Linking verbs in English

As an English language learner, you must be familiar with the various parts of speech. Linking verbs are one of them. They are an integral part of English grammar, and they play an important role in forming sentences.

In this reference, we will discuss what linking verbs are, their different types, see a list of linking verbs, and learn how to identify linking verbs in sentences.

What is a linking verb?

A linking verb helps us connect the subject of a sentence to additional information about the subject. It is also known as a copular verb or a copula. Linking verbs are not action verbs, and they do not describe any action. Instead, they describe the state of being of the subject of the sentence. Some common linking verbs include "be," "seem," "appear," "become," "feel," "look," "remain," "smell," "sound," "taste," "stay," "grow," "turn," and "prove."

So, in the sentence “I am tired,” the linking verb is “am” as it connects the subject “I” to the additional information about the subject - that is, the state of being tired.

Different types of linking verbs

There are two main types of linking verbs - primary linking verbs and auxiliary linking verbs.

Primary linking verbs include the verbs “be,” “become,” “seem,” “appear,” “remain,” “feel,” “look,” “smell,” “sound,” “taste,” “stay,” “grow,” “turn,” and “prove.”

These verbs are used to express a state of being or condition. For example, “She is happy,” “He seems tired,” “It appears cloudy,” “We remain calm,” and “The soup tastes good.”

Auxiliary linking verbs are also known as helping linking verbs. These include the verbs “have,” “had,” “has,” “do,” “did,” “does,” “will,” and “would.”

These verbs are used to express a state of being in past, present, or future. For example, “She had been happy,” “He will be tired,” “It does appear cloudy,” “We do remain calm,” and “The soup will taste good.”

List of linking verbs

There are many different linking verbs that are used in English. Here is a handy list:

• Be
• Become
• Seem
• Appear
• Remain
• Feel
• Look
• Smell
• Sound
• Taste
• Stay
• Grow
• Turn
• Prove
• Have
• Had
• Has
• Do
• Did
• Does
• Will
• Would

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Linking verb examples in sentences

Now that we know what linking verbs are and their different types let’s look at some examples of linking verbs in sentences.

• She is sad.
• He became angry.
• It seems like a good idea.
• They appear happy.
• We remain calm.
• I feel exhausted.
• She looks beautiful.
• The cake smells delicious.
• The music sounds pleasant.
• The soup tastes salty.
• He stayed late.
• The tree grew tall.
• The leaves turned brown.
• The experiment proved successful.
• She had been happy.
• He will be tired.
• It does appear cloudy.
• We do remain calm.
• The soup will taste good.

How to identify linking verbs?

Identifying linking verbs is a straightforward task.

1. Look for the words “is,” “are,” “was,” and “were” in the sentence. These words are often used as linking verbs, and they can help you identify them easily.
2. Look for words that express a condition. For example, words like “seem,” “appear,” “remain,” “feel,” “look,” “smell,” “sound,” “taste,” “stay,” “grow,” “turn,” and “prove.”
3. Look for words that are used to express a state of being in the past, present, or future. For example, words like “have,” “had,” “has,” “do,” “did,” “does,” “will,” and “would.”

Linking verb rules

Here are a few rules that you should remember when using linking verbs:

• Linking verbs are not action verbs, and they do not describe any action.
• Linking verbs always connect the subject of the sentence to additional information about it.
• Linking verbs can be primary verbs or auxiliary verbs.
• Primary linking verbs include the verbs “be,” “become,” “seem,” “appear,” “remain,” “feel,” “look,” “smell,” “sound,” “taste,” “stay,” “grow,” “turn,” and “prove.”
• Auxiliary linking verbs are also known as helping linking verbs, and they include the verbs “have,” “had,” “has,” “do,” “did,” “does,” “will,” and “would.” 

Summary

Understanding linking verbs is a great place to start improving your English grammar. With the help of this reference, you should easily be able to identify them in sentences and use them fluently.

Remember that linking verbs exist to help connect the subject and add additional information - it all falls into place from there! Check out more handy references to improve your language skills.