文のカテゴリ

カテゴリ	動詞
算術	ADD COMPUTE DIVIDE INSPECT (TALLYING) MULTIPLY SUBTRACT EXAMINE (TALLYING)
条件付き	ADD (SIZE ERROR) CALL (OVERFLOW) COMPUTE (SIZE ERROR) DELETE (INVALID KEY) DIVIDE (SIZE ERROR) GO TO (DEPENDING) IF MULTIPLY (SIZE ERROR) READ (END または INVALID KEY) RETURN (END) REWRITE (INVALID KEY) SEARCH START (INVALID KEY) STRING (OVERFLOW) UNSTRING (OVERFLOW) WRITE (INVALID KEY または END-OF-PAGE) EVALUATE ON
データ転記	ACCEPT (DATE、DAY、または TIME) INSPECT (REPLACING) MOVE STRING UNSTRING EXAMINE TRANSFORM INITIALIZE INSPECT (CONVERTING) SET (TO TRUE) SET (TO FALSE) SET (ADDRESS OF) SET (POINTER) SET (オブジェクト参照)
終了	EXIT METHOD EXIT PROGRAM GOBACK STOP
入力/出力	ACCEPT (識別子) CLOSE COMMIT DELETE DISPLAY OPEN READ RECEIVE REWRITE ROLLBACK START STOP (定数) UNLOCK WRITE EXHIBIT SET (TO ON または TO OFF)
プログラム間連絡	CALL CANCEL CHAIN ENTRY EXEC INVOKE SERVICE
空操作	EXIT CONTINUE
順序付け	MERGE RELEASE RETURN SORT
手続き分岐	ALTER CALL EXIT PERFORM/EXIT PARAGRAPH/EXIT SECTION GO TO NEXT SENTENCE PERFORM
範囲明示	END-ACCEPT END-ADD END-CALL END-DELETE END-DISPLAY END-DIVIDE END-EVALUATE END-IF END-INVOKE END-MULTIPLY END-PERFORM END-READ END-RETURN END-REWRITE END-SEARCH END-START END-STRING END-SUBTRACT END-UNSTRING END-WRITE
COBOL システム指示	BASIS DELETE INSERT $DISPLAY $ELSE $END $IF COPY ENTER USE REPLACE ENTRY EJECT SKIP1 SKIP2 SKIP3 TITLE NOTE ++INCLUDE -INC
表操作	SEARCH SET

IF および ON は、英語では動詞ではないが、COBOL では動詞として扱う。