Linking Verbs

advertisement

Expresses the action a subject is performing.

John (subject) runs (action verb).

Mental action: I (subject) study (action verb).

Ownership/Possession: She (subject) has

(action verb) cats.

1. Action Verb

2. Helping Verb

3. Linking Verb

Helping verbs are found in verb phrases

A verb phrase includes a main verb and one or more helping verbs

For example: The whales will have migrated (action verb).

A verb phrase may be interrupted by other words

For example: The students could certainly learn (action verb) more about the sea.

be have am, is has are, was were, be being, been have had do Do

Others may, might does did must, can, could, shall, should, will, would

Linking verbs link the subject with another word in the sentence.

The other word renames or describes the subject.

Often times, linking verbs are forms of the verb “to be”

For example:

• The farm is my home.

 We are tired.

 They were heroes.

Linking verbs are not ALWAYS form of

“to be”—remember, the key is that they link a noun with a word that renames or describes that noun, so often they will be verbs that deal with the senses. Check out these examples:

The room smells disgusting.

This blanket feels soft.

Meatloaf tastes rubbery.

Download