Linking Verbs

Linking Verbs do not describe any direct action taken or controlled by the subject, but they describe the subject not the action.

This guide will assist you in understanding, recognizing, and using the linking verbs in your writing. Let’s start.

What is a linking verb?

A linking Verb is a verb that describes the subject by connecting it to a predicate adjective or predicate noun. They include all forms of the verb to be (be, being, been, am, is, are, was, were), plus such words as look, feel, appear, act, and go, followed by an adjective or a noun.

Examples:

• You look Sad.
• We feel happy.
• He went ballistic.
• The car looks brand new.

Note:

When an adjective follows a linking verb, it is known as a predicate adjective, which describes the subject. When a noun follows a linking verb, it is known as a predicate nominative, which renames the subject.

How do you recognize a linking verb?

If the English verb is describing an action verb we call it (an action verb), and if it describes the state of the subject we call it a linking verb.

The verbs (be, being, been, am, is, are, was, were), become, and seem are always act as linking verbs.  While sensory verbs like appear, look, feel, smell, sound, or taste can act as linking verbs when they describe the subject.

You can recognize a linking verb by replacing the verb with the verb to be, and if the sentence still makes sense, then your verb is most likely a linking verb.

Here are some examples:

• The food tastes good!

If we replaced the sensory verb “tastes” with “is” in this sentence, we will notice that sentence still makes sense (The food is good!). So In this sentence, We have a linking verb because we just describe the food.

• Ahmed tastes the soup.

If we replaced the sensory verb “tastes” with “is” in this sentence, we will notice that sentence does not make sense and it gives another meaning (Ahmed is the soup!). Therefore, “tastes” is an action verb because it describes an action that the subject “Ahmed” is doing.

• The car looks brand new.

If we replaced the sensory verb “looks” with “is” in this sentence, we will notice that sentence makes sense and it gives almost the same meaning (The car is brand new). Therefore,  “looks” is a linking verb because it describes the subject “The car” by connecting it to the predicate adjective “brand new“.

Common Linking Verbs:

Here is a list of the most common linking verbs.