“起始动词”的英文是inchoative verb，这是国外语言学家A. S. Hornby 的用语。

这类动词，指表示情况变化的起始、发展、和结果的动词。

其实，就是我们常说的表示“变化意义”的系动词（link verb）：说明主语的变化以及变成什么样。主要有get, become, turn, grow, go, come, run, fall 等。例如：

We get wiser as we get older. 随着年岁的增长，我们也变得聪明些了。

He got very angry when he heard Tom had failed in the exam. 听说汤姆考试不及格他变得很生气。

He became mad after that. 自那之后，他疯了。

At midnight the sky became clearer and the stars grew brighter. 午夜的时候，天空变得更加晴朗，星星变得更加明亮。

She has grown thinner and thinner. 她越来越瘦了。

His cold was growing worse. 他的感冒越来越严重了。

He’s grown used to smoking. 他已经习惯了吸烟。

When she saw this, she turned red. 她看到这，脸红了。

His hair turned grey in a few weeks. 在几个星期中他头发就变灰白了。

The milk will soon turn sour. 牛奶很快就会变酸。

Several people fell ill after eating this food. 吃了这种食物后，有几个人生病了。

Your hair has gone quite white! 你的头发全白了!

She went pale at the news. 听到这消息，她脸色变得苍白。

When I mentioned it to him he went red. 我对他提及此事时他脸红了。

The children must not go hungry. 孩子们不能挨饿。

Leaves turn brown in autumn. 叶子一到秋天就黄了。

Her hair is going grey. 她的头发日见花白。

Her dream came true at last. 她的梦想终于实现了。

The well ran dry. 井干涸了。