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2nd Grade Action Verbs Worksheets

An action verb is the word in a sentence that tells what someone or something does: runs, whispered, builds, sang. In 2nd grade, students find the action word in a sentence and notice that every sentence needs a verb. In "The frog jumped over the log," the action verb is "jumped."

Free printable PDF, aligned to Common Core L.K.1.b. One skill per page, answer key on page two.

Every sheet is one of a kind and prints with a version code, so you can reprint the exact same one later. New version every click.

A sample 2nd grade sheet. Yours will have different sentences. Click it to print your own.

The kind of sentences you'll get

Underline the action verb in each sentence.

  1. Maya feeds her old dog.

    Answer: feeds

  2. The frog hops on the flat rock.
  3. The coach was timing our laps today.

Every print draws a fresh mix of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different sheet.

What's on each sheet

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

Act it out first. Read the sentence, then ask "what happened?" and have your student do the motion. The word they act out is the verb. Once the routine clicks, add sentences where the action is quiet (thinks, waits, watches) so they learn that verbs aren't always big movements.

Watch for: Words like is, are, and was are verbs, but they don't show action. Our action-verb sheets focus on the doing words. The action word changes with time: jump, jumped, and jumping are all forms of the same verb.

Common questions about action verbs

What is an action verb for a 2nd grader?
The doing word. In "Maya kicked the ball," ask what Maya did: she kicked. Every sentence has a verb, and at this age the fastest way to find it is to find the action.
Is "is" an action verb?
No. "Is" is a verb, but it links ideas instead of showing action. These worksheets stick to action verbs like run, build, and whisper, because that's what 2nd graders are asked to identify first. Linking verbs get their own worksheets later.

Related worksheets

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One page, answer key included. A fresh version every time you click.

Aligned to Common Core L.K.1.b. Reviewed by the One More Sheet curriculum team. Content version 68, updated July 2026.