Understanding Mental Action Verbs at GrammarSongs by Melissa You have learned that many action verbs are physical movements. You can see the action happen when a ball bounces or when a bunny hops. You've also learned that the most important thing about verbs is their relationship with nouns when we read, speak, or write. Even the coolest noun can do nothing without a verb to provide the action. I'm such a cool noun! I just can't seem to DO anything! Thank goodness I see a verb! Up, up and away! I can't even fly without verbs. Understanding action verbs is easy when you can witness physical action using your senses, but what if I told you that not all action verbs show physical movement? Many action verbs involve mental actions that cannot be witnessed with your senses. Here, let me explain. This boy is performing an action verb even though he is not physically moving. Very good if you say he is standing, because that is a physical action verb. But, he is also performing a mental action verb that you cannot see. Do you know what it is? He is thinking! You can look at his body posture and expression for clues, but you can't actually see someone think! Thinking is a mental action. Other mental action verbs can include understand, believe, dream, discover, forgive, love. and consider, to name a few. b Basically, if you perform the action with your body, it's a physical action verb, and if you perform the action with your brain, it's a mental action verb. Hey! I think I understand! That's because you're using your brain right now. "Think" and "understand" are mental action verbs, so see how important they are? Now that you know that mental action verbs are actions performed by your brain, let's see if you can find the verbs in some sentences. The lady remembered her jacket. When I read the sentence I get a picture in my head of a lady and a jacket. A lady's a person and a jacket's a thing, so they are the nouns in my sentence. So where's my verb? What mental action happened inside the lady's brain. Hmm! Remembered! When you remember something, it happens in your brain. "Remember" is the verb in this sentence. Let's try another sentence. The sleepy student dreamed about the beach. When I read this sentence, I get a picture in my head of a student and a beach. a A student is a person and a beach is a place, so they are the nouns in my sentence. So where is my verb? What mental action happened inside the sleepy student's brain? Hmm..... Dreamed! When you dream, something the action happens in your brain." Dreamed" is the verb in my sentence. Let's practice one more time! The kid imagined a monster under his bed. When I read the sentence, I get a picture in my head of a kid, a monster, and a bed. A kid as a person, a monster is a thing, and a bed is a thing, so they are the nouns in my sentence. So where's my verb? What mental action happened in the kid's brain? Imagined! When you imagine something, the action happens in your brain. "Imagined" is the verb in this sentence! Congratulations! You've gotten a certificate of award for understanding action verbs! Thank you for joining me at GrammarSongs by Melissa.