LINKING VERBS

A linking verb connects the subject with a word that gives information about the
subject, such as a condition or relationship. They do not show any action; they
simply link the subject with the rest of the sentence. For example, in the sentence
"They are a problem," the word "are" is the linking verb that connects "they" and
"problem" to show the relationship between the two words.

The most common linking verbs are forms of the verb to be: am, is, are, was,
were, being, been.

Since linking verbs, also referred to as copulas or copular verbs, don't function in
the same way as typical verbs in showing action, it can sometimes be tricky to
recognize them. These types of verbs:
 Show a relationship between the subject and the sentence complement, the
part of the sentence following the verb
 Connect or link the subject with more information - words that further
identify or describe the subject
 Identify a relationship or existing condition

These types of verbs are sometimes described as performing the function of an

Words That Are True Linking Verbs

Some words are always linking verbs. These are considered "true." They do not
describe the action, but always connect the subject to additional information. The
most common true linking verbs are forms of "to be," "to become" and "to seem."

Forms of "to be"

 Am
 Is
 Is being
 Are
 Are being
 Was
 Was being
 Were
 Has
 Has been
 Have been
 Will have been
 Had been
 Are being
 Might have been

Forms of "to become"

 Become
 Becomes
 Became
 Has become
 Have become
 Had become
 Will become
 Will have become

Forms of "to seem"

 Seemed
 Seeming
 Seems
 Has seemed
 Have seemed
 Had seemed

 Will seem
Any time you see these words in a sentence, you know they are performing a
linking or connective function in showing a relationship or describing a state.
For example:
 "I am glad it is Friday." Here the linking verb "am" connects the subject (I)
to the state of being glad.
 "Laura is excited about her new bike." Here "is" links the subject Laura to
the emotional state of excitement.
 "My birds are hungry." The word "are" identifies that the birds currently
exist in a physical state of hunger.

Determining Other Linking Verbs

In addition to true linking verbs, there are verbs that can exist either as action
verbs or linking verbs. Verbs related to the five senses often function in this way.
Common verbs that can exist as either action verbs or linking verbs include:
 Grow
 Look
 Prove
 Remain
 Smell
 Sound
 Taste
 Turn
 Stay
 Get
 Appear
 Feel

Testing for Linking Verbs

Since some linking verbs can function as either action verbs or copular verbs, how
do you make the distinction? A quick and easy test is to replace the verb you
suspect in the sentence with an appropriate form of a true linking verb.
If the sentence still makes sense, it is a linking verb. If it isn't logical with the
substitution, it's an action verb.
Take these examples:
 "The flowers looked wilted."
 "She looked for wildflowers"
Substitute the copular verb "are" for the word "looked" in both sentences. In the
first sentence, it makes sense: "The flowers are wilted." In the second sentence,
however, it doesn't make sense: "She are for wildflowers."
 "The spaghetti sauce tasted delicious."
 "She tasted the delicious spaghetti sauce."
The first sentence, "The spaghetti sauce is delicious", works, but "She is the
delicious spaghetti sauce" is illogical. The verb in the first sentence is copular, and
in the second sentence, it is not.
For more information, check out Examples of Linking Verbs.

Los denominados 'linking verbs' o 'copular verbs' son aquellos que enlazan el
sujeto con información adicional sobre éste. No expresan acción.

Los verbos:

 1  'Be', 'become', 'seem' funcionan siempre como 'linking verbs'.

Susan is happy.

Susan es feliz.

Peter seemed nervous.

Peter parecía nervioso.

He become ill after visiting her.

El se puso enfermo después de visitarla.

Hay que tener en cuenta que, a veces, el verbo 'to be' funciona como auxiliar y no
como 'linking verb'.

He was helping me.

Estaba ayudándome (auxiliar en tiempo progresivo)

America was discovered in 1492.

America fue descubierta en 1492 (auxiliar en tiempo pasivo).

 2   'Appear', 'feel', 'get', 'grow', 'look', 'prove', 'remain', 'seem', 'smell',

Generalmente para comprobar si se trata de un 'linking verb' o no se puede

His house appears to be cleaner now.

He appeared suddenly.

Apareció de repente (verbo de acción).

He looks angry.

Parece enfadado (está enfadado; 'linking verb')

He looked at me.

Me miró (verbo de acción).

This chocolate cake tastes delicious.

Esta tarta de chocolate sabe riquísima (está riquísima; 'linking verb').

I´m tasting this chocolate cake.

Estoy probando esta tarta de chocolate (verbo de acción).

Linking Verb Examples

Here are some examples of linking verbs used in sentences with the linking verbs
in bold:
 William is excited about his promotion.
 She appears upset about the announcement.
 The eggs smell rotten.
 He went red after tripping on the rug.
 Your plans for the wedding sound nice.
 You look exhausted after studying all night.
 I am putty in his hands.
 Maria might have been more forthcoming with the news.
 Tom acted nervous when the teacher found the note.
 The audience fell silent when the conductor walked on stage.
 Dreams come true when we believe in them.
 The crowd stayed calm in spite of the imminent threat.
 All the children seem satisfied with the bouncy castle.
 Bob felt sleepy after eating the whole pizza.
 The cinnamon rolls taste heavenly.
 Building the house proves difficult for them.
 Anthony has been a dream the last few weeks.
 The spectators remained silent after the injury on the field.
 He became suspicious when he saw the safe was open.
 All the kittens were playful.
 The theater gets dark when the show is about to begin.
 Some couples are lucky enough to grow old together.
 I feel worthy when the boss compliments me.
 The weather was accommodating and the party continued.
 The embers turn ashy as they cool.
 You are bring very foolish to believe her.
 Mary waxed nostalgic on her 50th birthday.
 Your friend might be disappointed if you don't go.
 Sometimes, kids act foolish.
 We are dismayed about the foreclosure.
 The tests indicate that your child is gifted.
 Martin is fond of spicy food.
 Jumping into a pond could be dangerous.
 Most children get cranky when they are sleepy.
 After the snowstorm, the roads were slippery.
 A flaw in the design appeared to be the cause of the collapse.
 The vegetables in the bin looked disgusting and spoiled.
 They shall be happy ever after.
 Riding in a car will be safer with a seat belt.
 The police department is getting tough on crime.
 She remains faithful, even though it has been two years since he left.