1 A doing word?

Let’s start with the idea that verbs are ‘doing words’. Lots of verbs certainly are about actions like someone or something moving or changing itself, or affecting or changing something or someone else. Look at the following examples:

• He hit his thumb with a hammer.
• They ate all the pies.
• I shot the sheriff.
• Pedro reads very quickly.
• She bought a new car.

And to show that it’s not only people who do things:

• The rain ruined the picnic.

But verbs can also involve mental activity and emotions:

• We want another chance.
• I hope so!
• Everyone expected them to win.
• She hates that sort of attitude.
• Andrea thought he was taller.

Verbs help us to make a connection between the thing or person doing something and what they are doing. In all the examples given above, the first word (nouns and pronouns, which you’ll learn about in Week 5) is called the ‘subject’ of the verb (who or what is doing the thing expressed by the verb). You’ll learn more about the subject (and other parts of a sentence) in Week 6. Verbs can also tell us a lot about the person or thing that is affected by an action – the ‘object’ of the verb (which you’ll also encounter in Week 6, but for now you’ll just focus on the verbs themselves).