Final answer:
The verb in the sentence is 'talked,' which is an action verb. It is important to maintain verb tense consistency in writing and speaking to effectively communicate the timeline of events.
Step-by-step explanation:
The verb in the sentence "Mr. Murdock talked about the Civil War in class today." is talked. This is considered an action verb as it describes what Mr. Murdock did in class. When writing or speaking, it is essential to choose the correct verb forms and maintain verb tense consistency.
This becomes particularly important in crafting narratives or discussing historical events to ensure that time frames do not become confusing for the reader. For instance, when speaking about events that have already occurred, such as discussing battles of the Civil War, using the past tense provides the familiar storytelling mode most often found in textbooks and historical narratives.
Conversely, utilizing the present tense adds immediacy and can make descriptions of ongoing actions, such as in a political situation, feel more urgent and current.