What are linking verbs? Linking verbs (also referred to as copulas or copular verbs) don't show action like ordinary verbs. They rather link or connect the subject to a subject complement, the part of the sentence that follows the verb. This complement which contains additional information describes and identifies the subject.
Examples:
Examples:
look:
Examples:
- Larry looks happy. (looks is a linking verb; happy is a complement that describes and identifies Larry, the subject)
- The play was good. (was is a linking verb; good is a complement that describes and identifies the play, the subject
- appear
- be
- become
- feel
- get
- grow
- look
- prove
- remain
- seem
- smell
- stay
- sound
- taste
- turn
- He looks angry. (He = angry | linking verb)
- He looked at the man. (He = at the man | action verb)
Examples:
look:
- Nadia looked happy. (linking verb)
- Nadia looked at the window. (ordinary verb)
- The food tastes delicious. (linking verb)
- They tasted the food. (ordinary verb)
- She appeared quiet. (linking verb)
- She appeared in the room. (ordinary verb)