Basic Verbs: English Vocabulary List

to give something to someone in exchange for money

"They sell fresh fruit here."

"The farmer sells fresh vegetables at the local market every Saturday morning."

to give someone money in exchange for goods or services

"Please pay the bill now."

"You must pay your rent on time or the landlord will charge you a late fee."

to bring something into existence or make something happen

"Artists create beautiful masterpieces."

"The artist used recycled materials to create a unique sculpture that highlights the problem of plastic pollution in the ocean."

to have an existence

"I want to be a doctor."

"She wants to be a doctor when she grows up and helps people every single day."

to no longer be asleep

"I wake up at seven AM."

"I usually wake up at seven in the morning and then make coffee."

to rest our mind and body, with our eyes closed

"Babies sleep for many hours."

"Most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night to function properly and maintain good health."

to do a job or task, usually for a company or organization, in order to receive money

"She works at a bank."

"He works at a hospital downtown as a nurse in the emergency room."

to control the movement and the speed of a car, bus, truck, etc. when it is moving

"She will drive to work."

"It took nearly three hours to drive to the beach because there was heavy traffic on the highway."

to get something in exchange for paying money

"I want to buy it."

"We decided to buy the house after a thorough inspection and negotiation."

to look at written or printed words or symbols and understand their meaning

"Read the instructions carefully first."

"You should read the instructions carefully before assembling the furniture to avoid making any mistakes."

to make letters, words, or numbers on a surface, usually on a piece of paper, with a pen or pencil

"Write your name on the paper."

"She decided to write a letter to her grandmother instead of sending a text message because handwritten letters feel more personal and meaningful."

to take part in a game or activity for fun

"Children play in the park."

"The children love to play outside in the park when the weather is warm and sunny."

to stop working, moving, or doing an activity for a period of time and sit or lie down to relax

"You should rest after working hard."

"The doctor advised him to rest for at least two weeks after the surgery to allow his body to heal properly."

to clean someone or something with water, often with a type of soap

"Wash your hands before eating."

"Please wash your hands before dinner because we just came from the garden."

to put water, coffee, or other type of liquid inside of our body through our mouth

"Drink plenty of water daily."

"It is recommended to drink at least eight glasses of water per day to stay properly hydrated and healthy."

to make food with heat

"Cook dinner for the family."

"He learned to cook simple meals after moving out of his parents' house because he did not want to eat fast food every day."

to put food into the mouth, then chew and swallow it

"Eat your vegetables for dinner."

"It is important to eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits vegetables and whole grains for good health."

to eat or drink something

"Let's have lunch."

"After the long hike, they were eager to have a refreshing drink and some snacks."

to form, produce, or prepare something, by putting parts together or by combining materials

"She makes delicious cakes."

"My grandmother makes the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted in my entire life."

to have something such as clothes, shoes, etc. on your body

"Wear warm clothes in winter."

"You should wear a warm coat today because the temperature is going to drop below freezing."

to make something have no bacteria, marks, or dirt

"Clean your room every week."

"I need to clean my room this weekend because it is very messy and disorganized."

to have a type of belief or idea about a person or thing

"Think before you speak."

"You should think carefully before making any major life decisions because they will affect your future significantly."

to reach for something and hold it

"Please take this book."

"He reached out to take the offered hand and gratefully accepted the assistance."

to be upright on one's feet

"Please stand up now."

"The distinguished speaker was asked to stand at the podium and address the assembled delegates."

to use one's voice to express a particular feeling or thought

"Please speak more clearly."

"She was too nervous to speak in front of the large audience even though she had prepared her speech thoroughly."

to write or say the letters that form a word one by one in the right order

"Can you spell your name?"

"Can you please spell your last name for me because I want to write it down correctly."

to not like a person or thing

"I strongly dislike cold weather."

"Many people dislike waking up early on Monday mornings because it signals the start of a busy workweek."

to put things together to make them bigger in size or quantity

"Add two numbers carefully."

"You need to add two cups of flour to the mixture and then stir everything well."

to give a name or title to someone or something

"Call him the leader."

"They decided to call their new puppy 'Buddy' because he was so friendly."

to divide a thing into smaller pieces using a sharp object

"Cut the paper with scissors."

"Be careful when you cut the cake because it is very fragile and may crumble into small pieces."