GrammarSheets
Grade 2VerbsRecognition

Finding Verbs in a Sentence Worksheet — Grade 2

Grade 2 students identify action verbs in short sentences by circling, completing, and choosing from options in this focused three-part worksheet.

Verbs are the engine of every sentence. Without an action word, a sentence has no movement — nothing happens. In Grade 2, students begin to see that every sentence has a subject, who or what the sentence is about, and a verb, what that subject does. Learning to spot the verb quickly helps children write clearer sentences and understand what they read. This worksheet gives students three ways to practice that skill: in Part A they circle the verb in a printed sentence, in Part B they choose a verb that makes sense in context, and in Part C they select the verb from a short list of options. Work through the parts in order, and encourage students to ask what is happening in this sentence each time they get stuck.

Finding Verbs in a Sentence Worksheet — Grade 2

A verb tells what someone or something does. Read every sentence carefully, then follow the directions for each part.

Remember

  • A verb is an action word. It tells what someone or something does. Example: The cat runs.
  • Every sentence has a verb. Look for the word that shows what is happening. Example: She jumps.
  • The verb usually comes right after the subject. Example: The dog barks. Barks is the verb.

Part A — Find the verb

Circle the verb — the action word — in each sentence.

  1. 1.

    The dog runs in the yard.

  2. 2.

    Mia draws a big red sun.

  3. 3.

    The cat sleeps on the bed.

  4. 4.

    Tom kicks the ball hard.

  5. 5.

    The birds sing in the tree.

Part B — Fill in the verb

Write the missing verb on the blank line to complete each sentence.

  1. 6.

    The frog ____ into the pond.

  2. 7.

    Aisha ____ her lunch at school.

  3. 8.

    The snow ____ down from the sky.

  4. 9.

    Carlos ____ his dog every day.

Part C — Choose the verb

Choose the word that is the verb in each sentence.

  1. 10.

    The rabbit hops across the grass. Which word is the verb?

    1. a)rabbit
    2. b)hops
    3. c)grass
  2. 11.

    Dad bakes a big cake. Which word is the verb?

    1. a)Dad
    2. b)bakes
    3. c)cake
  3. 12.

    The girl reads a book. Which word is the verb?

    1. a)girl
    2. b)book
    3. c)reads
Answer key

Part A — Find the verb

  1. 1.runs
  2. 2.draws
  3. 3.sleeps
  4. 4.kicks
  5. 5.sing

Part B — Fill in the verb

  1. 6.jumps
  2. 7.eats
  3. 8.falls
  4. 9.walks

Part C — Choose the verb

  1. 10.hops
  2. 11.bakes
  3. 12.reads

What this worksheet teaches

  • Identify the action verb in a short, simple sentence by circling it.
  • Choose the correct verb to complete a sentence using context clues.
  • Select the verb from three printed word choices in a given sentence.

What is on the page

Part C — Choose the verb prints “The rabbit hops across the grass. Which word is the verb?” with the options “rabbit”, “hops” and “grass”; the key gives “hops”.

The language it drills

“The dog runs in the yard.” has one answer in the key: “runs”.

Notes for the grown-up

  • Students often circle the subject noun instead of the verb — they may mark 'dog' when the answer is 'runs'.
  • Ask the student: what is the dog doing? The word that answers that question is always the verb.
  • A student is ready to move on when they name the verb in an unfamiliar sentence quickly and without prompting.

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