Grammar: ✨ Grammar F: 🧩 Parts of Speech - Basics (A1) - Lesson 12: Basic Action Verbs

Lesson 12: Basic Action Verbs

We have learned about verbs that show a state of being (am, is, are) and possession (have got). Today, we will learn about Action¹ Verbs.

Action verbs are words that show something you can do. For example: run, eat, sleep, work. We will learn to use them in the present tense², which means things that happen now or are generally true.

Two Simple Rules for Action Verbs

In the simple present tense, there are two main forms for action verbs.

Rule 1: Use the Base Form³ for I, You, We, They.
The base form is the simple verb you find in a dictionary⁴.

• I eat rice every day.
• You speak English well.
• We live in Kampot.
• They sell pepper at the market.

Rule 2: Add '-s' for He, She, It.
When we use 'he', 'she', or 'it', we usually add an '-s' to the end of the verb.

• He works on a fishing boat.
• She rides a motorcycle to school.
• It (the sun) shines brightly in Cambodia.

Common Action Verbs

Verb for I/You/We/They	Verb for He/She/It	Khmer Translation
eat	eats	ញ៉ាំ
drink	drinks	ផឹក
go	goes	ទៅ
work	works	ធ្វើការ
live	lives	រស់នៅ
speak	speaks	និយាយ
ride	rides	ជិះ
sleep	sleeps	គេង

Note: For verbs like 'go', we add '-es' instead of just '-s'. We will learn more about these special spelling rules in a future lesson!

🧠 Practice Quiz: Choose the Correct Verb

Choose the correct verb form to complete the sentences.

1. She (work / works) at a hotel.
2. I (live / lives) near the river.
3. They (sell / sells) seafood at the market.
4. He (drink / drinks) a lot of coffee.
5. The cat (sleep / sleeps) on the chair.

📝 Homework: Write About Your Day

Write three sentences about your daily life, or the life of a family member. Use a different action verb in each sentence.

Example: I eat breakfast at 7 AM. My brother goes to school. My mother works at the market.

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Sentence 1: ___________________________________

Sentence 2: ___________________________________

Sentence 3: ___________________________________

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Action: (Noun) - សកម្មភាព - The process of doing something. ↩
2. Present Tense: (Noun) - បច្ចុប្បន្នកាល - A verb tense used for actions happening now or things that are always true. ↩
3. Base Form: (Noun) - ទម្រង់ដើម - The simplest form of a verb, without any special endings. ↩
4. Dictionary: (Noun) - វចនានុក្រម - A book that lists words and their meanings. ↩