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Linking verbs are a specific type of verb. Similar to their name they ‘link’ or connect a subject with a predicate when writing a sentence. For example, the verbs be (one of the most commonly used verbs), become, and seem are linking verbs that connect the parts of a sentence together.
However, a linking verb does not describe an action, such as run, read, or shout. These are examples of action verbs. Instead, linking verbs give information about the subject of the sentence.
Get insight into what linking verbs are and how to effectively use them. Then, conveniently review your content for proper grammar and spelling with the Originality.ai Grammar Checker.
Since linking verbs aren’t describing actions, instead they are used to describe how the subject of the sentence looks, appears, or feels.
Certain verbs are always written as linking verbs. However, as with many grammar rules, there are exceptions and some verbs are both linking and action verbs. Whether they are linking or action verbs depends on how they’re used in a sentence.
To better understand what makes a verb a linking or action verb, let’s look at the differences between the two:
An action verb describes an action in the sentence. It shows movement or change such as sing, fly, or grow.
Oftentimes, you can demonstrate or perform an action verb. This means that you could act out the verb in the sentence.
Examples of action verbs:
In contrast, because linking verbs show a state of being or existing, typically you can’t perform or demonstrate them.
Examples of Linking Verbs:
The above examples of linking verbs connect the subject of the sentence with an adjective or state of being used to describe it. The linking verbs do not express any movement or change in the subject of the sentence.
One of the most common linking verbs in writing (and verbs generally) is the verb to be. Just think of how often you use its various forms when you’re writing (am, is, are, was, were etc).
Other linking verbs describe a “sense” like appear, seem, smell, feel, or taste. Sometimes these verbs which describe a “sense” can be written as either a linking or action verb.
Examples of verbs as action and linking verbs:
When writing a complete sentence you need both a subject (a noun that the sentence centers around) and a predicate.
The subject is either the thing performing the action in the sentence or the thing being described. Usually, the subject is placed at the beginning of the sentence and the predicate follows.
Example:
The subject (Jane) performs the action (eats) within the predicate (eats an apple).
When writing a sentence with linking verbs, the predicate is a subject complement. It’s something that describes the subject rather than the action which is occurring.
A subject complement can either be a predicate nominative (predicate noun) or a predicate adjective.
Predicate nominatives are descriptors (nouns or noun phrases).
Example:
Sentence Formula: [Noun] + [Linking Verb] + [Descriptive Noun (predicate nominative)]
Predicate adjectives are adjectives used to describe the subject with a linking verb.
Example:
Sentence Formula: [Noun] + [Linking Verb] + [Descriptive Adjective (predicate adjective)]
Incorporating linking verbs into your writing is an excellent way to describe how something looks, appears, or feels (essentially it depicts a state).
Although some linking verbs can also be written as action verbs, typically they differ considering that linking verbs describe a sense while action verbs describe a physical action (that you can perform).
Review your writing to see if you’re incorporating linking verbs correctly (plus catch spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors) with the Originality.ai Grammar Checker.
Then, learn more about verbs in our grammar series:
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