Understanding linking verbs and how to use them

What are linking verbs?

Like the word suggests, a linking verb is a verb that connects the subject of a sentence to a noun, pronoun, or adjective. Unlike action verbs, which describe an activity performed by the subject, linking verbs establish a relationship between the subject and the rest of the sentence. They also provide information about the subject’s identity, state, condition, or characteristics. Some verbs can function as a linking verb or an action verb depending on the context.

• Am
• Was
• Is
• Are
• Be
• Has
• Become

What types of words do linking verbs modify?

Linking verbs should always follow subject-verb agreement and come before a predicate, which describes the action. But unlike action verbs, linking verbs usually follow subject complements that describe the subject and not the action. The two types of subject complements are predicate nominatives, which are nouns that follow the linking verb, and predicate adjectives, which are adjectives that follow the linking verb.

Here’s an example of what a linking verb with a predicate nominative looks like:

• Brennan is a microbiologist.

“Brennan” is the subject, and “microbiologist” is the predicate nominative. “Is” is the linking verb that connects the subject to the noun.

And here’s an example of what a linking verb with a predicate adjective looks like:

• Brennan is smart.

The adjective “smart” now describes Brennan, the original subject. “Is” still functions as the linking verb that connects the subject to the subject complement.

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How are linking verbs used?

Here’s an example of what a linking verb looks like in a sentence:

• This minestrone soup is amazing!

The linking verb “is” modifies the subject (minestrone soup) and is followed by a subject complement (amazing). In this sentence, the linking verb “is” implies that the soup tastes amazing. You could also substitute “is” with more descriptive sensory linking verbs to change the narrative:

• This minestrone soup looks amazing!
• This minestrone soup smells amazing!

Here are three instances for using linking verbs:

• Identifying a state of being: In the sentence “Chris is excited for the party,” the linking verb “is” connecting the subject “Chris” to the adjective “excited” to describe his emotional state.
• Expressing appearance: In the phrase “The moon looks blurry in the photograph,” the linking verb “looks” connects the subject “moon” to the adjective “blurry,” to describe its appearance.
• Linking identity: “The bulb became a beautiful tulip.” In this example, the linking verb “became” highlights the transformation of the subject “bulb” into “a beautiful tulip.”

How do you tell the difference between an action verb versus a linking verb?

Action verbs and linking verbs are pretty easy to tell apart, especially since they serve different functions in a sentence. However, some action verbs can also work as linking verbs, which can make it harder to distinguish the two types. Here are two examples that show how an action verb can also be a linking verb:

• Action verb: Elliot likes to feel the blanket with his hands.
• Linking verb: The texture of the blanket feels nice.

The verb “feels” is used in different ways. In the first example, “feels” is an action done by the subject Elliot and the object that is being felt is the blanket. When “feels” is used as a linking verb, it connects “the texture of the blanket” to the word “nice” to describe what it feels like. Since the texture of the blanket isn’t performing an action, it can be ruled out as an action verb.

If you’re not sure how to properly use a linking verb, you can use a grammar editing tool to double-check your writing. Find more writing tips to help you improve your grammar and composition skills.