1. Tense: Verbs indicate when an action took place (past, present, or future). This is shown through verb conjugations, like "walked" (past), "walk" (present), and "will walk" (future).
2. Voice: Verbs indicate whether the subject of the sentence performs the action (active voice) or is acted upon (passive voice). For example, "The dog chased the ball" is active, while "The ball was chased by the dog" is passive.
3. Mood: Verbs indicate the speaker's attitude towards the action. Common moods are indicative (statements of fact), imperative (commands), and subjunctive (hypothetical or wishful). For example, "The sun is shining" (indicative), "Close the door" (imperative), and "I wish I could fly" (subjunctive).
These three characteristics help us understand how verbs function within a sentence and communicate meaning effectively.