Many verbs have different meanings, however this section deals with verbs and phrasal verbs connected with entertainment. An example is provided only where the verb is commonly used in everyday conversation.
One irregular verb in bold is shown in all its forms.
Verbs
| The Verb (infinitive form) | The Meaning | An example ( Simple Past Tense) |
Regular /Irregular |
|---|---|---|---|
| To act | To perform in a film, play etc. |
He acted the part of a villain. | Regular |
| To auction | to sell goods or property publicly to the person who will pay the most: |
They auctioned all their art. | Regular |
| To entertain | To keep a group of people interested or amused. |
He entertained the troops during the war. | Regular |
To lose |
To fail to succeed in a game, competition, etc. | He lost all his money at the casino. | Irregular |
| To perform | To entertain people by dancing, singing, acting or playing music.: | She performed her own composition in the concert. | Regular |
To sing |
To make musical sounds with the voice. | She sang her heart out. | Irregular |
| To star | To be the main person in a film, play, etc. | She's starred in more hits than I can count. | Regular |
To throw |
To send something through the air with force. | She's thrown a double six! | Irregular |
| To understudy | To learn the part of another actor in a play. | He understudied for Lawrence Olivier. | Regular |
To win |
To succeed in a game, competition, etc. | They won a lot of money at the bingo. | Irregular |
Phrasal Verbs
| The Phrasal Verb (infinitive form) | The Meaning | An example ( Simple Past Tense) |
S=Separable I=Inseparable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Act out | To perform the actions and say the words of a story. | They acted out the fairytale. | I |
| Act up | If a person, especially a child, acts up, they behave badly. | He always acted up when his friends were watching. | I |
| Clown about | To act like a clown. | He always clowned about in the class. | I |
| Play along | To do what someone asks you to do, for a limited period of time. | We played along with the idea, until we were able to run away. | I |
| Play up | If a person, especially a child, plays up, they behave badly. | He always played up when his friends were watching. | I |