300+ Verb Phrase Examples for Learners

A verb phrase is a main verb together with the auxiliary verbs that go with it, as in has been waiting. These verb phrase examples begin with common forms such as will travel and move to one-word, progressive, perfect, and passive forms that express tense, voice, and modality.

What Is a Verb Phrase?

A verb phrase is the verb group of a clause: one main verb plus any auxiliary (helping) verbs before it. A predicate is wider, because it also includes objects, complements, and adverbials. In She has been writing a letter, has been writing is the verb phrase and has been writing a letter is the predicate. Some grammar traditions use the term verb phrase for the whole predicate, but the term is used here in the narrower sense.

Auxiliary verbs + main verb = verb phrase

Her parents will be arriving at noon.

Common Verb Phrase Examples

Have been playing, will travel, and must be finished are verb phrases, and each one is a main verb with the auxiliaries that express its tense, voice, or mood.

• The children have been playing in the garden since lunch.
• Maria will travel to Lisbon next month.
• Our neighbours are repairing the old fence.
• The report must be finished by Friday.
• Kenji has never seen snow in his whole life.
• The train was delayed by heavy fog.
• Aisha is learning to play the violin.
• They should have called before they left.
• The baby was sleeping when the phone rang.
• We had finished dinner before the guests arrived.
• Dad could not find his reading glasses.
• The tickets have been sold already.
• Sara might join us for the picnic.
• The students were practising for the concert.
• I do not understand this question.
• The old clock has stopped again.
• Luis would have helped if you had asked.
• The shop opens at eight every morning.
• Several birds were singing outside the window.
• Her sister can speak four languages.

One-Word Verb Phrases in the Simple Present and Past

In the simple present and simple past, the verb phrase is a single main verb, so plays and stopped count as verb phrases of one word. See verbs for the forms behind them.

• Ravi plays the guitar every evening.
• The bus stopped outside the bakery.
• My grandmother bakes bread on Sundays.
• The river near our village freezes in January.
• We walked to the market this morning.
• Fatima teaches mathematics at the high school.
• The rain ended just before sunset.
• Dogs bark at strangers who enter the yard.
• She opened the window and looked outside.
• The shop closes at six on Saturdays.
• Tom lost his keys on the train.
• The moon rises later each night.
• Birds migrate south in the autumn.
• Nobody answered the doorbell for ten minutes.

Progressive Verb Phrase Examples

Is cooking, was raining, and were building join a form of be to an -ing verb, and each one describes an action in progress at a given time.

• Mia is cooking dinner for her parents.
• The students are taking a test in the hall.
• It was raining when we left the cinema.
• They were building a bridge across the creek.
• I am reading a mystery novel this week.
• The baby is sleeping in the next room.
• We were waiting at the gate for an hour.
• Hiro is working on his science project tonight.
• The wind was blowing harder by midnight.
• Our team is winning the match.
• The farmers are harvesting wheat this month.
• She was talking on the phone all evening.
• You are standing on my foot.
• The kettle on the stove is boiling again.

Perfect Verb Phrase Examples

Has lived, had arrived, and will have completed join a form of have to a past participle, and each one relates an action to a later or earlier time.

• Nina has lived in Seoul since 2018.
• They have finished the whole puzzle.
• By noon, the guests had arrived.
• I have visited the museum twice.
• The storm had passed before dawn.
• Omar has written three novels about life in Cairo.
• We have known each other for ten years.
• The plane had landed before the storm began.
• She has eaten lunch with her cousins.
• The team had trained for months before the final.
• The factory has produced thousands of bicycles.
• You have dropped your ticket on the floor.
• By then, he had forgotten the whole story.
• The Smiths have moved to a new apartment.
• By Friday, we will have completed the survey.

Perfect Progressive Verb Phrase Examples

Has been practising, had been working, and will have been teaching use two or more auxiliaries before the main verb, and each one expresses an action that continues over a period.

• Zoe has been practising the piano since breakfast.
• We have been waiting for the bus since noon.
• The builders had been working all night.
• It has been snowing for three days.
• I have been learning Spanish for two years.
• They had been arguing before the teacher walked in.
• Dad has been fixing the roof all morning.
• By June, she will have been teaching here for ten years.
• The dog has been barking since midnight.

Passive Verb Phrase Examples

Was broken, has been repaired, and is being built use a form of be before a past participle, and in each one the receiver of the action is the subject.

• The window was broken during the storm.
• Rice is grown in the southern valleys.
• The bridge has been repaired twice this year.
• Dinner will be served at seven.
• The letters were delivered this morning.
• A new school is being built near the station.
• The thief was caught by two passers-by.
• The winners will be announced on Friday.
• This sweater was knitted by my aunt.
• The old factory had been closed for years.
• The report must be signed by the director.
• Many photos were taken at the ceremony.
• The package has not been opened.
• The road is being cleared after the landslide.

Modal Verb Phrase Examples

Should drink, must leave, and could have missed have a modal before the base verb or before have plus a participle, and each one expresses advice, obligation, ability, or possibility. See modal verbs for the full set.

• You should drink more water on hot afternoons.
• She can swim across the lake.
• We must leave the campsite before dark.
• It might rain in the hills this afternoon.
• Sven would walk to school every day when he was young.
• Visitors may enter only through the east gate.
• They could have missed the last train.
• You must have been exhausted after the trip.
• The package will arrive on Tuesday.
• I shall return to the village before nightfall.
• He ought to apologise to his sister.
• Ali couldn’t have known the answer.
• Children must not touch the paintings.
• We would have stayed longer if it had been warmer.
• The dog can’t have eaten all that food.
• You should have told me about the delay.
• The shop will be closed on Sunday.
• Nobody could open the heavy iron gate.
• She might be working late tonight.
• Teachers must complete the forms by Wednesday.

Future Verb Phrase Examples

Will call, is going to start, and will be flying refer to a time that has not arrived, and each one has will or be going to before the main verb.

• I will call you tomorrow morning.
• Lena is going to start university in September.
• The shop will open at nine on Monday.
• Look at those clouds; it is going to rain.
• We will be flying to Cairo this time next week.
• They will have left by the time you arrive.
• The president will speak on television tonight.
• Mum is going to bake a cake for the party.
• Our flight will be leaving from gate twelve.
• Next year, Yusuf will turn eighteen.
• The engineers are going to test the new engine.
• Tomorrow, the river will rise by half a metre.

Verb Phrases With Adverbs Inside

Has never visited, will probably arrive, and is slowly recovering contain an adverb between the auxiliary and the main verb. The adverb states the frequency, the degree of certainty, or the speed of the action.

• She has never visited Canada or the United States.
• The bus will probably arrive late.
• Tom is slowly recovering from the flu.
• You should always check your work.
• I have just finished the report.
• The children were quietly reading in the corner.
• We can almost see the sea from here.
• They had already left when I called.
• He has barely slept all week.
• The old man was gently stroking the cat.
• You must first read the instructions.
• She would definitely accept the offer.
• The manager has not yet replied.

Phrasal Verbs as Verb Phrases

Turned down, took off, and gave up are phrasal verbs, which are main verbs made of a verb and a particle, and they take auxiliaries like one-word verbs. When an object separates the two parts, as in turned the offer down, the verb phrase is split in two.

• Sana turned down the job offer.
• The plane took off at dawn.
• We are looking forward to the holidays.
• He gave up smoking last year.
• The teacher has handed out the exam papers.
• Please switch off your phones before the film starts.
• Nadia was looking after her little cousin.
• The meeting was put off until Monday.
• She turned the offer down politely.
• The boys picked their toys up and went home.
• The firefighters put out the blaze quickly.
• I will pick up the tickets on Friday.
• They have set up a small business in Accra.
• He ran into an old friend at the market.
• We ran out of milk this morning.

Negative Verb Phrase Examples With Do-Support

Does not like, did not see, and do not know add not after the auxiliary do, which has no meaning of its own and is used for negation and tense.

• She does not like coffee in the evening.
• We did not see the match.
• They do not know the way.
• He doesn’t speak French at home or at work.
• I didn’t hear the alarm during the storm.
• The shops do not open on Sundays.
• Ana did not finish her homework.
• The machine does not work today.
• You don’t need a ticket here.
• My parents didn’t want a big wedding.
• The cat does not eat fish.
• We don’t live near the station.
• Our teacher did not give us homework.
• The soup doesn’t taste salty to me tonight.

Negative Verb Phrases With Other Auxiliaries

Has not arrived, will not agree, and cannot be found have not after the first auxiliary, so no do-support is needed.

• The parcel has not arrived yet.
• The committee will not agree to the plan.
• Your keys cannot be found anywhere.
• We were not told about the change.
• Karim is not coming to the wedding.
• They had not seen each other for years.
• The students should not talk during the test.
• The lights are not working in the hall.

Verb Phrase Examples in Questions

Questions such as Did you see the match on Saturday? and Can your cousin swim across the bay? are formed in two ways. The word do is added when the statement has no auxiliary, and the first auxiliary moves in front of the subject when one is present.

• Did you see the match on Saturday?
• Have they finished the report for the board?
• Can your cousin swim across the bay?
• Does your brother play football on weekends?
• Are the children sleeping yet, or still awake?
• Where were you going this morning?
• Will the museum open on Monday?
• What have you done with my keys?
• Should we bring an umbrella to the picnic?
• Was the bridge repaired last winter?
• How long have they been waiting?
• Do you know the answer to question four?
• Why did the train stop in the middle of the field?
• Might it snow in the mountains tonight?

Contractions in Verb Phrases

Hasn’t called, wouldn’t answer, and can’t find join not to an auxiliary, and I’ve and she’d join an auxiliary to a pronoun.

• She hasn’t called me since the party on Friday.
• I’ve been waiting at this bus stop since noon.
• They aren’t coming to the party.
• We’ll meet at the station at half past six.
• He wouldn’t answer my question about the money.
• It’s been raining in the valley all week.
• You shouldn’t leave food in the sun.
• Rita won’t join us at the cinema tonight.
• They’re waiting outside the cinema in the rain.
• I can’t find my passport anywhere in this bag.
• She’d finished before the bell rang.
• We weren’t expecting visitors on a Sunday morning.

Verb Phrases in Reported Speech

Had finished, would be, and was waiting appear in the reported clause after verbs such as said and told. The verb phrase shifts one step back in time when the reporting verb is past. The shift is not required when the statement is still true, as in The guide said the museum opens at nine.

• She said that she had finished the report.
• He told us that the train would be late.
• Tom explained that he was waiting for a call.
• They claimed that they had not seen the accident.
• The guide said the museum opens at nine.
• Lena asked whether the shop had closed.
• My uncle told me he was moving to Perth.
• The teacher announced that the exam would take two hours.
• The manager said the team had been working all weekend.

Be, Have, and Do as Main Verbs and Auxiliaries

Is, have, and does are main verbs when no other verb follows, as in Fatima is a pharmacist, and auxiliaries when another verb follows. Either way they are part of a verb phrase. See helping verbs for the auxiliary use.

• Fatima is a pharmacist in Cairo.
• They have two cars and a motorbike.
• I do my homework after dinner.
• Dina has been a teacher for ten years.
• We are tired after the long drive.
• She does the dishes every evening.
• He had a bad cold last week.
• The twins were late for school.
• Our neighbours have been very kind to us.
• You did a wonderful job on the garden.
• They will be home by seven.
• Sofia has a meeting at noon.

Conditional Verb Phrase Examples

Will stay, would have gone, and had known appear in conditional sentences, where one verb phrase states a condition and another states the result.

• If it rains tomorrow, we will stay at home.
• If I had known the truth, I would have told you.
• She would travel more if she had more money.
• If the bus is late, we will take a taxi.
• They would have gone to the beach if the sun had come out.
• If you heat ice, it melts.
• Unless the road is cleared, the villagers will remain cut off.
• If Karim were taller, he would join the basketball team.
• We would have won the game if the referee had seen the foul.
• If the printer breaks again, the office will buy a new one.

Semi-Modal Verb Phrase Examples

Have to wear, be able to repair, and used to fish express obligation, ability, or past habit like modals but have the form of ordinary verbs.

• Children have to wear a uniform at this school.
• Nadia was able to finish the marathon despite the heat.
• My grandfather used to fish in this river every morning.
• We had to cancel the picnic because of the storm.
• You will have to show your passport at the border.
• Will they be able to repair the roof before winter?
• The shop assistant didn’t have to work on Sundays.
• Our class is supposed to meet in the library at ten.
• She has to leave early on Fridays.
• I am going to try the new cafe on Elm Street.

Tag Question Verb Phrase Examples

Have met, haven’t, and can swim appear in tag questions, where a short verb phrase at the end uses the auxiliary of the statement in the opposite form.

• You have met Priya, haven’t you?
• Your sister can swim, can’t she?
• It is raining again, isn’t it?
• They didn’t call you, did they?
• Jonas will come to the party, won’t he?
• We should leave soon, shouldn’t we?
• She hasn’t finished yet, has she?
• The bus was late again, wasn’t it?
• You do like spicy food, don’t you?
• The children aren’t sleeping, are they?

Verb Phrase Examples in Everyday Contexts

Verb phrases appear in settings from a family kitchen to a sports field, and each setting has its own forms such as is baking or has scored.

Verb Phrases at Home

Household routines use is baking, has stopped, and was watering for tasks done in a kitchen, a garage, or a garden.

• Grandma is baking bread for the whole family.
• The washing machine has stopped in the middle of the cycle.
• Dad was watering the plants when the storm began.
• We should clean the garage this weekend.
• The baby has been crying since midnight.

Verb Phrases at School

In a classroom, has marked, are preparing, and must be handed in state the work of a teacher or a pupil.

• Our teacher has marked all the essays.
• The pupils are preparing for the science fair.
• Homework must be handed in by Friday.
• Nobody had revised the last chapter.
• The bell will ring at three o’clock.

Verb Phrases at Work

Office and site duties use is reviewing, was signed, and must wear for a task, a document, or a rule at a workplace.

• The manager is reviewing the budget today.
• We have launched a new website this month.
• The contract was signed on Tuesday.
• Employees must wear safety helmets on site.
• Her team has been working overtime since March.

Verb Phrases While Travelling

A flight, a ferry, and a train are the settings for has been delayed, are travelling, and must show.

• Our flight has been delayed by two hours.
• We are travelling to Vietnam next week.
• The tourists had missed the last ferry.
• Passengers must show their passports at the gate.
• The train will stop at every small station.

Verb Phrases in the News

Have destroyed, has announced, and are searching appear in reports of floods, policy, and rescues, and each one states what a person or group has done or is doing.

• Heavy floods have destroyed hundreds of homes.
• The government has announced a new tax plan.
• Rescue teams are searching the mountain for survivors.
• The minister will visit the hospital tomorrow.
• A strike was called after the talks failed.

Verb Phrases in Literature

Has been hiding, would later regret, and is defeated are verb phrases from invented stories, and each one describes a character’s action or fate.

• The young heroine has been hiding the letter for years.
• Slowly the old sailor was losing hope.
• In the final chapter, the villain is defeated.
• The narrator would later regret that decision.
• The poem was written in a time of war.

Verb Phrases in Sports

Match and player reports use has scored, is playing, and had saved for an action on the pitch.

• The striker has scored twice this season.
• Our team is playing in the final tomorrow.
• The goalkeeper had saved three penalties by half time.
• The crowd in the north stand was cheering wildly.
• The coach will announce the squad on Monday.

Verb Phrases in Health

Care and advice use should wash, has been recovering, and will check for the action of a patient, a doctor, or a nurse.

• Doctors recommend eight hours of sleep.
• The patient has been recovering well.
• You should wash your hands before meals.
• She was taking her medicine every morning.
• The nurse will check your blood pressure.

Verb Phrase Examples for Kids

Is running, can jump, and has caught are everyday verb phrases for young readers, and each one describes something a child sees or does.

• The dog is running in the park.
• I can jump very high.
• Mum is making pancakes for breakfast.
• We are playing a new game.
• The cat has caught a little mouse.
• Birds can fly, but fish cannot.
• My sister was crying after the movie.
• The sun is shining today.
• I will help you with your bag.
• The ducks are swimming in the pond.

Short Verb Phrase Sentences for Young Learners

Three and four word sentences with can run, is eating, and will play are a verb phrase pattern for beginners, short enough to read at once.

• I can run.
• She is eating lunch.
• Birds fly very high.
• We will play outside.
• He has gone home.
• It is raining again.
• The baby sleeps all day.
• They are singing loudly.
• Dogs can swim well.

Verb Phrase Examples for Students

Essays and exam answers use longer forms such as will have been reviewed and should have been repeated in formal writing.

• By the time the committee meets, the evidence will have been reviewed twice.
• The experiment should have been repeated under controlled conditions.
• Scientists have been monitoring the glacier for forty years.
• The essay must not exceed one thousand words.
• If the funding had continued, the project would have succeeded.
• The data were collected over three consecutive winters.
• Critics have long argued that the novel is misunderstood.
• The committee could not have anticipated such a rapid decline.
• The author does not reveal the narrator’s name until the last chapter.

Verb Phrase Examples in a Short Paragraph

Two short passages about Lucia, a runner training for a city marathon, use a different verb phrase in nearly every sentence, so learners meet the forms inside continuous writing.

Lucia has been training for the city marathon since January. She wakes at five every morning. Her coach is watching her pace this week. Last Sunday she ran twenty kilometres.

Her left knee was hurting badly afterwards. The doctor told her to rest for three days. She will start again on Monday. By race day, she will have rested for a full week.

Common Verb Phrase Mistakes

Two main verbs in one phrase, a missing auxiliary, and the wrong verb form after an auxiliary are three of the errors learners make in verb phrases.

❌ She can sings very well.
✅ She can sing very well.
A modal is followed by the base form of the main verb, with no -s ending.

❌ He is want a new phone.
✅ He wants a new phone.
A verb phrase has one main verb, so is and want do not combine, and wants alone is correct.

❌ They been here since Monday.
✅ They have been here since Monday.
The perfect uses the auxiliary have before been.

❌ She working in the garden now.
✅ She is working in the garden now.
A progressive verb phrase uses a form of be before the -ing verb.

❌ Did you went to the party?
✅ Did you go to the party?
After the auxiliary did, the main verb stays in the base form, because did already marks the past tense.

❌ I have saw that film twice.
✅ I have seen that film twice.
The perfect uses the past participle seen, not the past form saw.

❌ He must to leave early.
✅ He must leave early.
A modal is followed by the base verb without to.

❌ She doesn’t likes tea.
✅ She doesn’t like tea.
The third-person -s ending is on the auxiliary does, and the main verb stays in the base form.

❌ The window was break by the storm.
✅ The window was broken by the storm.
A passive verb phrase uses a form of be plus the past participle broken, not the base form.

❌ Does she can drive?
✅ Can she drive?
A modal forms a question by moving in front of the subject, with no do-support.

❌ I am agree with you.
✅ I agree with you.
Agree is a main verb, so no form of be is used before it.

Verb Phrase Versus Predicate

In She has been writing a letter, has been writing is the verb phrase and has been writing a letter is the predicate, so the predicate is the verb phrase plus whatever completes it.

Grammar books differ on this term, and the narrow sense applies in every example here.

Related

• Verbs Example Sentences
• Helping Verbs Example Sentences
• Modal Verbs Example Sentences
• Action Verbs Example Sentences
• Noun Phrase Examples
• Adjective Phrase Examples
• Adverb Phrase Examples
• Transitive Verbs Example Sentences

FAQs

Q1. What are some examples of verb phrases?

Examples of verb phrases include has been waiting, will travel, must be finished, and does not like. Each one is a main verb with the auxiliaries that go with it. A single verb such as plays is also a verb phrase of one word.

Q2. What is the structure of a verb phrase?

A verb phrase has one main verb and from zero to four auxiliary verbs before it. The auxiliaries follow a fixed order: modal, perfect have, progressive be, then passive be, as in may have been repaired. An adverb such as never is placed between the first auxiliary and the main verb in many sentences, as in has never visited.

Q3. What is the difference between a verb phrase and a predicate?

A verb phrase is the main verb with its auxiliaries, while a predicate is the verb phrase plus the objects, complements, and adverbials that complete it. In She has been writing a letter, has been writing is the verb phrase and has been writing a letter is the predicate. Some grammars use verb phrase for the whole predicate, so the sense depends on the textbook.

Q4. Is a single verb a verb phrase?

A single verb is a verb phrase of one word when it stands alone as the verb group of a clause. In Ravi plays the guitar, the verb plays is the whole verb phrase. Grammars that count a single verb as a phrase do so because the simple present and simple past need no auxiliary.

Q5. What is the difference between a main verb and a helping verb?

A main verb expresses the core meaning of the verb phrase, while a helping verb adds tense, voice, mood, or negation. In has been waiting, the main verb is waiting and the helping verbs are has and been. The helping verbs page gives more cases.

Q6. How do modal verbs form verb phrases?

Modal verbs form verb phrases when the base form of a main verb follows them, as in should drink and must leave. The modal takes no -s ending and no to, so She can sings and He must to go are errors. Longer forms add have or be, as in could have missed and might be working.

Q7. Is an adverb part of a verb phrase?

An adverb is written inside a verb phrase when it comes between the auxiliary and the main verb, as in has never visited and will probably arrive. Grammarians differ on whether such an adverb is part of the verb phrase or only separates its parts. Both analyses place the adverb in the same position in these sentences.

Q8. How do you make a verb phrase negative?

You make a verb phrase negative by placing not after the first auxiliary, as in has not arrived and will not agree. When the statement has no auxiliary, do, does, or did is added first, as in does not like. The contracted forms doesn’t and didn’t follow the same pattern.

Q9. How do you form a question with a verb phrase?

You form a question with a verb phrase by moving the first auxiliary in front of the subject. When the statement has no auxiliary, do, does, or did is added first. The main verb then keeps its base form, as in Did you see the match?

Q10. Is a phrasal verb a verb phrase?

A phrasal verb is a main verb made of a verb and a particle, and it forms a verb phrase when auxiliaries join it, as in was looking after and has handed out. Some phrasal verbs separate, as in turned the offer down, so the verb phrase is interrupted by the object. The two parts still form one unit of meaning.

Q11. What are the common mistakes with verb phrases?

The common mistakes with verb phrases are two main verbs in a row, a missing auxiliary, and the wrong verb form after an auxiliary. Examples are She can sings, They been here, and Did you went. Each error is repaired by checking that the phrase has one main verb in the form its auxiliary requires.

Q12. Do infinitives and participles form verb phrases?

Infinitives and participles form non-finite verb phrases, such as to have finished and being watched, which have no tense of their own. A finite verb phrase, such as has finished, agrees with its subject and expresses tense. The finite kind is used in nearly every example here.

Q13. Is a contraction such as hasn’t called still a verb phrase?

A contraction such as hasn’t called is still a verb phrase, because it is the auxiliary has, the word not, and the main verb called in shortened form. The contraction changes only the spelling and the sound. A formal essay that avoids contractions writes the full form, as in has not called.