Mastering the Most Common Verbs: Your EFL/ESL Guide

Learning verbs is one of the most important steps in mastering English as a second language. For ESL (English as a Second Language) or EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners, verbs are the action engines of sentences — without them, communication stalls. In this blog post, we’ll explore the most common verbs in English, how to use them effectively, and how you — as a learner or teacher — can work on mastering them. Whether you’re at level A1 (beginner), A2 (elementary) or even B1 (intermediate), this guide will help you feel more confident in everyday English.

Why focus on common verbs? Because high-frequency verbs like go, have, make, take, do, get, etc., appear again and again in conversation, reading, writing and listening. Mastering them gives you huge leverage in your English journey.

In this article, we’ll cover:

• What makes a verb “common” in English?
• A list of the top common verbs with example sentences.
• How to practice and internalise these verbs: reading, writing, speaking, and listening strategies.
• Typical mistakes learners make with common verbs — and how to avoid them.
• A short quiz to test your knowledge at the end.
• A bonus tip: linking common verbs to phrasal verbs for extra power.

Let’s dive in.

What Makes a Verb “Common”?

In English language learning, a “common verb” means a verb that appears very frequently in written and spoken English. These verbs form the backbone of everyday communication. The more common a verb, the more value mastering it gives you. For example: be, have, do, say, go, get are among the highest-frequency verbs.

By prioritising common verbs, ESL/EFL learners can build strong foundations, enabling them to understand and produce more sentences — for reading, writing, speaking and listening.

Also, teachers often recommend starting with common verbs because once learners can use them correctly, fluency and accuracy improve quickly. For example, being able to say “I have a book”, “She goes to work”, “We make dinner” opens up many communicative possibilities.

Thus our goal here: identify the most useful common verbs, show examples, practise them, and avoid common pitfalls.

Top Common Verbs with Examples

Here are 15 of the most common English verbs that every ESL/EFL learner should know well. I’ll show them in the base form, then with simple examples (present, past, maybe future) and tips.

1. be (am, is, are, was, were)
   • Present: I am happy. / She is ready.
   • Past: We were late.
   • Tip: This verb is irregular and extremely common. Learners often mix up “is/are” or “was/were”.
   • Example: She is a teacher. / They were friends.
2. have (have, has, had)
   • Present: I have a car. / He has three siblings.
   • Past: She had an idea.
   • Tip: “Have” is also used for perfect tenses (have eaten, has gone).
   • Example: We have time. / He had lunch.
3. do (do, does, did)
   • Present: I do my homework. / She does the laundry.
   • Past: They did the test yesterday.
   • Tip: “Do” is used as a main verb and as an auxiliary verb (do you play? did you go?).
   • Example: Do you like it? / She does her job well.
4. say (say, says, said)
   • Present: I say “hello”. / He says it’s fine.
   • Past: They said “goodbye”.
   • Tip: “Say” often appears in reported speech or dialogue.
   • Example: She said yes. / He says he will come.
5. go (go, goes, went, gone)
   • Present: I go to school. / She goes to work.
   • Past: They went to Paris.
   • Tip: “Go” is common in movement, travel, time expressions (go bad, go missing).
   • Example: We go shopping. / He went home.
6. get (get, gets, got, gotten/got)
   • Present: I get up early. / She gets gifts.
   • Past: He got a new job.
   • Tip: “Get” has many idiomatic uses (get ready, get home, get along).
   • Example: They got tired. / I’ll get a coffee.
7. make (make, makes, made)
   • Present: I make tea. / She makes plans.
   • Past: We made dinner.
   • Tip: Frequently used with objects and creative/constructive activities.
   • Example: Make a decision. / They made a mistake.
8. know (know, knows, knew, known)
   • Present: I know the answer. / She knows him.
   • Past: They knew the truth.
   • Tip: “Know” is irregular and critical for comprehension.
   • Example: Do you know that? / He knows the way.
9. take (take, takes, took, taken)
   • Present: I take the bus. / She takes notes.
   • Past: He took the camera.
   • Tip: “Take” often appears in phrasal verbs (take off, take out, take up).
   • Example: Take your time. / They took a photo.
10. see (see, sees, saw, seen)
    • Present: I see you. / She sees the difference.
    • Past: We saw a movie.
    • Tip: Vision/understanding meaning.
    • Example: Have you seen it? / She saw him yesterday.
11. come (come, comes, came, come)
    • Present: I come from Leeds. / He comes every day.
    • Past: They came late.
    • Tip: Location/time movement.
    • Example: Come here. / She came back.
12. want (want, wants, wanted)
    • Present: I want a drink. / He wants to help.
    • Past: She wanted more time.
    • Tip: Desires and intentions.
    • Example: Do you want this? / They wanted to go home.
13. look (look, looks, looked)
    • Present: I look at the board. / She looks happy.
    • Past: He looked for his keys.
    • Tip: Visual or appearance meaning; often followed by “at”.
    • Example: Look after yourself. / She looked around.
14. use (use, uses, used)
    • Present: I use my phone. / She uses a computer.
    • Past: They used the new app.
    • Tip: Tools, methods.
    • Example: Use this tool. / He used to live there.
15. work (work, works, worked)
    • Present: I work from home. / She works full-time.
    • Past: We worked late.
    • Tip: Employment, effort, functioning.
    • Example: Does it work? / They worked together.

How to Practise These Verbs Effectively

Knowing the list is one thing — using the verbs correctly and comfortably is another. Here are strategies to help you internalise common verbs.

1. Reading & Highlighting

When you read in English (articles, blogs, books, emails), highlight every common verb you see. For example, in a sentence: “She goes to work, then she makes dinner.” you see “goes” and “makes”. Write them down, notice the tense and form.

2. Writing Sentences

Pick 5–10 common verbs each week. Write 5 sentences for each verb: one in present, one in past, one question, one negative, one future or conditional. For example, for “take”:

• I take the train every morning.
• She took the book yesterday.
• Do you take sugar in your tea?
• They do not take any breaks.
• I will take that chance if it comes.

This writing practice reinforces form and usage.

3. Speaking & Role‐Play

Use the verbs in spoken practice: pair work or self-talk. For “get”: talk about your day using “get” (I got up, I got coffee, I got to work). Ask a partner: When did you get home? Use real-life scenarios.

4. Listening & Shadowing

While listening to podcasts, dialogues, or videos, pay attention to common verbs. Write down the sentences you hear with those verbs. Then shadow, i.e., repeat immediately. This helps with pronunciation, rhythm, and usage.

5. Grammar Focus & Mini-Quizzes

Keep checking forms (especially irregular verbs: get/got, see/saw, know/knew). Make a mini-quiz: write base form → fill in correct past/past participle. Or choose correct form in a sentence.

6. Linking to Phrasal Verbs

Many common verbs form phrasal verbs (verb + particle) which greatly increase your range. For example: get up, get on, get off, get along, take off, take up, take out, look after, look into, look for. Mastering the base verb helps you understand and use the phrasal versions.

Typical Learner Mistakes & How to Fix Them

Here are common errors ESL/EFL learners make when dealing with common verbs — and tips to avoid them.

Mistake 1: Wrong tense or verb form

Example: She go to school yesterday.
Fix: Use past form. She went to school yesterday.
Tip: When you mention a time in the past (yesterday, two days ago, last week), change the verb form.

Mistake 2: Confusing “have” as possession vs perfect tense

Example: I have seen him yesterday. (incorrect)
Fix: I saw him yesterday. OR I have seen him (recently).
Tip: Use past simple for finished past, present perfect for unspecified past linked to present.

Mistake 3: Missing auxiliary in questions/negatives

Example: She doesn’t knows.
Fix: She doesn’t know.
Tip: After doesn’t (or don’t) use the base form: know, not knows.

Mistake 4: Mixing up irregular verb forms

Example: He take the bus yesterday.
Fix: He took the bus yesterday.
Tip: Make a list of irregular verbs and revise their past forms regularly.

Mistake 5: Using base verb when phrasal verb is required

Example: I will take the umbrella off. (might confuse meaning)
Fix: I will take off the umbrella. (or “I will take the umbrella off.”)
Tip: Understand the particle position and meaning of phrasal verbs.

Mistake 6: Over-translating from L1 (first language)

Example: In some languages the verb for “have” is used differently. Learners may say I have hungry.
Fix: I am hungry.
Tip: Focus on English patterns, not direct translation.

Sample Activities for Teachers & Learners

Here are a few practical activity ideas you can use (either in class or for self-study) to strengthen common verb mastery.

1. Verb bingo
   • Create bingo cards with common verbs.
   • Call out sentences using those verbs in different tenses; students mark the correct verb form.
2. Sentence scramble
   • Write sentences, cut into word-groups, scramble them. Learners reorder: e.g., yesterday / took / she / the bus.
   • Then they discuss: What verb is used? Why past tense?
3. Verb diary
   • Learners write a short diary entry each day using at least 5 common verbs in different forms. E.g., Today I got up early, I had breakfast, I went to work, I saw a friend, I made dinner.
4. Phrasal verb extension
   • Pick a common verb (e.g., take). Brainstorm phrasal verbs: take off, take out, take up, take over, take back.
   • Learners make sentences with each.
5. Role-play with verbs
   • Choose a scenario (job interview, travel, shopping). Learners act using common verbs: go, get, make, know, see, work, want.
   • Focus on accurate usage rather than perfect grammar.
6. Quick verb quiz
   • At end of the week: give learners a list of base forms and they write past/past participle, then use each verb in a sentence.

Linking to Your EFL/Education Platform

If you are running a course (for example on your site EFL Academy Hub) or teaching learners across A1 to C1 levels, you can incorporate this blog content as part of your lesson material. Here’s how it fits:

• Beginner (A1) classes: Focus on the simplest common verbs (be, have, do, go, make). Use visuals, lots of repetition and simple sentences.
• Elementary (A2): Add more verbs (get, know, take, see), start mixing past and present forms, use mini-dialogues.
• Intermediate (B1/C1): Expand to phrasal verbs, more complex sentences, writing assignments using the verbs in various contexts, speaking practice with role-plays, debating using verbs like want, work, look.

Also, use SEO-keywords such as: “most common English verbs for ESL”, “common verbs list English learners”, “how to master everyday verbs in English”, “ESL verbs examples and practice”. This will help Google indexing and bring in learners searching for verb-focused materials.

You can create a module or lesson package titled something like “Mastering Common Verbs: 15 verbs every ESL learner must know” — include the list, exercises, role-plays, self-study tasks and then promote it on social media.

Short Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

Choose the correct verb form:

1. Yesterday I ___ (go) to the supermarket.
2. She ___ (have) three cats.
3. They ___ (take) the train every morning.
4. Do you ___ (know) the answer?
5. He ___ (work) in London last year.
6. I ___ (make) dinner right now.
7. We ___ (see) that film yesterday.
8. She ___ (get) home late last night.
9. I ___ (use) my laptop for study.
10. He ___ (say) he will come tomorrow.

Answers:

1. went
2. has
3. take (take/takes depending on subject) — “They take the train every morning.”
4. know
5. worked
6. am making / make (depending on context) — if “right now” then am making.
7. saw
8. got
9. use / uses (depending on subject) — “I use my laptop for study.”
10. said

As a learner, check which ones you got wrong and go back to practise those verbs again.

Bonus: From Common Verbs to Advanced Usage

Once you’re comfortable with the base forms of common verbs, you can expand your skill by:

• Using perfect tenses: “I have taken the exam”, “She has seen the result.”
• Using passive voice: “The work was done”, “The decision has been made.”
• Using modal verbs with them: “I must make a decision”, “You should know more.”
• Using phrasal verbs and idioms: “Get over it”, “Make up your mind”, “Take off (for the plane)”, “Look after someone”.
• Using verbs in different registers: formal (work, make), informal (get, do), academic (use, know).

By gradually moving from simple usage to more complex forms, your command of English verbs will develop from basic functional competency to higher-level fluency and accuracy.

Conclusion

Mastering the most common verbs is one of the smartest investments you can make in your English learning journey. These verbs power your ability to read, write, speak, and listen in English with confidence. By focusing on a small set of high-frequency verbs and practising them consistently in varied contexts—reading, writing, speaking, listening—you will build strong foundations.

Remember:

• Focus on frequency: common verbs matter.
• Use multiple forms: present, past, question, negative, future.
• Link to real-life usage: role-plays, writing tasks, listening practice.
• Avoid common mistakes: verb-form errors, translation errors, misuse of auxiliaries.
• Expand to phrasal verbs, perfect tenses, passive voice once you’re ready.

If you are teaching these verbs, consider using this blog content as material for your students in your EFL/ESL platform (EFL Academy Hub) or lesson plans. You can turn each of the 15 verbs into a mini-lesson, include exercises, drills, role-play, and follow-up homework.

Get Started Now!

Use the list above. Choose three verbs today (for example: go, get, make). Write five sentences for each, speak them out loud, and notice them in your next conversation or reading. Do this daily for one week and you’ll already feel stronger.

Good luck with mastering English verbs — you’ve got this!

“Start Using Powerful English Verbs Today

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