Sense Verbs

Vocabulary Activity

We learn about the world around us through the 5 senses:  sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste.

In English we primarily use five general verbs associated to the senses.

We say that "Things feel hard/soft."  "We see the world around us"  "Ears help us to hear." "We taste flavors." "Our nose helps us to smell."

Match the general verb to its definition

FEEL	a. perceive sounds with the ears.
SEE	b. explore or perceive by touching or holding in the hands.
HEAR	c. notice odors by using the nose.
TASTE	d. become aware of something or somebody by using the eyes.
SMELL	e. be able to perceive flavors.

Additionally, we use other verbs to describe perception such as watch, gaze, listen, and touch, among others.

Study the list of verbs and definitions and then place each sub-verb under the right heading in the chart below.

Eye : observe in a specified way, e.g. with suspicion, longing, envy, etc.

Gaze : look in a long and steady way, in surprise or admiration.

Glance : take a quick look.

Listen : try to hear, pay attention.

Look : turn one's eyes in a particular direction.

Observe : see and notice. 

Sight : observe or manage to see, especially by coming closer.

Sniff : draw air in, through the nose especially to discover or enjoy the smell of something.

Sound: give a specific impression when heard. 

Stare : look with the eyes wide open in a fixed way.

Touch : be or come together with something.

View : inspect or look carefully.

Watch :see something in motion, e.g. TV, children playing, etc.

General verbs and sub-verbs:

SEE	HEAR	TASTE	FEEL	SMELL

Complete the sentences with one of the sub-verbs.

1.We need to ....    the house before buying it.

2.During the roleplay we’ll ....  the kid's behavior.

3.After three days at sea, we ....  land.

4.I ....  but saw nothing.

5.I ....  at his shoes and then looked away.

6.The dog loves to ....  the plants in the garden.

7.The kid ....  the girl's ice-cream with envy.

8.Your idea ....  interesting.

Answers here!