Understanding Linking Verbs

Understanding Linking Verbs

I think the linking verb is probably one of the most practically named terms in English grammar, and I say this because these verbs do just what they are called—they link.

Unlike action verbs, which entail some sort of action—physical or internal—linking verbs have the simple task of linking one thing to another. More explicitly, linking verbs link subjects to complements.

I think it’s time for a quick recap of these terms before we move on…

SUBJECTS

The subject is the what that is the focus of the sentence. Look at the sentences below in which the subjects are italicized:

            Mordecai was the cousin of Queen Esther.

            Esther was married to King Ahasuerus.

Often, these subjects show up early in the sentence, such as in these sentences above, but don’t be fooled into thinking that subjects are always going to be the very first word in the sentence. Modifiers (adjectives and adverbs) sometimes precede the subject, such as in the example below.

            A terrible massacre was plotted by Haman.

See how a and terrible can’t be the focus of the sentence? They aren’t whats, they are simply words that exist to modify the real focus, massacre.

Sometimes it’s also a little more complicated figuring out the exact subject when that subject is part of a phrase. For example, check out the sentence below:

            The message of Esther is that we should always use our influence for good.

The entire focus really is the message of Esther, but in grammar terms, when you are trying to pinpoint the actual subject, you would only need to list message as the subject; the and of Esther are simply more modifiers.

There is another thing that threatens to confuse us further when looking for subjects, and that’s the introductory phrase. Look at these sentences:

Despite all his plotting, Haman still lost in the end.

In the end, Haman hanged on the gallows he built for Mordecai.

The phrases despite all his plotting and in the end are not part of the main sentences in these cases, and thus you should ignore them when you are searching for the subject. Locate the main sentence first and go from there.

Also note that while subjects usually show up in the first part of the sentence, sometimes sentences can be, in a way, written in reverse. This happens when sentences start out with expletives like there and here:

            There is the missing piece!

Note how there cannot be the subject since is it not a what but a where. Here’s another example:

            Here are the folders.

Same thing with this last sentence—here serves to give location only. I tell my students to reverse the wording of the sentence to help them see how the focus really is coming later in the sentence in this case. You could say instead, The missing piece is there and The folders are here and the meaning of both sentences are still preserved. Thus, you can be assured that you are right in saying that piece and folders are both the correct subjects. 

Questions are another good example of sentences that change the order of where the subject appears:

            Does Marcus seem unwell to you today?

This sentence above opens with a question word, so rephrasing this question into a statement will help you locate that subject. Change it to,

            Marcus does seem unwell to you today

and you’ve found the subject a little more easily.

OKAY, now that you can find the subjects in your sentences, let’s talk about the other part of the linking verb equation: complements!

COMPLEMENTS

The way I explain complements to my students is a little silly, but I don’t mind embarrassing myself a little if it means my students will learn a concept because of it. I tell them to look at the word complement—particularly at the spelling of it. I put the entire word on my PowerPoint slide like this:

            C O M P L E M E N T

before clicking to the next screen, in which the last letters drop off, so that it now looks like this:

            C O M P L E

Then, I change the word to…

            C O M P L E T E

and explain that the point of using a complement is to complete a thought. It would be somewhat pointless to only say the following sentences:

            George is.

            The music sounds.

You could, as the listener or reader, perhaps make sense of these sentences if you understand the context in which they’re being said, but by themselves, the sentences don’t say much. Not as much as they would say with complements.

            George is a runner.

            The music sounds wonderful.

Thus, these words, runner and wonderful, complete these thoughts. In a future post, I’ll get specific about the different kinds of complements that we have, but all you really need to know to understand linking verbs is that the linking verb’s job is to connect the subject to the complement.

LINKING VERBS

So here we are, finally. You can find linking verbs easily now that you understand subjects and complements are. If your verb is connecting the two of them, you have yourself a linking verb, such as in the sentences below:

            The shop around the corner is the best bookstore in town.

            All the children are dreadfully ill.

In both sentences, the verb’s job is to connect A to B. Shop to bookstore. Children to ill. I like to tell my students to run their supposed linking verbs by the “equals test.” Does it make sense to equate shop = bookstore? Yeah, it does, because the shop is a bookstore. Does it make sense to say children = ill? Again, yes, since the children are ill.

The most commons linking verbs you’ll see are what we call be verbs. Here’s a list of them:

            am

            is

            are

            was

            were

            be

            being

            been

All these verbs can function alone as linking verbs. Let me show you:

            I am a writer.

            She is the best singer in town.

            They are the winners.

            Tim was the last one standing.

            The fifth graders were the only ones left.

            We will be tired by then.

            They are being reprimanded.

            He has been excited for the carnival.

Notice how these linking verbs don’t do much besides what we’ve already established: link the subject to the complement. They serve as kind of a bridge of sorts between the two vessels. Run the equals test on each sentence above to confirm this for yourself.

Yet sometimes, we do come across words that may double as both action verbs and linking verbs, and this is really where the equals test is going to “come in clutch,” as my students sometimes say. Here are some examples of words that double as both action and linking (retrieved from English Grammar 101):

            appear

            become

            feel

            get

            grow

            look

            remain

            seem

            smell

            sound

            stay

            taste

            turn

These words most definitely are action verbs, but they sometimes function as linking verbs, too. Watch how I turn each of the above action verbs into linking verbs:

            Laura appeared at the event.

            The caterpillar becomes a butterfly.

            The rug feels wet.

            The sunflower grows tall.

            The bookcase looked old.

            Todd remained visible the entire night.

            Miles seemed off today.

            The roast turkey smells burnt.

            The alarm sounded broken.

            Michelle stays vigilant.

            The cinnamon roll tastes decadent.

            The story turns sour.

In each sentence above, you can apply the equals test and it will confirm that the verb is indeed linking.

So, think you understand linking verbs yet? Put your understanding to the test with the following sentences below. Are the underlined verbs function as action or linking verbs?

1.     That box of cake mix looks old.

2.     Larry looks at the menu intently every time he comes in.

3.     Don tasted the soup and balked.

4.     The soup tastes rancid.

If you answered linking, action, action, linking, then you’d be right. Good job. Keep applying that equals test whenever you are trying to distinguish between the two different kinds of verbs.

WHAT ABOUT HELPING VERBS?

I’d be a bad English teacher if I didn’t mention that helping verbs can sometimes also confuse the grammarian trying to locate the linking verb. If you’ve forgotten, the helping verb is the verb that—you’ve guessed it—helps the main verb. Like in the sentences below:

            I had been swimming.

            Mark has cherished that book since he was four.

In both cases, the italicized verbs simply help complete the verb phrase. But the main verbs, swimming and cherished are the verbs that give the full picture. Sometimes helping verbs helping linking verbs, too, like below:

            I had been president.

            Mark has grown tall.

The equals test works in both of these sentences. I = president. Mark = tall. Thus, we have linking verbs which are assisted by helping verbs. It’s important to note this since sometimes be verbs (the list given earlier in this post) may double as linking verbs and helping verbs. Look at this:

            Sam is being silly.

We have the main verb, being, which is linking Sam to silly. This leaves is as the helping verb. We know that is can also be a linking verb, which may seem confusing, but all you need to remember is that the main verb (action or linking) is the last verb that shows up in the verb phrase.

Let’s bring this lesson to a close. I hope this explanation has been clear. If it helps, check out my post of action verbs to get a broader understanding of verbs and how they function within the sentence.