At its core, a linking verb serves as the grammatical bridge that connects the subject of a sentence to additional information about that subject. Unlike action verbs, which depict physical or mental activity, a linking verb establishes a state of being, a condition, or an identity. It creates a connection, linking the subject to a subject complement, which can be a noun, pronoun, or adjective that renames or describes it.
The Primary Linking Verbs: The Be Verb Family
The most recognizable linking verbs are the various forms of the verb "to be." These include "am," "is," "are," "was," "were," "be," "being," and "been." These forms are fundamental to the English language because they indicate existence, location, and the state of the subject. For instance, in the sentence "The conference is tomorrow," the word "is" links the subject "conference" to the time frame, establishing a relationship without any action. Similarly, in "She was a talented musician," "was" connects the subject to the noun phrase that identifies her past role.
Other Common Linking Verbs: Sensory and State-of-Being Verbs
Beyond the be verb family, several other verbs function primarily as linking verbs, often relating to the senses or a state of existence. These verbs include "appear," "become," "feel," "look," "remain," "seem," "smell," "sound," "stay," "taste," and "turn." When used in this capacity, they describe how the subject is perceived or how it exists rather than what it is doing. For example, in the sentence "The roses smell divine," the verb "smell" links the subject "roses" to the adjective "divine," describing the quality of the scent without indicating an action the roses are performing.
Linking Verbs vs. Action Verbs: A Critical Distinction
Understanding the difference between linking verbs and action verbs is essential for mastering sentence structure. An action verb denotes that the subject is doing something, such as running, thinking, or throwing. In contrast, a linking verb does not show action; it shows a connection. To test whether a verb is acting as a linking verb, one can often substitute it with a form of "to be." If the sentence still makes logical sense, the verb is likely a linker. For example, in "The soup tastes salty," replacing "tastes" with "is" results in "The soup is salty," which confirms the linking function. Conversely, in "She tastes the soup," the substitution yields "She is the soup," which is nonsensical, confirming that "tastes" is an action verb in that context.
The Role of the Subject Complement
The information that follows a linking verb is called the subject complement, and it is crucial to the function of the sentence. This complement serves to clarify, identify, or modify the subject. There are two main types of subject complements: predicate nominatives and predicate adjectives. A predicate nominative is a noun or pronoun that follows a linking verb and renames the subject. An example is the sentence "He is a doctor," where "doctor" is the predicate nominative. A predicate adjective is an adjective that follows a linking verb and describes the subject, such as in "The sky looks clear," where "clear" modifies "sky."
Common Mistakes and Misconceptions
More perspective on What is the linking verb can make the topic easier to follow by connecting earlier points with a few simple takeaways.
