Verbs Worksheet: Year 6 SATs SPaG Practice

Year 6 SATs SPaG worksheet on verbs: 20 questions in the style of the SATs, with answers. Free PDF.

3-page A4 PDF from the Tiger Shark Education question bank (Word classes): two pages of questions (circle or underline) and an answer page. Example questions: Circle the verb. The path narrows near the cliff. / Circle the verb. He stumbled on the uneven ground.

What is a verb? A verb is a word that shows an action (run, write), a state of being (is, seem) or a process (become, grow). Every sentence needs at least one verb, and verbs change form to show tense (walk, walked) and agree with the subject (she walks, they walk). Verb phrases can include helping verbs, such as was running or has eaten. In the SATs, children identify verbs in sentences and use the correct verb form.

Common mistakes and tips: Children often miss ‘being’ verbs such as is, was and seem because they don’t look like actions. Others underline only the main verb and leave out the auxiliary in a verb phrase (has finished). Words like ‘running’ can be verbs or adjectives depending on context, which causes confusion. Ask children to change the tense of the sentence: the word that changes is usually the verb.

This topic is part of the Year 6 English grammar, punctuation and spelling curriculum and appears in the SATs. Because the test uses precise terminology, practising with the correct terms here helps children recognise what a question is asking.

How teachers use it: as a ten-minute daily grammar slot, as a homework task, or as part of a mixed revision pack in the run-up to the SATs. Pairs can work through it and compare answers before checking the answer page. Revisiting the same topic a few weeks later is an effective way to check retention.

Building understanding, not just recognition: the SATs ask children to identify features, but the real aim is for them to use grammar confidently in their own writing. After completing the sheet, ask pupils to find examples of the topic in a class text and discuss why the author used them. Then set a short writing task where the feature must be used deliberately, such as a paragraph of a story or a piece of non-fiction. Shared editing, where the class improves a weak sentence together, is a powerful way to show the effect of a grammatical choice. Linking grammar to purpose and effect helps children remember the terminology, because it becomes a tool rather than a label.