Grammar Basics: Linking Verbs

Grammar Basics: Linking Verbs

By Andrew Ashford

​What are linking verbs?

Linking verbs, also called copular verbs, ​don't show action.

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Instead, they act like an equal sign in a sentence. ​

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They show a connection​ between the subject of a sentence and its complement.

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​Wait, what's a complement?

In grammar, a complement is a word or words used to complete a predicate construction, especially the object or indirect object of a verb.

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For example, the phrase to eat ice cream in We like to eat ice cream is the complement of "We", because it tells what we like.​

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Multiple Choice

What is the complement in this sentence?

Emilia felt calm at the seashore.

• Emilia

• felt

• calm

• at the seashore

Multiple Choice

What is the complement in this sentence?

The tallest mountain in the world is Mt. Everest.

• tallest

• mountain

• is

• Mt. Everest

​So, what do they do again?

A copular or linking verb expresses either that the subject and its complement denote the same thing or that the subject has the property denoted by its complement.​

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Again, think of a linking verb as an equal sign in a sentence.​

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​Can you give me an example?

​​In the sentence ‘Peter is my friend’ the copular verb is asserts that "Peter" and "my friend" are the same person.

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Whereas in the sentence ‘Peter is British’ the copular verb is assigns the quality of Britishness to Peter.

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​Can I get some more examples?

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• I am glad it is Friday. - Here the linking verb "am" connects the subject (I) to the state of being glad.

• Laura is excited about her new bike. - Here "is" links the subject (Laura) to the emotional state of excitement.

• My birds are hungry. - The word "are" identifies that the birds currently exist in a physical state of hunger.

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​True copulas

True copulas include "to be", "to become", and "to seem".

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These verbs almost always serve as linking verbs rather than action verbs.

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​Other linking verbs

Many other verbs besides "to be", "to become", and "to seem" ​can act as linking verbs.

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The next slide has a list of common linking verbs.​

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Many verbs can be either linking verbs or action verbs.​

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Multiple Choice

Is "felt" inking verb or action verb here?

Emilia felt the waiving strands of kelp.

• Linking

• Action

Multiple Select

Is "tastes" acting as a linking verb here?

Kelp salad tastes good.

• Yes, because the complement "good" refers to "Kelp salad"

• No, because it is an action verb

• No, "tastes" does what it wants.

• Yes, I'm not sure why, but yes.

Multiple Choice

Is "smelled" a linking verb or an action verb here?

The little girl smelled the flower.

• Action

• Linking

Multiple Choice

Is "smelled" an action verb or a linking verb here?

The bakery smelled like apple pie.

• Action

• Linking

​The linking verb test

To see if a verb is an action verb or a linking verb, replace it with a true linking verb like "to be".

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If the sentence still makes sense, it is a linking verb, if not, it's an action verb.​

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​The linking verb test example 1

The flowers looked wilted.​ (linking verb)

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Replace "looked" with "are"​ and the sentence still makes sense.​

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​The flowers are wilted.

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​The linking verb test example 2

She looked for wildflowers (not a linking verb)

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Replace "​looked" with "are" and the sentence makes no sense.

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She are for wildflowers​.

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Multiple Choice

Does this sentence pass the linking verb test?

The concert sounds loud.

• Yes, it still makes sense with a linking verb

• No, it doesn't make sense with a linking verb

Multiple Choice

Does this sentence pass the linking verb test?

I grow potatoes.

• Yes, that makes sense.

• No, that doesn't make sense.

Multiple Select

A linking verbs links a subject to its complement.

• True

• False

• Of course, what else would it do?

Works cited​

englishgrammar.org

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yourdictionary.com

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