Learning to find the verb is the first step toward writing complete, lively sentences.
The verb-finder question
For any sentence, ask “What is the person or animal doing?” That word is the verb.
“The dog barks.” → What does the dog do? → barks. “Mia reads a book.” → What does Mia do? → reads.
Spot the action
| Sentence | Action word (verb) |
|---|---|
| The bird flies. | flies |
| We paint a picture. | paint |
| Dad cooks dinner. | cooks |
| I climb the tree. | climb |
Worked example
“Sam kicks the ball.” Ask: what is Sam doing? → kicking → the verb is kicks.
How to solve each item
Read the sentence, ask “what is happening?”, and underline the action word. Some sentences have one verb; watch for action words that end in -s, -ing, or -ed — they’re still verbs.
Guided practice (try before the worksheet)
- “The frog ___ into the pond.” (jump / hops) → hops
- “She ___ her favorite song.” (sing / sings) → sings
- “They ___ in the snow.” (play / playing) → play
Why it matters
Verbs are the engine of every sentence. When you can find the verb, you can check whether a sentence is complete, choose better action words, and make your writing vivid.
Next steps
Builds toward verb tenses later on, and pairs with nouns to see how sentences put subjects and actions together.
👩🏫 Teacher note
Ask 'What is the person doing?' to find the verb. Acting out a few verbs (jump, run, clap) makes the idea stick.
🏠 Parent note
Have your child act out the action word in each sentence — it makes verbs easy to spot.
Common Mistakes to Watch For
- Choosing the noun instead of the action
- Picking a describing word instead of the verb
Answer Key
The action verb in each sentence is given.
⬇ Download Answer Key (PDF)Learn this skill first
Take the free lesson on verbs — worked examples and practice exercises, then come back to this worksheet.
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