Linking Verbs - A List & is it Used as Action or Linking
Linking verbs are verbs that do not show action; instead, the linking verb renames or describes the subject. In this
example sentence, "The kitten looked happy" the verb looked is used as a linking verb. Many times the verb looked is
an action verb because someone is looking for something, but in the example sentence, looked describes the kitten in the
predicate and that makes looked function as a linking verb. If the word happy is used in the subject, then happy would
have been an ordinary adjective.
Subject | Predicate
The happy cat | looked for the ball. "Looked" functions as an action verb.
The cat | looked happy. "Looked" functions as a linking verb.
There are more examples below and suggestions about how to tell the difference between a linking verb and an action
verb. The table below lists some verbs that are commonly used as linking verbs. Remember, the words in the list are not
always used as linking verbs; it is the FUNCTION of the verb in the sentence that determines its kind.
Words that may be used as Linking Verbs
Verbs that are sometimes used as linking verbs
[list may not be complete]
feel
taste
look
smell
appear
grow
remain
stay
turn
seem
sound
become
prove
Forms of to be are sometimes used as linking verbs
is
am
are
was
were
be
being
been
Linking Verbs continued ...
Many important verbs do not express action; some verbs can link a noun or an adjective to the subject. This type of verb
is called a linking verb. The linking verb connection between the subject to the noun or adjective is something like an
equal sign. She is tall. -- She = tall.
In grammar books the linked noun or linked adjective is sometimes called a predicate noun or a predicate adjective.
Sometimes either one is called a subjective complement.
A reminder of basic sentence structure
__subject__|__predicate__
The two diagrams below are the basic sentence structure of linking verbs.
_subject_|_linking verb_\_predicate noun_
_subject_|_linking verb_\_predicate adjective_
A predicate noun is located in the predicate and it renames the subject.
A predicate adjective is located in the predicate and it describes the subject.
Examples
1. I am calm.
The be verb am links I and calm. Calm describes my state of being.
2. George Washington became the first president.
Became links George Washington and president.
Check by saying, George = president, or President George Washington, or substitute the linking verb with a form
of "to be" as in: George Washington was president.
Helping Verb Confusion
The forms of to be can also be used as helping verbs such as in the following sentence:
Terry is looking.
In the sentence above, "is" does not function as a linking verb. "Is looking" tells what Terry is doing (the action), not
what Terry is being.
Is the Verb used as Linking or Action
State of being verbs can be used as linking verbs or action verbs. We need to be able to determine the function of the
verb to tell the difference. The following sentences contain verbs that are used as either linking or action verbs. I have
included checking methods.
1. Linking:
The monkey looked hungry.
(Hungry monkey or monkey is hungry) In this sentence looked is a linking verb.
2. Action:
The monkey looked for food.
"For food" is a prepositional phrase and it must be omitted before checking. The sentence remaining after
omitting the prepositional phrase is "The monkey looked". There is no noun or adjective to link monkey to.
Looked is an action verb in this sentence.
3. Linking: The soup tasted good.
Check: soup is good, good soup, soup = good
4. Action: I tasted the soup.
Check: I am the soup (no), soup am I (no) I = soup (no)
5. Linking: He grew tired of walking.
Of walking is a prepositional phrase and not included in the check. You should omit the prepositional phrase to
check: "He grew tired".
Check: He is tired, tired is he, he = tired.
6. Action: He grew into a tall man.
Omit the prepositional phrase into a tall man before checking. That leaves the sentence, "He grew." There's no
noun or adjective left to link to, so grew is used as an action verb in this sentence.
7. Linking:
Mother appeared happy at her party. Omit the prepositional phrase, "at her party". Now the sentence reads,
"Mother appeared happy." Check: mother is happy, happy mother, mother = happy.
8. Action: Mother appeared quietly in the room.
Omit the prepositional phrase, "in the room". The sentence now reads: Mother appeared quietly. Quietly is an
adverb, omit the adverb. "Mother appeared." There is no noun or adjective to link mother to, so appeared is
used as an action verb.
9. Linking:
The bugle sounds loud.
Check: bugle is loud, loud bugle, bugle = loud (yes, yes, and yes)
10. Action:
The bugle sounded loudly.
Check: Bugle is loudly. (no)
Loudly describes the verb. It answers the question How? Loudly is an adverb, omit the adverb. That leaves the
sentence "The bugle sounded."
What Is a Verb?
Everything You Need to Know
What is a verb?
A verb is a word that expresses action or a state of being.
As you can see from the above definition, there are two main categories of verbs: action verbs and state of being verbs,
also called linking verbs. Click here to see a list of all 13 linking verbs
Because action verbs and linking verbs are strong enough to be used in sentences all by themselves, they are called main
verbs.
I love cheese. (action verb)
I am a teacher. (linking verb)
This video shows you the difference between a linking verb and an action verb. To see more, see these English grammar
lessons.
But wait! There is also a third category of verbs which does not get any glory. They are the helping verbs. Click here to
see a list of all 24 helping verbs and to hear the helping verbs song!
The reason that these guys don't get any of the fame that action and linking verbs get is because they cannot stand alone
like the main verbs. They always have to be helping either an action verb or a linking verb.
I will love cheese. (helping verb and action verb)
I will be a teacher. (helping verb and linking verb)
Here are the three categories of verbs.
Examples of Verbs
Action verb with no helping verb
Helping verb helping an action verb
Two helping verbs helping an action verb
I ate five pizzas!
Now, my stomach will hurt for awhile.
Actually, my stomach will be hurting for a few days.
When you have a helping verb along with an action or linking verb, all of those verbs together are called a verb phrase.
Here are some examples of sentences with verb phrases.
Example 1:
Now, I will eat fruits and veggies.
helping verb
will
main verb (action verb)
eat
verb phrase
will eat
Example 2:
I have been feeling great!
helping verbs
have been
main verb (linking verb)
feeling
verb phrase
have been feeling
What is a verb? Got it all? Here's a summary:




There are three categories of verbs (action, linking, helping).
Only two are main verbs (action, linking). Main means that the verb is strong enough to be the only verb in the sentence.
Helping verbs are not main verbs. They help action and linking verbs.
A helping verb and a main verb working together are called a verb phrase.
Verb Types
So, you now know the answer to the question, "What is a verb?" (It's a word that expresses action or a state of
being!) You also know that there are three categories of verbs (action verbs, linking verbs, and helping verbs).
For the next little while, we are going to focus on main verbs. So, forget about those poor little helping verbs for
a bit, and let's turn our attention to action verbs and linking verbs.
These two main types of verbs can act in four different ways.
Transitive Active
Intransitive Complete
Action Verb
Action Verb
John kicked Jen.
Jen cried.
Transitive Passive
Intransitive Linking
Action Verb
Linking Verb
John was kicked.
Jen felt happy.
Intransitive Linking
Linking verbs differ from the three other verb types because they are the only verb type that does not express
any action.
What do linking verbs do? It's pretty simple. Linking verbs link.
They will always link the subject of a sentence to either a noun (which renames the subject) or an adjective
(which describes the subject).
Nouns that rename the subject are called predicate nouns. Adjectives that describe the subject are called
predicate adjectives.
It may help you to think of linking verbs as an equal sign between the subject and a predicate noun or a predicate
adjective.
Example:
I am a teacher.
I = teacher
The soup is salty.
soup = salty
Am is linking the subject I with the predicate noun teacher.
Is is linking the subject soup with the predicate adjective salty.
Transitive Active
These action verbs transfer their action to a receiver. That means that something or someone is always being
acted upon. In our example sentence, Jen is receiving the action kicked - even though she probably doesn't want
to be receiving it.
The receiver of the action is called the direct object. In our example sentence, Jen is the direct object.
Every single transitive active sentence must have a direct object, and the direct object always receives the
action.
Transitive Passive
These action verbs also transfer their action to a receiver. Only the receiver of the action is always the
subject.
Check out the example. Who is receiving the action? John is. John is the subject of the sentence, and he is
receiving the action was kicked.
The subject always receives the action in a transitive passive sentence.
Notice that we may not actually know who initiated the action. (Who kicked John?) Sometimes we find this out
in a prepositional phrase, such as: John was kicked by Jen. But, it doesn't change anything. The subject is still
receiving the action.
Intransitive Complete
Again, these are action verbs. Unlike the two verb types above that transfer their action, this type does not.
Since it does not transfer action, there can be no receiver of any action.
What is a verb? Here are a few more example sentences.
Transitive Active
Intransitive Complete
Cats drink milk.
Cats drink.
Clocks make noise.
Clocks tick.
I lost my ticket.
Buses move.
Transitive Passive
Intransitive Linking
Milk was drunk.
Milk tastes delicious.
The clocks were wound.
Clocks are helpful.
My ticket was lost.
I am the bus driver!