Giant Verb List: 3,250 Verbs Plus Spelling Rules and Irregular Verbs Marked
Giant Verb List: 3,250 Verbs Plus Spelling Rules and Irregular Verbs Marked
Giant Verb List: 3,250 Verbs Plus Spelling Rules and Irregular Verbs Marked
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Please Note:
This page contains just one section of the FREE 47-page Giant Verb List PDF found
here. The PDF version contains the Giant Verb List, the Giant Irregular Verb List, a
Helping Verbs List, and a Linking Verbs List. Also, if you teach beginning writers or
struggling writers, be sure to check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay on
the homepage. I hope you find the verb list to be a valuable resource and tweet it, Pin-It,
and tell others about it!
Overview: 3, 250 Verbs with Spelling Rules and Irregular Verbs
This Giant Verb List contains 3,250 action verbs, linking verbs, and stative verbs. Most are
action verbs. This list does not contain helping verbs (see the helping verb section).
Additionally, this list addresses irregular verbs and all the strange spelling changes that
occur when we add –s, –ed, and –ing to the base verbs.
As you will see, 1,984 out of the 3,250 verbs (61%) have a mark or number next to them.
In fact, some verbs have several marks or numbers. The marks and numbers indicate
which spelling rules etc. applies to the verb.
I omitted a number of dicey, offensive, and violent verbs. That being said, I left in a few that
are so ubiquitous they are sure to appear in a student dictionary. In short, if a verb has at
least one formal, legitimate, or artistic use, I’ve likely included it.
I’ve tried to mark all the common spelling changes, exceptions, and irregularities. However,
some verbs are so fickle that it’s likely I’ve missed a couple. Teachers and students must
sometimes do further research and confirmation to fully understand the peculiarities of a
verb. Most certainly, everyone still needs to have a complete list of irregular verbs (marked
+).
How to Use This List
I would love to hear how you use the list and your success stories. Are you a teacher, a
student, a reader, a writer? If you have any ideas, strategies, or requests let me know. And
if you have any questions, if you find an error, or if you find a verb that you think I should
add to the list or remove from the list, let me know.
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Personally, having just printed out and read the entire list, I feel a change in my
vocabulary. I’m familiar with all of the verbs, but reading the list just once seems to have
brought many new verbs into my working vocabulary. I hope it does the same for you!
Shortly, I will be posting similar lists for several other parts of speech. I started this list
project a few years ago, but put it aside when faced with the sheer number of words and
rules. At the time I was going to call the lists Magic Word Lists, as simply browsing through
the giant lists made me feel like my vocabulary and word sense was growing extremely
fast—much faster than if I had been working with a vocabulary program.
This list will challenge the ways you think about words. At first glance, you might think
some words are a mistake; however, upon closer inspection and reflection you will see the
truth of the word. For example, when I read the list and came across hammer, for a
second, I wondered what it was doing on the list. And then I thought about all the different
ways to use the word hammer. Hammer is obviously both a noun and a verb. For a variety
of other verbs, I needed to confirm their validity through research. And each time I looked
up a word, it broadened my understanding of language.
By the way, if you teach elementary school or middle school writing, be sure to check
out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay on the homepage. It’s the fastest, most
effective way to teach organized multi-paragraph essay writing to students! Guaranteed!
The Key: Understanding the Marks and Numbers Next to the Verbs
Read over and make sure you understand the spelling rules and marks. Also, take a quick
look at the Totals. They will give you an idea of how common or uncommon a rule is.
Regular Verbs, Irregular Verbs, and Linking Verbs
( ) Regular Verbs: Regular verbs don’t have a mark next to them. However, many of
these regular verbs still have a spelling change mark. If there is no spelling change mark
next to the verb, just add –s, –ed, or –ing to the end of the verb. It’s that simple! Total:
3,045
(+) Irregular Verbs: Irregular verbs have a “+” mark next to them. Some irregular verbs
also have a spelling change mark. However, you must still consult a complete list of
irregular verbs. Total: 205
(LV) Linking Verbs: Some linking verbs can also be used as action verbs. Also, 9 linking
verbs are regular verbs and 5 are irregular. The eight forms of BE equal just one verb on
this list. Total: 14
Regular Verbs with a Spelling Change: Adding –s, –ed, or –ing to the End of a
Verb
(1) Rule 1 Drop the Final –E: If a regular verb ends with –e, drop the –e and add –ed or –
ing. Note: When adding –ed, we could say just add a –d. It brings about the same
result. Exception: If the verb ends in –ee, don’t drop the final –e; just add –d or –
ing. Total: 1,245
(2) Rule 2a Double the Final Consonant: If a regular verb is one syllable, has one vowel,
and ends with a single consonant (except x), double the final consonant and then add –ed
or –ing. The vowel sounds in these words are short; hence, I call this rule SHORT ONE (1
syllable; 1 vowel; 1 ending consonant; and 1 short vowel sound). Total: 235 (2a and 2b)
(2) Rule 2b Double the Final Consonant: If a regular verb has two or more syllables,
ends with a single vowel then consonant, and the last syllable of the root word is stressed,
then double the final consonant and add –ed or –ing. If the final consonant is –l, American
English usually does not double the consonant, but British English does. (I’ve
added RB for Rule Breaker to some of these British English words.)
(3) Rule 3 Change the Y to I: If the verb ends in –y, change the y to i and add –es (not –s)
or –ed. Exception:If a vowel immediately precedes the final y, just add –s or –ed.
(Note: Don’t change the y to i when adding –ing. Just add the –ing.) Total: 91
(4) Rule 4 Add –ES: When adding –s to the end of the verb, if the verb ends in –sh (63), –
s (1), –ss (55), –x (15), –ch (72), –z (2), or –o (10), add –es (not –s). The () indicate how
many instances of each. Total: 218
(RB) Rule Breakers: I’ve marked RB for words that break a spelling rule or are a strange
exception in one way or another. For example, the rule may work when adding –ed but not
when adding –ing. Or perhaps, American English spells it one way and British English
spells it another way. Finally, some words just have an uncommon spelling change when
adding certain suffixes. You may need to do a little research yourself if you wish to find out
what makes the word a Rule Breaker. Total: 23
Have you checked out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay yet? It’s
the fastest, most effective way to teach organized multi-paragraph essay
writing to students! Guaranteed!