Linking Verb: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know what a linking verb is? This linking verb will provide you with all of the information you need on linking verbs, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What is a linking verb?

According to Thought Co., there are many different types of verbs in the English language:

  •  Auxiliary Verbs, Helping Verbs, and Lexical Verbs
  •  Dynamic Verbs, Active Verbs, Action Verbs and Stative Verbs
  •  Finite Verbs and Nonfinite Verbs
  •  Regular Verbs  and Irregular Verbs
  •  Transitive Verbs and Intransitive Verbs
  •  Causative Verbs
  •  Catenative Verbs
  •  Copular Verbs
  •  Performative Verbs 
  •  Mental-State Verbs
  •  Prepositional Verbs
  •  Iterative Verbs
  •  Reporting Verbs

Today, we will be exploring the types of linking verbs. A  linking verb connects the subject of a sentence with a word that gives information about the subject, such as a condition or relationship. It is important to note that these verbs do not show action. Rather, they  link the subject with the rest of the sentence. The most common linking verbs include forms of the verb to be such as am, is, are, was, were, being, and been, as well as look and felt. True linking verbs can be used in many different tenses, form the passive voice to the future tense. These are often used to connect a subject with an adjective phrase or state of being. 

Many different languages also contain words that mean linking verb. You may notice that some of these translations of linking verb look and sound similar to one another. These are called cognates, which are words and phrases in different languages that likely have the same root or language of origin, causing them to sound the same. The below list of translations of linking verb is provided by Word Sense

  •  Russian: свя́зка‎ (fem.), ко́пула‎ (fem.), глаго́л-свя́зка‎ (masc.)
  •  Icelandic: tengisögn‎ (fem.)
  •  Polish: łącznik‎ (m-in), spójka‎ (fem.)
  •  Ukrainian: зв’я́зка‎ (fem.), дієсло́во-зв’я́зка‎ (neut.), ко́пула‎ (fem.)
  •  Arabic: رَابِطَة‎ (fem.), رَابِط‎ (masc.), عِمَاد‎ (masc.)
  •  Swedish: kopula‎ (common)
  •  Persian: فعل ربطی‎ (fe’l-e rabti)
  •  Portuguese: cópula‎ (fem.), verbo de ligação‎ (masc.)
  •  Finnish: kopula‎
  •  Romanian: copulă‎ (fem.)
  •  Japanese: 繋辞‎ (けいじ, keiji), コピュラ‎ (kopyura), 連辞‎ (れんじ, renji), 指定詞‎ (していし, shiteishi), コプラ‎ (kopura)
  •  Bokmål: kopula‎
  •  Estonian: koopula‎
  •  Slovene: vez‎ (fem.), kopula‎ (fem.)
  •  Vietnamese: từ liên hệ‎
  •  Roman: kopula‎ (masc.), spona‎ (fem.)
  •  Chechen: хоттам‎
  •  Turkish: bağlaç‎
  •  Greek: συνδετικό ρήμα‎
  •  Italian: copula‎ (fem.)
  •  Belarusian: звя́зка‎ (fem.), дзеясло́ў-звя́зка‎ (masc.), ко́пула‎ (fem.)
  •  Dutch: koppelwerkwoord‎ (neut.)
  •  Esperanto: ligverbo‎
  •  Macedonian: копула‎ (fem.)
  •  Czech: spona‎ (fem.)
  •  French: copule‎ (fem.)
  •  Spanish: cópula‎ (fem.)
  •  Uzbek: bogʻlama‎, feʼl-bogʻlama‎
  •  Hindi: योजक‎ (masc.), संयोजक‎ (masc.)
  •  Korean: 계사‎, 코퓰러‎
  •  Thai: ตัวเชื่อม‎
  •  Slovak: spona‎ (fem.)
  •  Cyrillic: копула‎ (masc.), спона‎ (fem.)
  •  Bulgarian: връ̀зка‎ (fem.), ко́пула‎ (fem.)
  •  German: Kopula‎ (neut.), Kopulaverb‎ (neut.)
  •  Danish: kopula‎ (neut.)
  •  Mandarin: 係詞‎, 系词‎ (xìcí), 連詞‎, 连词‎ (liáncí), 連繫動詞‎, 连系动词‎ (liánxì dòngcí)

What are examples of linking verbs?

linking verbs can be used in many different contexts in the English language. Trying to use a word or grammatical technique in a sentence is one of the best ways to memorize what it is, but you can also try making flashcards or quizzes that test your knowledge. Try using this term of the day in a sentence today! Below are a couple of examples of linking verbs from Your Dictionary that can help get you started incorporating this tool into your everyday use.  Take a look at these linking verb examples in the following sentences and see how many you can identify the linking verb in!

  •  You are being foolish to believe her.
  •  Jumping into a pond could be dangerous.
  •  All the kittens were playful.
  •  Your wedding plans sound nice.
  •  Tom acted nervous when the teacher found the note.
  •  The police department is getting tough on crime.
  •  I feel worthy when the boss compliments me.
  •  He went red after tripping on the rug.
  •  She remains faithful, even though it has been two years since he left.
  •  Bob felt sleepy after eating the whole pizza.
  •  Riding in a car will be safer with a seat belt.
  •  Dreams come true when we believe in them.
  •  The crowd stayed calm in spite of the imminent threat.
  •  Maria might have been forthcoming with the news.
  •  The tests indicate that your child is gifted.
  •  Malcolm is going to write his essays on the different shades of tomato.
  •  She seems upset about the announcement.
  •  The spectators remained silent after the injury on the field.
  •  William is excited about his promotion.
  •  They shall be happy forever after.
  •  Anthony had a dream.
  •  Martin is fond of spicy food.
  •  The weather was accommodating and the party continued.
  •  All the children seem satisfied with the bouncy castle.
  •  The eggs smell rotten.
  •  The theater gets dark when the show is about to begin.
  •  The future lawyers are taking their exam, trying to remember each lesson from law school. 
  •  After the snowstorm, the roads were slippery.
  •  David is on a mission to rescue Malcom.
  •  I am putty in his hands.
  •  The cake smells of oranges and chocolate when I am pulling it out of the oven.
  •  Some couples are lucky enough to grow old together.
  •  A flaw in the design appeared to be the cause of the collapse.
  •  The soup tastes good, but is boiling hot. 
  •  He became suspicious when he saw the safe was open.
  •  Mary was nostalgic on her 50th birthday.
  •  The vegetables in the bin looked disgusting and spoiled.
  •  Your friend might be disappointed if you don’t go.
  •  The cinnamon rolls taste heavenly.
  •  Most children get cranky when they are sleepy.
  •  The teens are thinking of a simple trick to remember attributes for the exam.
  •  The audience fell silent when the conductor walked on stage.
  •  Sometimes, kids are foolish.
  •  Building the house was difficult for them.
  •  You look exhausted after studying all night.
  •  We are dismayed about the foreclosure.

Overall, a linking verb is used to link the subject of a sentence with a word or phrase  that gives information about the subject, such as a condition or relationship.

Sources:

  1. Linking Verb | Word Sense
  2. Examples of Linking Verbs | Your Dictionary 
  3. Types of Verb Forms and Functions in English | Thought Co