Which sentence uses a simple verb (not a verb phrase)?

Which sentence uses a simple verb (not a verb phrase)?

• A. Tom loves football.
• B. Tom has loved football since he was a child.
• C. Tom runs two miles each morning.
• D. Tom threw the football.

Answer: (A)

A simple verb is a single word that functions as the main action in the predicate, with no helping verbs attached. In Tom loves football, the action word is loves, a single word that shows present-tense action and stands alone as the predicate. The phrase Tom has loved football uses has as an auxiliary, forming a verb phrase (has loved) rather than a single verb. That makes it not a simple verb. The other sentences use different forms or tenses, but this one clearly presents a straightforward single-word verb without any extra helping words.

A simple verb is a single word that functions as the main action in the predicate, with no helping verbs attached. In Tom loves football, the action word is loves, a single word that shows present-tense action and stands alone as the predicate. The phrase Tom has loved football uses has as an auxiliary, forming a verb phrase (has loved) rather than a single verb. That makes it not a simple verb. The other sentences use different forms or tenses, but this one clearly presents a straightforward single-word verb without any extra helping words.