State of Being Verbs Worksheets

About These 15 Worksheets

When kids first learn verbs, they often think of them only as action words – run, jump, dance, eat. But there’s a whole other group of verbs that don’t show action at all: state of being verbs. These verbs describe how something is rather than what it does. For example: “She is happy,” “The book was old,” “They are excited.” Nothing is happening in those sentences – instead, the verb connects the subject to a condition or description.

This collection of worksheets makes those invisible little verbs come alive. Through activities like Underline It, students comb through sentences to spot verbs such as is, am, are, was, and were. In Complete the Sentence, they choose the right form – for instance, deciding between “The dogs are loud” vs. “The dog is loud.” And with Predicate Adjectives, they practice how these verbs act like bridges, linking a subject to its description: “The soup smells delicious,” “The sky is blue.” Suddenly, students see that these simple verbs carry big meaning.

The variety in the worksheets also encourages flexible thinking. In Action or State, kids learn to separate verbs like run (action) from is (state). That distinction strengthens grammar awareness and helps them write more accurate sentences. In Verb Replacement, students swap one state of being verb for another – “She is tired” becomes “She feels tired” or “She seems tired.” These small shifts show how verbs subtly change tone or precision.

By practicing with activities like Describing Pictures and Combining Words, learners also connect grammar with the real world. Looking at a picture of a family picnic, they might write: “The basket is full,” “The children are happy,” “The blanket looks soft.” They aren’t just memorizing rules – they’re using state of being verbs to describe things they can actually see and imagine. And in Sentence Rewrites, they learn how changing an action verb to a state of being verb can shift the entire meaning: “The teacher explains the lesson” vs. “The teacher is patient.”

All of these worksheets together give students the chance to master one of the most foundational verb groups in English. Once they’re comfortable with state of being verbs, their writing gets clearer, their speaking gets more natural, and their reading comprehension deepens. After all, if you can’t tell the difference between “He runs fast” and “He is fast,” you’re missing half the story. These worksheets make sure kids don’t miss that.

Have a Look Inside Each Worksheet

Underline It
Students read sentences and underline the state of being verbs (linking verbs) in each. This helps them pick out forms like “is,” “am,” “are,” etc., from among other verbs. It builds awareness of how these verbs work in context.

Same Verb Usage
Learners look at pairs or groups of sentences to see how a state of being verb is used in each one. They compare usage to understand tense, subject agreement, or nuance. It reinforces correct verb form and consistency.

Complete the Sentence
Students fill in blanks in sentences with the proper state of being verbs. They decide which form of the verb fits grammatically (e.g. “is,” “was,” “are,” etc.). This practice strengthens grammar and verb-subject agreement.

Verb Replacement
Given sentences with state of being verbs, students replace one state of being verb with another that still makes sense. This shows they understand the meaning differences among linking verbs. It helps expand their vocabulary and flexibility with language.

Action or State
Students distinguish between verbs that show action vs. those that show a state of being. They label or sort verbs accordingly. This builds understanding of what linking/state verbs are not (i.e. action verbs).

Action vs State of Being
Similar to the above but emphasizes contrast more explicitly. Learners decide whether given verbs/sentences represent doing something or being in a state. Helps clarify concept by comparison.

“to be”
Focuses specifically on the verb “to be” in its many forms (am, is, are, was, etc.). Students use it in various sentences to show state, condition or description. Builds foundational skill since “to be” is so common.

Predicate Adjectives
Learners use state of being verbs to link subjects to predicate adjectives (e.g. “The cake smells delicious”). They identify or create sentences with correct adjective complements. Helps with descriptive writing.

The Concept
This is a more general introduction/overview worksheet where students explore the idea of what state of being verbs are. Possibly includes definitions, examples, and practice identifying them. Helps anchor understanding.

What Action
Students examine sentences and decide what’s happening vs what state is being described. They might transform or rephrase sentences to highlight the state of being verb. Encourages deeper thinking about meaning.

Describing Pictures
Using picture prompts, students write sentences using state of being verbs to describe what’s depicted. This gives visual support and helps link grammar with real situations. Also encourages creativity.

Combining Words
Learners combine given words (subjects + predicate adjectives or complements) using state of being verbs to form full sentences. It supports building correct sentence structure. Great for practising fluency.

Use in a Sentence
Students take state of being verbs and practice writing their own sentences with them. This shifts from recognition to production. Helps cement usage.

Is That An Example?
Students are given sentences or phrases and decide whether they are valid examples of state of being verb usage. If not, maybe rewrite or suggest corrections. Helps with error detection and refinement.

Sentence Rewrites
Learners rewrite sentences, adjusting verbs or structure, perhaps changing action verbs into state of being verbs or vice versa. Reinforces understanding of how different verbs change sentence meaning. Encourages more careful writing.

Understanding State of Being Verbs

State of being verbs do not show action. Instead, they link the subject of the sentence to additional information about the subject. The most common state of being verb is “to be,” with its various forms like am, is, are, was, were, being, been, etc. These verbs are pivotal in constructing sentences that describe a state or condition, such as “The sky is blue” or “She was happy.”

Other common state of being verbs include:

Seem – Suggesting an apparent state, as in “He seems tired.”

Become – Indicating a transition into a state, e.g., “She became a doctor.”

Appear – Similar to seem, but often with more emphasis on the external perception, “The task appears difficult.”

Feel, Look, Sound, Taste, Smell – These sensory verbs often act as linking verbs, e.g., “The soup tastes delicious.”