The Linking Verb

Definition of Linking Verb: an equating verb (such as `be' or `become') that links the subject
with the complement of a sentence

Linking Verb on wiseGEEK:

 The key difference in determining whether you are dealing with a linking verb or an
action verb is whether or not you can substitute a form of to be or sometimes to
seem for the verb you are using. Consider these examples of linking verbs: She
looked terrible this morning. He felt overjoyed at the prospect of a new job.
 A verb is a word used primarily to indicate a type of action, such as to fly or to wish,
though it may also be used to indicate a general state of existence, such as to live.
There is also a special type of verb, known as a copula or linking verb, which helps to
describe the subject of the sentence, rather than describing an action.
 Consider these examples of linking verbs:
 She looked terrible this morning.
He felt overjoyed at the prospect of a new job.
Lemon meringue pie tastes delicious.
The perfume smelled heavenly.
 All of these verbs above (to look, to feel, to taste, to smell) can be used in action
contexts, which means each can serve double duty as both action and linking verbs.
Here are these same verbs used as action verbs:

Adverbs / Adjectives /
Linking Verbs
The following is a mini-tutorial on the use of adverbs, adjectives, and linking verbs. After you
have studied the tutorial, complete the associated exercises. If you are already familiar with
these topics, you can skip the explanation and go directly to the exercises.
Adverbs

FORM

[adjective + ly]

There are also irregular adverbs such as "well" and "fast."

USE 1

Adverbs can be used to modify verbs.

Examples:

 John walked quickly towards the door.

 Sally sat silently waiting for somebody else to speak first.

USE 2

Adverbs can be used to modify adjectives.

Examples:

 The redwood tree was impressively tall.

 The blouse was outrageously expensive.

USE 3

Adverbs can be used to modify other adverbs.

Examples:

 She spoke extremely confidently.

 The cheetah ran incredibly quickly.

Adjectives

FORM

There are many different adjective endings including "-ive," "-ous," "-y," "-ful," "-ent" and
many others. "Attractive," "envious," "lazy," "beautiful," and "intelligent" are all adjectives.

USE 1

Adjectives can be used to modify nouns.

Examples:

 Jack drives a big car.

 Sally writes beautiful poems.

USE 2

Adjectives often follow linking verbs (described below).

Examples:

 Max is tall.

 Sandra seems mad.

Linking Verbs

LIST

o to o to
appear prove

o to be o to

o to remain

become o to
 o to feel seem

o to get o to

o to go smell

o to grow o to
sound
o to look
o to stay

o to
taste

o to turn

USE

The linking verbs above are often followed by adjectives instead of adverbs. In such
situations, the adjective describes the subject of the sentence rather than the verb. Study
the examples below to learn the difference.

Examples:

 Mary seemed sad. Correct

 Mary seemed sadly. Not Correct

 The cake tastes good. Correct

 The cake tastes well. Not Correct

 The train is slow. Correct

 The train is slowly. Not Correct

 James grew tired. Correct

 Sarah remained calm. Correct

 The milk went bad. Correct

 The seas turned rough. Correct

 The negotiations proved pointless. Correct

IMPORTANT

The verbs in the list above are not always used as linking verbs. Compare the examples
below.

Examples:

 Sally grew angry.

"ANGRY" DESCRIBES SALLY. IN THIS SENTENCE, "TO GROW" IS BEING USED AS A LINKING VERB
MEANING "TO BECOME."

 The plant grew quickly.

"QUICKLY" DOES NOT DESCRIBE THE PLANT, IT DESCRIBES THE MANNER IN WHICH IT GROWS. IN
THIS SENTENCE, "TO GROW" IS NOT BEING USED AS A LINKING VERB.

Recognize a linking verb when you see one.

Linking verbs do not express action. Instead, they connect the subject of the verb to
additional information about the subject. Look at the examples below:

Keila is a shopaholic.

Ising isn't something that Keila can do. Is connects the subject, Keila, to additional
information about her, that she will soon have a huge credit card bill to pay.

During the aft ernoon, my cats are content to nap on the couch.

Areing isn't something that cats can do. Are is connecting the subject, cats, to something
said about them, that they enjoy sleeping on the furniture.

Aft er drinking the old milk, Bladimiro turned green.

Turned connects the subject, Bladimiro, to something said about him, that he was needing
Pepto Bismol.

A ten-item quiz seems impossibly long aft er a night of no studying.

Seems connects the subject, a ten-item quiz, with something said about it, that its difficulty
depends on preparation, not length.

Irene always feels sleepy aft er pigging out on pizza from Antonio's.

Feels connects the subject, Irene, to her state of being, sleepiness.

The following verbs are true linking verbs: any form of the verb be [am, is, are, was, were,
has been, are being, might have been, etc.], become, and seem. These true linking verbs
are always linking verbs.

Then you have a list of verbs with multiple personalities: appear, feel, grow, look, prove,
remain, smell, sound, taste, and turn. Sometimes these verbs are linking verbs; sometimes
they are action verbs.

How do you tell when they are action verbs and when they are linking verbs?

If you can substitute am, is, or are and the sentence still sounds logical, you have a linking
verb on your hands.

If, after the substitution, the sentence makes no sense, you are dealing with an action verb
instead. Here are some examples:

Sylvia tasted the spicy squid eyeball stew.

Sylvia is the stew? I don't think so! Tasted, therefore, is an action verb in this sentence,
something Sylvia is doing.

The squid eyeball stew tasted good.

The stew is good? You bet. Make your own!

I smell the delicious aroma of a mushroom and papaya pizza baking in the oven.

I am the aroma? No way! Smell, in this sentence, is an action verb, something I am doing.

The mushroom and papaya pizza smells heavenly.

The pizza is heavenly? Definitely! Try a slice!

When my dog Oreo felt the wet grass beneath her paws, she bolted up the stairs
and curled up on the couch.

Oreo is the wet grass? Of course not! Here, then, felt is an action verb, something Oreo is
doing.

My dog Oreo feels depressed aft er seven straight days of rain.

Oreo is depressed? Without a doubt! Oreo hates the wet.

This substitution will not work for appear. With appear, you have to analyze the function of
the verb.

Swooping out of the clear blue sky, the blue jay appeared on the branch.

Appear is something a blue jay can do—especially when food is near.

The blue jay appeared happy to see the bird feeder.

Here, appeared is connecting the subject, the blue jay, to its state of mind, happiness.

Linking verbs are verbs that do not show action; instead, the linking verb renames or
describes the subject. An example "The kitten looked happy." The verb looked is used as a
linking verb in the example sentence. Many times the verb looked is an action verb because
something is looking for something, but in the example sentence, looked describes the
kitten in the predicate and that makes looked function as a linking verb. If the word happy is
used in the subject, then happy would have been an ordinary adjective.

The happy cat | looked for his ball. "Looked" functions as an action verb.
The cat | looked happy. "Looked" functions as a linking verb.

There are more examples below and suggestions about how to tell the difference between a
linking verb and an action verb. The table below lists some verbs that are commonly used as
linking verbs. Remember, the words in the list are not always used as a linking verbs; it is the
FUNCTION of the verb in the sentence that determines its kind.

Words that (may be used as) Linking Verbs

Verbs that sometimes are used as linking verbs
[list may not be complete]

feel
taste
look
smell
appear
grow
remain
stay
turn
seem
sound
become
prove

Forms of to be are sometimes used as linking verbs

is
am
are
was
were
be
being
been

 
Linking Verbs continued ...
Many important verbs do not express action; some verbs can link a noun or an adjective to
the subject. This type of verb is called a linking verb. The linking verb connection between
the subject to the noun or adjective is something like an equal sign. She is tall. -- She = tall.

In grammar books the linked noun or linked adjective is sometimes called a predicate noun
or a predicate adjective. Sometimes either one is called a subjective complement.

A reminder of basic sentence structure __subject__|__predicate__

A predicate noun is located in the predicate and it renames the subject.

A predicate adjective is located in the predicate and it describes the subject.

The two diagrams below are the sentence pattern of linking verbs.

__subject___|___linking verb__\__predicate noun__

__subject___|___linking verb__\__predicate adjective__

Examples
1. I am calm.
The be verb am links I and calm. Calm describes my state of being.
2. George Washington became the first president.
Became links George Washington and president.
Check by saying, George = president, or President George Washington, or substitute
the linking verb with a form of "to be" as in: George Washington was president.

Helping Verb Confusion

The forms of to be can also be used as helping verbs such as in the following sentence:

Terry is looking.
In the sentence above, "is" does not function as a linking verb. "Is looking" tells what Terry
is doing (the action), not what Terry is being.

Is the Verb used as Linking or Action

State of being verbs can be used as linking verbs or action verbs. We need to be able to
determine the function of the verb to tell the difference. The following sentences contain
verbs that are used as either linking or action verbs. I have included checking methods.

1. Linking:
The monkey looked hungry.
(Hungry monkey or monkey is hungry) In this sentence looked is a linking verb.
2. Action:
The monkey looked for food.
"For food" is a prepositional phrase and It must be omitted before checking. The
sentence remaining after omitting the prepositional phrase is The monkey looked.
There is no noun or adjective to link monkey to. Looked is an action verb in this
sentence.
3. Linking: The soup tasted good.
Check: soup is good, good soup, soup = good
4. Action: I tasted the soup.
Check: I am the soup (no), soup am I (no) I = soup (no)
5. Linking: He grew tired of walking.
Of walking is a prepositional phrase and not included in the check. You should omit
the prepositional phrase to check: He grew tired. Check: He is tired, tired is he, he =
tired.
6. Action: He grew into a tall man.
Omit the prepositional phrase into a tall man before checking. That leaves the
sentence, "he grew." There's no noun or adjective left to link to, so grew is an action
verb in this sentence.
7. Linking:
Mother appeared happy at her party. Omit the prepositional phrase, "at her party".
Now the sentence reads, "Mother appeared happy." Check: mother is happy, happy
mother, mother = happy.
8. Action: Mother appeared quietly in the room.
Omit the prepositional phrase, "in the room". The sentence now reads: Mother
 appeared quietly. Quietly is an adverb, omit the adverb. Mother appeared. There is
no noun or adjective to link mother to, so appeared is an action verb.
9. Linking:
The bugle sounds loud.
Check: bugle is loud, loud bugle, bugle = loud (yes, yes, and yes)
10. Action:
The bugle sounded loudly.
Check: Bugle is loudly. (no)
Loudly describes the verb. It answers the question How? Loudly is an adverb.