4th grade action verbs worksheets
An action verb tells what someone or something does: poured, steered, sketched, delivers. Fourth graders find every action verb in long sentences with two or three verbs, and they leave out helping verbs (is, were) and linking verbs (seemed, was), which do not show action.
Free printable PDF worksheet.
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The kind of sentences you'll get
Underline every action verb in each sentence.
-
Runners splashed through muddy puddles on the forest trail.
Answer: splashed
- Our class launched paper rockets from the empty soccer field.
- Our choir rehearses cheerful old songs in the gym on Friday mornings.
Every print pulls a new set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different mix.
What's on a 4th grade sheet
4th grade sheets draw from 237 sentences, 12 to a page. 99 of the 237 aren't on 3rd grade sheets. The other 138 are.
Some of the words to find:
dartedcarvedtunedtraveltrackredesignrestorepruneexchangedearned
- Identify. Underline every action verb in each sentence. 12 questions per page.
- Multiple choice. Circle the letter of the word that is the action verb. 10 questions per page.
Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.
How to teach this
Have your student find the subject first, then ask what it did. That question finds the action verb even in a long sentence with a clause in front ("While the storm rumbled, tiny sparrows sheltered beneath our porch steps"). Then look for a second action. Leave helping verbs and linking verbs alone on this sheet: is, were, and seemed don't show action, so they aren't underlined.
Watch for: Is, was, and seemed are verbs, but they don't show action. They aren't underlined on this sheet. A clause at the front can hide a second action: in 'When the tide dropped, gulls circled', dropped and circled are both action verbs.
Common questions about 4th grade action verbs
- What verbs do 4th graders identify?
- Action verbs in long sentences, usually two or three per sentence, in the past, present, or with a helper. Fourth graders also learn to tell action verbs from linking verbs like seemed and was, which connect instead of act.
- Is "seemed" an action verb?
- No. Seemed is a linking verb: in "The test seemed difficult," nothing happens. It connects the test to a description. This sheet keys only the action verbs, so seemed is not underlined.
Related worksheets
- 3rd grade action verbs A step easier, same skill
- 4th grade abstract and concrete nouns Same grade, nearby skill
- 4th grade adjective or adverb? Same grade, nearby skill
- 4th grade adverbs of how, when, and where Same grade, nearby skill
- 4th grade commonly confused words Same grade, nearby skill
- Action verbs, all grades The full progression
- All 4th grade English worksheets Every skill at this level
- All 4th grade worksheets Everything at this level
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Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.
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