As you anticipate the latest release from your favorite author, do you ever wonder how many new vocabulary words you'll learn from him or her? The more we read, the more we strengthen our vocabulary. A nice way to bolster this activity is to keep a list of interesting vocabulary words at hand. Every time you pick up a new word, add it to your ever-growing list.
Until you have time to pick up the latest bestseller from your favorite author, take a look at these 50 verbs that start with A.
A verb expresses action or a state of being. In English, every word sits in a specific place and plays a specific role in a sentence. As such, verbs typically come after the subject of the sentence and before the object of the sentence.
For example, "Adam and Amy adopt a new puppy every year." In this sentence, "Adam and Amy" are the subject, "adopt" is the verb showing action, and "puppy" is the object receiving the action of the verb.
Be sure to abandon anyone who attempts to abase your writing skills without offering constructive criticism. In the meantime, enjoy these 50 verbs that start with the letter A.
1. Abandon - to leave something behind
2. Abase - to make someone lower, by humiliation or demotion
3. Abate - to become less or lower in amount or force than at a prior time
4. Abbreviate - to use a shortened form of something to represent the full form
5. Abduct - to illegally take away a person by using force or coercion
6. Abolish - to destroy, get rid of, or stop something
7. Absorb - to soak up
8. Accept - to willingly take, receive, or agree to an object or idea
9. Accuse - to say another person is at fault for doing something wrong
10. Act - to do something
11. Adjust - to change something to a better fit or to be more suitable
12. Admire - to regard someone or something with delight and approval
13. Adopt - to willingly take one into a relationship, particularly in the case of an orphaned child
14. Adore - to worship, honor, or be very fond of
15. Advise - to offer a suggestion about what should be done in a situation
16. Affect - to produce a change in something
17. Afford - to be able to have something without negative consequences
18. Agree - to have the same opinion or views
19. Aim - to point or direct with a particular goal in mind
20. Allow - to permit or to give permission
21. Alter - to make something different without completely changing it
22. Amend - to modify or alter something, often for the better
23. Amuse - to remain occupied in a pleasant manner, usually by doing something enjoyable
24. Analyse (or analyze) - to learn about something by looking closely at its individual parts and determining how they work together
25. Announce - to make something publicly known
26. Annoy - to irritate or disturb
27. Answer - to give a response to a question
28. Anticipate - to complete a task before a deadline
29. Appeal - to make an urgent request for something necessary or desired
30. Appear - to seem or look a certain way
31. Applaud - to show approval or praise, usually with hand clapping
32. Apply - to go through the proper steps to be granted a request
33. Appoint - to choose an individual for a position or office
34. Approach - to move close to something
35. Approve - to say you like something or you are alright with it happening
36. Argue - to verbally disagree with someone
37. Arrive - to show up for something or to reach a destination
38. Ask - to inquire about something in order to get an answer, response, or action
39. Aspire - to work toward a goal you strongly want to reach
40. Assault - to cause harm to someone, to threaten harm, or to try and cause harm
41. Assert - to make a statement with full confidence of its factuality
42. Assign - to distribute a job or responsibility
43. Assist - to provide help
44. Assume - to formulate an idea for which there is no evidence
45. Assure - to make a statement to inspire morale or belief in someone
46. Attach - to make something stick or physically connect to something else
47. Attempt - to make an effort to do something
48. Attend - to be present at something
49. Avert - to keep something from happening
50. Avoid - to keep something from coming near, affecting you, or happening to you
The main category of verbs is action verbs. Action verbs, also known as dynamic verbs, express the action of the sentence, whether that's physical or mental. For example, "I did everything I could to avert my eyes from the crash." Here's a more thorough list of action verb examples.
Another category of verbs is linking verbs. Linking verbs are typically "to be" verbs, as in "am," "is," "are," "was," and "were." They link the subject with more information. For example, "We are sworn enemies."
Then, things get really interesting when we consider irregular verbs. Regular verbs change from present tense to past tense with the simple addition of -ed at the end. For example, "I don't approve of Harold and I never approved of Daniel." Irregular verbs, however, live by their own set of rules. In fact, there's no rhyme or reason to their shape-shifting manner. For example: "I usually awake at dawn but, today, I awoke at noon."
The only way to familiarize yourself with irregular verbs is to memorize them. Be sure to review this list of irregular verbs to commit some of the most popular ones to memory.
It's time to enjoy these A-verbs in action. Click on the link in each sentence to see more example sentences containing that A-verb:
1. I never wanted to abandon my house in London.
2. Will you accept my apology?
3. We must adjust our timeline if we're going to make it on time.
4. Let's agree to disagree.
5. Would you like me to announce your arrival?
6. I'm going to anticipate nothing but rainbows and sunshine.
7. It's time to appoint him as chairman.
8. Mom said we're never to assume anything when it comes to him.
9. Our professor loves to assign exciting projects.
10. Do you know how to attach a hitch to a car?
Be sure to applaud every attempt you make to sit down and write. It's the kind of skill that develops the more we flex the muscle. Having an extensive vocabulary list by your side might be just the thing that keeps writer's block at bay.
Did any of these A-verbs jump out at you? Add them to your list! How about another popular vowel? Scroll through this list of 50 verbs that start with E next.
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