How to Know If a Verb Is an Action or Being Verb?

There are few ways to tell the difference between action and being verbs. In American English, there are two main forms of verbs: state-of-being verbs and action verbs. Action verbs, as the name would imply, are verbs that show action. State-of-being verbs, also called linking verbs, are a little more complex. Being verbs do not show action; they link the subject of a sentence with a noun or adjective. What makes the differentiation difficult for some, though, is that some being verbs can also be action verbs.

1 Ask yourself if the verb implies action. If you can picture a person or thing doing something, chances are, it is an action verb. Jump, play, write, throw and work are examples of action verbs.
2 Determine whether the verb is a form of "be." Forms of "be" are: be, am, is, are, was, were, been, being. If it falls into this list, it is, and always will be, a linking verb.
3 Establish the function of the verb. Some linking verbs can also be action verbs; the function of the verb will determine its type. For example, in the sentence "Jan's casserole tasted good" tasted is a linking verb. But, if the sentence was, "Jan tasted the casserole" it would be an action verb. In the second example, something is happening; Jan took a bite of a casserole. In the first sentence, however, there is no action. Tasted is being used to link the subject to the adjective and in this case, casserole to good.
4 Memorize the other linking verbs. Remembering common state-of-being verbs can be helpful in determining the difference between linking and action verbs. Aside from forms of "be," the following words can also be used linking verbs: appear, become, feel, grow, look, seem, remain, smell, sound, stay, taste, turn.
If you have questionable verb on your hands, try to replace it with a being verb to see if the sentence still makes sense. For example, if the sentence is "The carpet feels soft" and you aren't sure if "feels" is action or linking, try saying "The carpet is soft." In this case, "feels" is a being verb. However, if the sentence was "John, feel this carpet!" you could not replace it with "is."
Remember that an action does not always mean a movement. For example, thought or considered are also action verbs; they are mental actions.

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