Linking verbs are an essential part of English grammar, as they connect the subject of a sentence with additional information about that subject. Unlike action verbs, which describe an activity or process, these verbs serve as bridges that link the subject to a complement, usually an adjective or a noun, that describes or identifies it.
What Are Linking Verbs?
A linking verb is a verb that does not show action but instead connects the subject of the sentence to a subject complement, such as an adjective or a noun, that provides additional information about the subject.
Examples of Linking Verbs in Sentences:
- The soup tastes delicious. (The verb tastes connects the subject soup with the adjective delicious.)
- She is a doctor. (The verb is links the subject she with the noun doctor.)
- The sky looks blue. (The verb looks connects the subject sky with the adjective blue.)
These verbs often describe the subject’s state of being or condition, helping to explain what something is, seems, or appears to be.
How Linking Verbs Work
These verbs do not express actions that the subject performs. Instead, they serve to connect or link the subject to further descriptions or identifications. These descriptions can be adjectives, noun phrases, or prepositional phrases that clarify or provide information about the subject.
For example:
- The cake smells amazing. (smells is a verb that connects the subject cake with the adjective amazing.)
- He became an engineer. (became links the subject he to the noun complement an engineer.)
Linking Verb – Examples
Let’s look at some examples:
- She is tired.
- The verb is connects the subject she with the adjective tired.
- The food smells delicious.
- The verb smells links the subject food with the adjective delicious.
- They seem upset.
- The verb seem connects the subject they with the adjective upset.
- The sky turns red at sunset.
- The verb turns links the subject sky with the adjective red.
These examples show that linking verbs don’t involve any action but instead describe states or conditions.
Linking Verbs List
There are a variety of linking verbs in English. The most common linking verb is be in its various forms (am, is, are, was, were). In addition to be, there are other verbs that function as linking verbs in certain contexts. Here’s a comprehensive list of linking verbs:
Common Linking Verbs:
- Be (am, is, are, was, were, being, been)
- Seem
- Appear
- Become
- Feel
- Look
- Smell
- Sound
- Taste
- Turn
- Remain
- Stay
- Grow (in some contexts)
- Go (in some contexts)
These verbs are primarily used to link the subject to additional information, often describing sensory perceptions, changes in state, or conditions.
Linking Verbs vs. Action Verbs
It’s important to note that some verbs, such as taste, look, feel, grow, go, and turn, can serve as both linking verbs and action verbs, depending on the context.
Examples of Linking Verbs and Action Verbs:
- Linking Verb: The soup tastes delicious. (Describes the quality of the soup.)
- Action Verb: She tasted the soup. (Describes the action of tasting the soup.)
- Linking Verb: He looks happy. (Describes his appearance or state.)
- Action Verb: He looked out of the window. (Describes the action of looking.)
The key difference is that linking verbs connect the subject to a description, while action verbs describe something that the subject does.
How to Identify a Linking Verb
To identify whether a verb is functioning as a linking verb, try replacing it with a form of the verb to be (am, is, are). If the sentence still makes sense and conveys the same meaning, then the verb is likely a linking verb.
Example:
- Original: The cake smells delicious.
- Test: The cake is delicious.
- Since the sentence still makes sense, smells is functioning as a linking verb.
Summary of Linking Verbs
- Linking verbs connect the subject of a sentence with additional information that describes or identifies the subject.
- The most common linking verbs are forms of “be”, such as is, am, and are.
- Other common linking verbs include seem, look, taste, feel, and become.
- Some verbs can be both linking and action verbs, depending on their usage in a sentence.
