Linking Verbs

Express an action or states a fact.

​Verbs:

Examples:

Austin hit the ball hard. (action)

Angie made cookies for her mom. (action)

Gavin became president. (fact)

The library is quiet. (fact)

The “fact” verbs are called “state of being.”

Irregular Verbs (to be)

is, am, are

He is. She is.

I am.

We are.

EXCEPTION: are
With the singular pronoun “you,” use the plural form.

You are nice.

Irregular Verbs (to be)

was, were

He was. She was.

I was.

We were.

EXCEPTION: were
With the singular pronoun “you,” use the plural form.

You were right.

Linking Verbs:

Do not show action.

They link subject with a noun, pronoun or adjective.

Examples:

My brother is an artist.

The champion was I.

The coach remained cheerful throughout the game.

To check if it is a linking verb:

See if the verb can be replaced with a form of “to be,” and it makes sense.

Ex. The pie tastes good. It would work with: “The pie is good.”

My friend became a teacher. It would work with, “My friend was a teacher.”

Linking verbs NEVER show action, ALWAYS link the subject with something,
NEVER have a direct object.

Memorize these linking verbs:

To feel

To taste

To look

To smell

To appear

To become

To grow

To remain

To seem

To sound

To stay

To be

(These are also infinitives)

This is the conjugation of to be: is, am, was, were,
be, being, been