Action verbs are verbs that describe action, as opposed to verbs that describe a state of being. To act, to sing, and to dance are all examples of verbs that describe action. To write is an action verb, too, because it describes something that you can actually do. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the verb to be, which is relatively flat and lifeless because it merely describes a state.

The verb to be is probably the most important verb in the language because it also serves as a conjunctive verb in complex constructions. For example:

Jessica is singing a song.

Martin is writing a play.

Even though both sentences contain the word is, which is a conjugated form of the verb to be, in those examples it is also used as a linking verb that serves to complete the conjugation of the other verbs to sing and to write.

John was singing a song.

John sang a song.

John had sung a song.

All of the above example sentences mean the same thing. The appropriate choice depends on the tense of the particular passage and how the activity of singing relates to what else is going on in the story.

It is very important to make sure that your verbs are used in the proper tense, but it's also important to try to make your verb usage as active as possible.

Remember, good writing should show, not tell, the reader what is happening. In crafting your story, try to choose verbs that show action. Sometimes, you will want to use weaker verbs like to be in order to establish your setting and mood. Use these sparingly. When describing action, be sure to use verbs that show the activity and serve to paint that vivid picture in the reader's mind about what is occurring in the story.

You should not make a habit of using action verbs to attribute dialogue when characters are speaking. Consider the following examples:

“Sarah and Tom tied the knot last week,” Julie informed Sam.

“But I never thought they would actually marry,” Sam intoned.

“None of us did. But they appear to have taken the leap,” Julie added.

“How long do you think they'll be together?” Sam queried.

“Oh, be nice,” Julie admonished. “You shouldn't be so negative,” she advised.

As you can see, the action verbs used to attribute the dialogue actually slow down the flow of the conversation. In dialogue, what's important are the words being said. That's why when it comes to attributing dialogue, there is no better word than said. Not every line of dialogue needs to have a tag with it. When two characters are conversing in a selection of prose, it is usually pretty obvious which character is speaking. Attribution becomes necessary when there are long passages of dialogue, just to help the reader understand along the way.

Attribution tags are a storytelling technique, and it's a good idea to keep them as simple as possible. The beauty of the word said is that it becomes invisible to the reader. It is simply there as a pointer to keep the reader from getting confused. A reader naturally expects to see the word said; using other, fancy words can trip up the reader — something often referred to as “removing the reader from the story,” which is something you don't want to do.