This lesson about sense verbs, or verbs of the senses is part of a complete Upper Intermediate (B2) English course. There is an interactive exercise for this topic and a grammar presentation tool in the materials tab.
Sense verbs are words that we use to describe the actions associated with the senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste.
Sense Nouns | Sense Verbs |
---|---|
Sight / vision | Look |
Hearing | Sound |
Touch | Feel |
Smell / Olfactory | Smell |
Taste | Taste |
We also use the verbs seem and appear in the same way as sense verbs, so they are included in this lesson. Appear can be used as a synonym of look, but both seem and appear can be used to describe our thoughts about something.
Sense verbs are combined with adjectives, nouns and clauses in different patters. Here are the patterns for each with examples.
Sense verb pattern | Example |
---|---|
Verb + adjective | “He looks old.” |
Verb + noun | “She looks like an athlete.” |
Verb + as if + clause | “He looked as if he had seen a ghost!” |
You can use sense verbs directly with adjectives to describe people or things.
Verb + adjective
Here are some examples.
Verb + like + noun
NOTE: “Feel like” has two different uses. It can be used as a sense verb and noun combination or as a phrasal verb meaning to want or have an appetite for something.
A clause is part of a sentence that works in isolation. In the sentence “She told me that she was angry”, “she was angry” is a clause, it works even when isolated from the rest of the original sentence. A clause always has a subject and a verb.
To use sense verbs with clauses, use the following pattern.
Verb + as if / as though + clause.
In informal English, like is often used in place of as if or as though.
The verbs seem and appear are often used followed by an infinitive.
Seem + infinitive
Here are some examples.
Now try these interactive exercises to check that you have understood this grammar.