Linking verbs are verbs that connect the subject of a sentence to information that describes or identifies it. Unlike action verbs, they usually do not express an action. Instead, they show a state, condition, identity, appearance, or change. For example, in She is happy, the linking verb is connects the subject she with the adjective happy.
Common linking verbs include forms of be, as well as become and seem. Other verbs, such as look, feel, smell, taste, and sound, can also function as linking verbs depending on how they are used in a sentence. For example, The soup smells delicious uses smells to connect the soup with its description, delicious.
In this guide, you will learn what linking verbs are, how they work with subject complements, and how they differ from action verbs. You will also find a useful linking verbs list, sentence examples, identification tips, common rules and mistakes, and practice exercises to help you use them correctly.
Table of Contents
What Is a Linking Verb?
A linking verb is a verb that connects the subject of a sentence to a word or phrase that describes or identifies the subject. Rather than expressing an action, a linking verb helps explain what the subject is, seems, becomes, or feels like.
The word or phrase that follows a linking verb is called a subject complement. It provides additional information about the subject.
For example:
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She is a teacher.
Is connects she with a teacher, which identifies the subject. -
The children seem tired.
Seem connects the children with tired, which describes their condition. -
The soup smells delicious.
Smells connects the soup with delicious, which describes the soup.
A simple way to understand the pattern is:
Subject + Linking Verb + Subject Complement
For example:
The sky + looks + cloudy.
Here, looks does not describe an action performed by the sky. Instead, it connects the sky to the adjective cloudy.
Some verbs can function as either linking verbs or action verbs, depending on their meaning in a sentence. For example:
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The flowers smell sweet. — Smell is a linking verb because sweet describes the flowers.
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She smelled the flowers. — Smelled is an action verb because it describes what she did.
Understanding this distinction is important because a verb should be identified by how it functions in a particular sentence, not simply by whether it appears on a list of common linking verbs.
Common Linking Verbs
Some linking verbs almost always connect the subject to a description or identity, while other verbs function as linking verbs only in certain sentences.
The most common linking verbs are forms of the verb be:
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am
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is
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are
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was
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were
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be
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being
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been
For example:
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I am ready.
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She is a teacher.
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They were tired.
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The students are excited.
In these sentences, the forms of be connect the subject to information that describes or identifies it.
Other common linking verbs include:
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become
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seem
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appear
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feel
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look
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smell
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sound
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taste
Examples include:
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She became a doctor.
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He seems nervous.
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The room appears empty.
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I feel tired.
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The sky looks cloudy.
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The flowers smell wonderful.
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Your idea sounds interesting.
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The soup tastes delicious.
Some verbs can also work as linking verbs when they express a state, condition, or change. These include come, fall, get, go, grow, keep, prove, remain, stay, and turn.
For example:
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The milk went bad.
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The room fell silent.
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Her hair turned gray.
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He grew tired.
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The door remained open.
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Please stay calm.
These verbs are not always linking verbs. Their function depends on how they are used in a sentence. For example, turned is a linking verb in Her hair turned gray, but it is an action verb in She turned the handle.
Later in this guide, we will look more closely at how to tell whether a verb is functioning as a linking verb or an action verb.
Why Are Linking Verbs Important in English?
Linking verbs are important because they connect the subject of a sentence to information that describes, identifies, or explains its condition. They allow us to say what someone or something is, seems, feels, or becomes.
Consider these examples:
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The soup is delicious.
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Maria became a doctor.
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The children seem excited.
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The weather feels cold.
In each sentence, the linking verb connects the subject with a subject complement. The complement provides information about the subject rather than describing an action.
Linking verbs are especially useful when describing:
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Identity: Daniel is a teacher.
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Condition: The patient seems tired.
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Appearance: The sky looks dark.
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Sensation: The blanket feels soft.
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Change: The leaves turned yellow.
Without the appropriate linking verb, many English sentences would be incomplete or grammatically incorrect. For example:
Incorrect: The soup delicious.
Correct: The soup is delicious.
Learning how linking verbs work also makes it easier to distinguish them from action verbs and to use adjectives and nouns correctly as subject complements.
How Linking Verbs Work in Sentences
Linking verbs work by connecting the subject of a sentence to a subject complement. The subject complement gives information about the subject by describing it or identifying what it is.
The basic sentence pattern is:
Subject + Linking Verb + Subject Complement
For example:
The sky looks clear.
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The sky = subject
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looks = linking verb
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clear = subject complement
The adjective clear describes the subject the sky. The verb looks creates the connection between them.
Here are some more examples:
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Emma is a student.
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The children seem happy.
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The coffee tastes bitter.
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His idea sounds reasonable.
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The weather became colder.
In these sentences, the verbs do not describe actions performed by the subjects. Instead, they connect the subjects with words that identify or describe them.
Linking Verbs and Subject Complements
The information following a linking verb is generally called a subject complement. A subject complement commonly appears as either a noun or an adjective.
Noun as a subject complement:
David became a doctor.
Here, a doctor identifies David.
Adjective as a subject complement:
David became tired.
Here, tired describes David.
This relationship between the subject, linking verb, and subject complement is the key to understanding how linking verbs function in English sentences.
Linking Verbs vs. Action Verbs
The main difference between linking verbs and action verbs is their function in a sentence. An action verb describes what the subject does, while a linking verb connects the subject to information that describes or identifies it.
Compare these examples:
Linking verb: The soup smells delicious.
Action verb: She smells the soup.
In the first sentence, smells connects the soup to the adjective delicious. In the second sentence, smells describes an action performed by she.
Here are some additional comparisons:
| Linking Verb | Action Verb |
|---|---|
| The flowers smell sweet. | She smelled the flowers. |
| The fabric feels soft. | He felt the fabric. |
| She looks tired. | She looked at the clock. |
| The milk turned sour. | He turned the key. |
| The children grew restless. | They grew tomatoes. |
A verb therefore cannot always be classified as a linking verb simply because it appears on a list of linking verbs. You need to examine how the verb functions in the sentence.
A useful question is: Does the word after the verb describe or identify the subject? If it does, the verb may be functioning as a linking verb.
For example:
The cake tastes delicious.
Delicious describes the cake, so tastes functions as a linking verb.
Compare:
She tasted the cake.
Here, the cake receives the action of tasted, so tasted functions as an action verb.
Recognizing this difference will help you identify linking verbs more accurately, especially when working with verbs that can perform more than one grammatical function.
How to Use Linking Verbs with Subject Complements
Linking verbs are followed by subject complements, which provide information about the subject. Instead of receiving an action, the subject complement describes or identifies the subject.
There are two common types of subject complements used with linking verbs: predicate adjectives and predicate nominatives.
1. Predicate Adjective
A predicate adjective is an adjective that follows a linking verb and describes the subject.
For example:
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The water is cold.
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She seems nervous.
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The flowers smell wonderful.
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The children became restless.
In The water is cold, is is the linking verb and cold is the predicate adjective describing the water.
The basic pattern is:
Subject + Linking Verb + Adjective
2. Predicate Nominative
A predicate nominative, also called a predicate noun, is a noun or noun phrase that follows a linking verb and identifies or renames the subject.
For example:
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Maria is a teacher.
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David became the team captain.
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My favorite activity is reading.
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Those people are our neighbors.
In Maria is a teacher, is is the linking verb and a teacher identifies the subject Maria.
The basic pattern is:
Subject + Linking Verb + Noun or Noun Phrase
The important point is that a subject complement refers back to the subject, not to an object receiving an action. This is why linking verbs generally do not take direct objects in the way transitive action verbs do.
Compare:
She became a doctor.
Here, a doctor identifies she, so it is a subject complement.
She visited a doctor.
Here, a doctor receives the action of visited, so it is a direct object.
Recognizing subject complements makes it much easier to understand how linking verbs work and distinguish them from action verbs.
Rules for Using Linking Verbs
Understanding a few basic rules can help you use linking verbs correctly and avoid common grammar mistakes.
1. Use Adjectives to Describe the Subject
When a linking verb connects the subject to a description, the subject complement is usually an adjective, not an adverb.
Correct: The runner is quick.
Incorrect: The runner is quickly.
In the correct sentence, quick describes the subject the runner. It does not describe how the verb is is performed.
Another example:
Correct: The soup smells good.
Incorrect: The soup smells well.
Here, good describes the soup.
2. Make the Linking Verb Agree with the Subject
Forms of be and other linking verbs must follow normal subject-verb agreement rules.
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The student is ready.
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The students are ready.
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She seems tired.
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They seem tired.
The subject determines the correct form of the verb.
3. Remember That Some Verbs Have More Than One Function
Verbs such as look, feel, smell, taste, grow, and turn can function as either linking verbs or action verbs.
Linking: The fabric feels soft.
Action: She felt the fabric.
Linking: The leaves turned yellow.
Action: He turned the page.
Always determine the verb’s function from its meaning and use in the sentence.
4. Do Not Treat the Subject Complement as a Direct Object
A subject complement describes or identifies the subject. It does not receive an action.
She became a doctor.
In this sentence, a doctor identifies she. Therefore, it is a subject complement rather than a direct object.
Compare:
She visited a doctor.
Here, a doctor receives the action of visited, so it functions as a direct object.
5. Use the Correct Tense of the Linking Verb
Linking verbs can appear in different tenses depending on when the state, condition, or change occurs.
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She is happy. — present
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She was happy. — past
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She will be happy. — future
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The leaves turn yellow in autumn. — present
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The leaves turned yellow last week. — past
Using the appropriate tense helps show when the subject’s state, identity, or condition applies.
How to Identify Linking Verbs
Identifying a linking verb can sometimes be difficult because several verbs can function as either linking verbs or action verbs. Instead of memorizing a list alone, examine what the verb is doing in the sentence.
1. Look for a Subject Complement
Check whether the word or phrase after the verb describes or identifies the subject.
The sky looks cloudy.
Here, cloudy describes the sky, so looks functions as a linking verb.
Sara became a doctor.
A doctor identifies Sara, so became is a linking verb.
2. Ask Whether the Verb Shows an Action
If the verb expresses an action performed by the subject, it is generally an action verb. If it connects the subject to a description, identity, state, or condition, it may be a linking verb.
Compare:
The dog smelled the food. — action verb
The food smelled delicious. — linking verb
In the first sentence, the dog performs an action. In the second, smelled connects the food with the description delicious.
3. Try the “Be” Test
For some linking verbs, you can replace the verb with a form of be. If the sentence keeps approximately the same meaning and remains grammatically sensible, the original verb may be functioning as a linking verb.
The soup tastes delicious.
The soup is delicious.
Because delicious still describes the soup, tastes is functioning as a linking verb.
However, this test is only a helpful clue. It does not work naturally with every linking verb, so you should also examine the sentence structure and meaning.
4. Check Sensory Verbs Carefully
Sensory verbs such as look, feel, smell, sound, and taste frequently function as linking verbs when they describe the subject.
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The blanket feels soft.
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The flowers smell fresh.
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Your plan sounds reasonable.
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The cake tastes sweet.
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She looks tired.
The same verbs may function differently in other sentences:
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She felt the blanket.
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He smelled the flowers.
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She tasted the cake.
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He looked at the picture.
The best way to identify a linking verb is therefore to examine its function in the complete sentence, rather than identifying it from the verb alone.
Linking Verbs List with Examples
Linking verbs can be grouped according to how they function in a sentence. Some commonly serve as linking verbs, while others become linking verbs only when they connect the subject to a description, identity, state, or change.
Forms of Be
Forms of be are the most common linking verbs in English:
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am — I am ready.
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is — She is happy.
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are — They are students.
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was — He was tired.
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were — We were excited.
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be — Please be careful.
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being — He is being unusually quiet.
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been — She has been busy.
Common Linking Verbs
These verbs frequently function as linking verbs:
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become — She became a teacher.
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seem — He seems nervous.
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appear — The problem appears difficult.
Sensory Linking Verbs
Sensory verbs can function as linking verbs when they describe how the subject appears, feels, smells, sounds, or tastes:
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feel — The fabric feels soft.
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look — The sky looks cloudy.
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smell — The flowers smell wonderful.
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sound — Your idea sounds interesting.
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taste — The soup tastes delicious.
Linking Verbs That Express a Change or State
Several other verbs can function as linking verbs when they express a change or continuing state:
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come — The knot came loose.
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fall — The room fell silent.
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get — The weather is getting colder.
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go — The milk went bad.
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grow — He grew impatient.
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keep — Keep calm.
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prove — The information proved useful.
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remain — The door remained open.
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stay — She stayed calm.
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turn — The leaves turned brown.
These verbs are not always linking verbs. Their grammatical function depends on how they are used.
For example:
Linking verb: The leaves turned brown.
Action verb: She turned the handle.
In the first sentence, turned connects the leaves with the adjective brown. In the second, turned expresses an action.
For this reason, a linking verbs list should be used as a learning aid rather than as a rule that automatically classifies every occurrence of a verb. Always consider the verb’s function in the complete sentence.
Practice Exercises: Mastering Linking Verbs
Fill-in-the-Blanks with Linking Verbs
- The sky _____ blue.
- He _____ a great friend.
- This soup _____ amazing.
Answers: is, is, tastes.
Sentence Correction Activities
Correct these sentences:
- The flowers smell sweet.
- She seem excited about the event.
Correction: She seems excited about the event.
Conclusion
Linking verbs connect the subject of a sentence to information that describes, identifies, or explains its state or condition. Common linking verbs include forms of be, as well as become, seem, look, feel, smell, sound, and taste.
The key to recognizing a linking verb is to look at its function in the sentence. Some verbs can work as either linking verbs or action verbs, so the surrounding words and meaning are important. When a verb connects the subject to a subject complement rather than expressing an action, it is functioning as a linking verb.
Learning to identify and use linking verbs correctly will help you build clearer and more grammatically accurate English sentences. Practice them in different contexts, especially alongside action verbs, to become more confident in recognizing the difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are linking verbs?
Linking verbs are verbs that connect the subject of a sentence to a word or phrase that describes or identifies it. For example, in She is happy, is links the subject she to the adjective happy.
What are the most common linking verbs?
The most common linking verbs are forms of be, including am, is, are, was, were, be, being, and been. Other common linking verbs include become, seem, appear, look, feel, smell, sound, and taste.
What are some examples of linking verbs in sentences?
Examples include She is tired, The soup tastes delicious, He became a doctor, The flowers smell sweet, and The children seem excited. In each sentence, the linking verb connects the subject to information about it.
How do you identify a linking verb?
Look for a verb that connects the subject to a description or identity rather than expressing an action. For example, in The sky looks cloudy, looks connects the sky with the adjective cloudy.
What is the difference between a linking verb and an action verb?
A linking verb connects the subject to information about the subject, while an action verb describes what the subject does. Compare The cake tastes sweet with She tasted the cake. Tastes is linking in the first sentence, while tasted expresses an action in the second.
Can the same verb be both a linking verb and an action verb?
Yes. Verbs such as look, feel, smell, taste, grow, and turn can function differently depending on the sentence. For example, The fabric feels soft uses feels as a linking verb, while She felt the fabric uses felt as an action verb.
What comes after a linking verb?
A linking verb is commonly followed by a subject complement. The complement may be an adjective that describes the subject, as in The water is cold, or a noun or noun phrase that identifies it, as in Sara is a teacher.
Is “be” always a linking verb?
No. Forms of be often function as linking verbs, as in She is happy, but they can also serve as auxiliary verbs in verb phrases. For example, in She is studying, is helps form the present continuous tense rather than functioning as a linking verb.
I hope this article helped you learn linking verbs and their use in English.
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