What is a linking verb?
Linking verbs (also known as copulas or copular verbs) are used to describe the state of being of the subject of a clause. Unlike action verbs (also called dynamic verbs), they connect the subject to the predicate of the clause without expressing any action.
To be
The verb to be is the most common linking verb. Unique among English verbs, be has eight different conjugations: be, am, is, are, was, were, been, and being. It can link the subject to an adjective (known as a predicative adjective) that describes it, or to a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun that renames it. These are collectively known as subject complements.
General descriptions
We can use nearly any adjective after be to describe the subject. For example:
- “You are wrong.”
- “It is cold today.”
- “It was hot yesterday.”
- “The team is terrible this year.”
- “They were fortunate to have won.”
- “She has been so stubborn.”
- “He is really annoying.”
Physical or emotional sensations
Be is very often used to describe a sensation belonging to the subject. These can be physical, as in:
- “I am cold.”
- “We are thirsty.”
- “They were tired.”
Be can also describe emotional sensations:
- “He is sad.”
- “He has been anxious lately.”
- “I can tell that you are upset.”
Precise physical descriptions
Be is also used for specific physical descriptions of the subject, such as exact age, weight, or height.
Age
When we describe a subject’s age, we can express it simply as a number, as in:
- “I am 32.”
- “Our daughter is one.”
We can also use a unit of time between the number and the adjective old, as in:
- “I am 32 years old.”
- “Our daughter is one week old.”
(However, we cannot use only the number and years or the number and old—“I am 32 years” and “Our daughter is one old” are both incorrect.)
Height
For height, we usually use the number, the unit, and the adjective tall all together, as in:
- “They are five feet tall.”
- “He is two meters tall.”
If we are using feet and inches as our units, there are a number of ways that we can write the sentence without using the adjective tall. These are especially prevalent in informal English. For example:
- “He is six foot.”
- “She is five foot three.”
- “I am five feet, three inches.”
Weight
When describing the subject’s weight with be, we only use the number + the unit of measurement, as in:
- “I am 185 pounds.”
- “This brick is four kilograms.”
With prepositional phrases
A linking verb can also be followed by a prepositional phrase that acts as an adjective to describe the subject. These usually describe the subject’s location, though they can be used to provide other descriptions as well. For example:
- “John is in the other room.” (John is physically located in the other room.)
- “I will be away from the office this week.” (I will not be present in the office this week.)
- “They are against this plan.” (They do not agree with or support this plan.)
Renaming the subject
We can also follow the linking verb be with a predicate noun, noun phrase, or pronoun that renames or re-identifies the subject. These add a descriptive element, without directly functioning as adjectives. For example:
- “She is a bully.”
- “That’s him; that’s the man we were looking for.”
- “They are a lost cause.”
- “I have been a mess lately.”
Be as an auxiliary verb
We must be careful not to confuse how be functions as a linking verb with how it functions as an auxiliary verb. When it is used as an auxiliary, be is no longer an independent verb describing the subject of the sentence. Instead, it helps other verbs to create the continuous tenses or to change the voice of the writing.
Creating verb tenses
Be frequently functions as an auxiliary verb by combining with the present participle of a verb to form one of the continuous tenses. For example:
- “I am listening to you.” (present continuous tense)
- “She was working very hard.” (past continuous tense)
- “They will be waiting for you at the airport.” (future continuous tense)
Passive voice
We can also use be as an auxiliary to create the passive voice. For example:
- “The book was written by an anonymous author.”
- “The victory will be savored for years.”
- “The hospitals were built in 1805.”
Sense verbs
Certain verbs are used to indicate perceptions, opinions, or bodily sensations. These are known as verbs of the senses, or “sense verbs” for short. The sense verbs are:
- taste
- smell
- sound
- seem
- feel
- look
- appear
Sense verbs merely relate the means by which the speaker has arrived at such a sensation about the subject. When we use them like this, they are functioning as linking verbs (rather than action verbs) and we typically pair them with predicative adjectives. (Unlike be, we usually do not follow sense verbs with predicative nouns, noun phrases, or pronouns.)
For example:
- “I feel terrible today.” (A feeling inside of being very unwell.)
- “You sound tired.” (A perception of tiredness in your voice.)
- “She didn’t sound Italian.” (An opinion based on the way her voice sounds.)
- “You look fabulous today.” (This is my opinion when I look at you.)
- “He doesn’t look very happy.” (This is my opinion based on what he looks like. Note that the adverb very is modifying the adjective happy, not the verb look.)
- “This doesn’t feel right.” (An opinion or perception of something not being as it should.)
- “The car appears OK, but I’ll have to drive it to be sure.” (From what I can see, the car looks like it’s in good condition.)
- “That smells nice.” (Sensation of a pleasant aroma.)
- “This milk tastes funny*.” (Sensation of an odd or unpleasant taste.)
(*The adjective funny has two meanings. It can describe something that makes you laugh, or something that is strange, unpleasant, dubious, or not as it should be. It carries the latter meaning in the above example.)
If any of these verbs were used as action verbs, they could no longer be followed by an adjective to complement their meaning—they would instead be modified by an adverb or take a direct object. For example:
- “I felt gently around the table in the dark.” (Describes the action of feeling with one’s hand.)
- “He looked quickly to the right.” (Describes the action of looking in a certain direction.)
- “She smelled the peach to see if it was ripe.” (Describes the object being smelled.)
- “The car appeared out of nowhere.” (Describes the action of coming into sight, using a prepositional phrase as an adverb.)
- “We could hear an airplane flying overhead.” Describes the object being heard.)
Verbs of progression
Verbs that show progression, growth, or development are also often used as linking verbs. Become is a prime example of this kind of verb—it links an adjective that describes a development or progression by the subject. Here are some other verbs that can function as linking verbs in a similar way:
- get
- grow
- prove
- remain
- turn
As with the sense verbs, these can be followed by an adjective that describes the subject. For example:
- “The crowd grew quiet.”
- “The kids are becoming restless.”
- “I hope you get well soon.”
- “Try to remain upbeat.”
- “Hopefully things don’t turn ugly.”
These verbs can sometimes be followed by nouns, noun phrases, or pronouns that rename or re-identify the subject, as in:
- “The leader became a dictator after so many years in power.”
- “He’ll always remain my friend.”
- “They have proven valuable allies.”
Linking verbs vs. action verbs
The verbs be, seem, and become are always used as linking verbs (except when be is an auxiliary verb, as we looked at already). However, the other linking verbs all have the capacity to behave as action verbs in a sentence. Sometimes it is tricky to know whether a verb is functioning as a linking verb or as an action verb, but there are ways that we can be sure.
Checking the predicate
The predicate of a linking verb is, by definition, an adjective, noun, noun phrase, or pronoun that directly describes, renames, or re-identifies the subject of the clause.
If we want to see if a verb is functioning as a linking verb, we can simply check whether the predicate that follows is describing the subject. If it is, then it is a linking verb; if it is not, then it is functioning as an action verb. For example:
- “He looked unwell yesterday.” (Linking verb—the predicate unwell yesterday describes the subject of the clause, he.)
- “He looked quickly to the right.” (Action verb—the predicate quickly to the right describes the action of the verb.)
- “I hope you get better soon.” (Linking verb—the predicate better soon describes the subject of the clause, you.)
- “Would you please get a glass of water for me?” (Action verb—the predicate a glass of water is the direct object of the verb.)
Replacing the verb with be
If we are still not certain about the kind of verb we’re dealing with, we can also try replacing the verb in question with be. Because be is only a linking verb when it functions on its own, the resulting sentence will only make sense if the original verb was also a linking verb.
Let’s look at the two sets of examples above, this time replacing the verb in each case with be:
- “He looked unwell yesterday.”
- “He was unwell yesterday.” (The sentence makes sense, so the verb looked was a linking verb.)
- “He looked quickly to the right.”
- “He was quickly to the right.” (The sentence no longer makes sense, so the verb looked was an action verb.)
- “I hope you get better soon.”
- “I hope you are better soon.” (The sentence makes sense, so the verb get was a linking verb.)
- “Would you please get a glass of water for me?”
- “Would you please are a glass of water for me?” (The sentence no longer makes sense, so the verb get was an action verb.)
Sources of confusion – Good vs. Well
A common stumbling block for native speakers and learners of English alike is the correct usage of good versus well.
In most instances, good is an attributive adjective directly describing a noun, while well is an adverb describing a verb, adjective, or other adverb. For example:
- “He is a good driver.”
- “She writes well.”
We cannot use good and well interchangeably in these instances, and we can see immediately that the following would be incorrect:
- “He is a well driver.”
- “She writes good.”
However, well can also function as a predicative adjective, where it usually means “healthy” or “not ill.” We use it in this sense after linking verbs such as be, get, or the sense verbs we looked above:
- “Jenny looks well lately.”
- “Get well soon!”
In these examples, well does not modify the verbs, but rather describes the subjects of the clauses (implied in the second example).
Good can be used as a predicative adjective as well, meaning “of a high or satisfactory quality.” This can be used after linking verbs to talk about an opinion of something, an emotional state, or general well-being (as opposed to physical health, specifically). For example:
- “The movie was good.” (opinion of the quality of the movie)
- “I’m feeling good about my chances!” (emotional state)
- “Janet looks good lately.” (opinion of Janet’s appearance)
- A: “How are you, Bob?” B: “I’m good, thanks!” (general well-being)
The last example is perfectly correct, and it is very frequently used as a stock response to the question “How are you?” You could also say “I’m well,” and no one is likely to take issue with it. However, if someone asks how you are after an illness or injury, for instance, it would be better to respond with “I’m well.”
If saying “I’m good” still does not sound quite right to you, you could also say “I am doing well,” in which case well is used adverbially once more.
You can learn more about such adjective/adverb oddities in the irregular adverbs section of the chapter on Adverbs.
Linking verbs do not have the same role as typical verbs that show action. The function of this verb type is to link a subject to its subject complement.
What is a linking verb? What are all the linking verbs? My handy dandy guide will show you the meaning, functions, and list of all linking verbs in the English language. Then, you can answer the worksheet I provided to check your understanding.
What Are Linking Verbs?
A linking verb does not show action like dynamic verbs. Instead, it is a type of verb that expresses a subject’s state of being. This function sets them apart from intransitive verbs, phrasal verbs, and impersonal verbs. For example:
- Your dress feels silky.
In this sentence, feels establishes the state of being of the subject dress. It does not express the dress doing the act of feeling.
Some linking verb examples include is, feel, smell, and became. The most common linking verb is be in all its forms, such as is, was, am, and more. Here are more sentence examples.
- I am happy to see you.
- The book seems old.
- This room became messy.
Linking verbs are not part of action verb phrases. These sentence examples involve helping verbs instead of linking verbs.
- I am going to the mall.
- She is listening to her favorite song.
Linking Verb Functions
We all know that sentences always contain subjects and predicates. Consider this example.
- I saw her on television.
In this sentence, the subject is I, and the predicate is saw her on television. Saw is the action verb. It is an irregular verb which is the past verb form of see. Meanwhile, on television is a prepositional phrase.
- Whales are the most giant animal.
Linking verbs are always a part of the predicate. But what makes them different from normal verbs is that they do not describe the action.
When a sentence has a linking verb instead of an action verb, it means they are not a monotransitive verb or a ditransitive verb, as there is no direct object. Instead, there is a subjective complement.
There are two types of subject complement after a linking verb that will determine the proper verb usage. These are also known as special predicates.
Predicate Nominative or Predicate Noun
A linking verb is followed by a predicate noun or noun phrase when the word describing the object is a noun or noun phrase. For example:
- I became an accountant and a lawyer.
In this sentence, the predicate nouns accountant and lawyer describe the subject I. They are linked by the linking verb became, which is in the past form.
Predicate Adjective
A linking verb can link the subject to predicate adjectives when the word describing it includes adjectives or adjective phrases. For example:
- This solution is inefficient.
In this sentence, the subject complement inefficient describes the subject solution.
Adverb or Adverbial Phrase
Only the linking verb be can be described by an adverb, adverb phrase, or adverbial prepositional phrase of time or place. For example:
- Your phone is upstairs.
Upstairs may seem like an adjective, but it is an adverb indicating the phone’s location. It connects the predicate upstairs and the subject phone.
Here are more examples.
- The party will be tomorrow afternoon.
- The man is in his office.
Rules for Linking Verbs
Here are some rules for using linking verbs.
Do Not Use an Adverb for Your Subject Complement
You already know that the verb be can be followed by an adverb of time or phrase. But you should never use an adverb of manner to rename subjects. For example:
- Incorrect: Anthony seems happily.
- Correct: Anthony seems happy.
The first sentence is incorrect because adverbs modify verbs. Subject complements should rename and describe subjects. Therefore, it’s better to use an adjective that will describe Anthony, which is happy.
Linking Verbs Are Intransitive Verbs
Because linking verbs have subject complements instead of direct objects, then they are categorized as intransitive verbs. For example:
- Sarah is a writer
- You seem lonely.
- Jennifer feels joyful today.
Practice Subject-Verb Agreement
As with other sentences, the subject should always agree with the verb. So when the subject is singular, the verb should be singular. But when the subject is plural, the verb should be plural.
- Whales are the biggest animal in the sea.
- The principal is here.
- These fruits taste good.
“It Is I” or “It Is Me”
Since predicate nominatives are in the subjective case, we often wonder which personal pronouns to use. The grammatically correct statement is “it is I” instead of “it is me” because I is the nominative form.
But you can also say “It was me” in less formal contexts. In fact, this sentence is more common.
Use the Correct Verb Tense
All verbs, even linking verbs, show tense. For example, the simple present form of taste is taste/tastes. Its simple past form is tasted, and its simple future tense is will taste.
Remember that some linking verbs are irregular. For example, the simple present form of be is is or are, while its simple past form is was or were. However, the simple future tense of be is will be.
Common Linking Verb Words
Let’s take a look at the definitions of the most common linking verbs.
Be
The linking verb be means exist. For example:
- There are no easy answers.
- She is exhausted.
Become
The linking verb become means begin to be. For example:
- Tomorrow she will become a bride.
- Karen became a doctor last year.
Go
Go has the same meaning as become. For example:
- The rice went bad when my brother didn’t place it in the fridge.
- She goes dizzy every time she rides the car.
Keep
The linking verb keep means continue to be like this. But as an action verb, it has a common meaning of possession or ownership. For example:
- Please keep quiet when you’re inside the library.
- Keep calm and carry on.
Prove
Prove means to show a specific quality. But as an action verb, its meaning is to show with evidence. For example:
- The theory proved true after the study done by the researchers.
Fall
The linking verb fall talks about illness or silence. Here are some examples.
- The doctor told the parents that their son had fallen ill.
- Everyone in the hall fell silent.
Linking Verb List
This list shows the English linking verbs. Remember that some of them can function as action and non-action verbs.
Permanent Linking Verbs
These lists of verbs are always linking verbs and can never be dynamic. That means they fall under the non-action verb category.
- Be (is, are, am, was, were, being, been)
- Become
- Seem
Linking Verb Phrases
These linking verb phrases are different versions of be.
- Can be
- Could be
- Will be
- Would be
- Shall be
- Should be
- May be
- Might be
- Must be
- Has been
- Have been
- Had been
Sensory Verbs
Notice how some of these linking verbs are also common action verbs and stative verbs.
- Feel
- Smell
- Sound
- Appear
- Look
- Taste
Conditional Linking Verbs
- Act
- Come
- Fall
- Go
- Keep
- Remain
- Turn
- Constitute
- Equal
- Get
- Grow
- Prove
- Stay
How Many Linking Verbs Are There?
There are 23 linking verbs in the English language. Eight of these linking verbs are always linking verbs and never expressing actions. Some examples include seem, be, and become in their different verb forms.
What Is the Most Common Linking Verb?
The most commonly used linking verbs in English are:
- Is
- Are
- Am
- Was
- Were
- Can be
- Could be
- Will be
- Would be
- Shall be
Is From a Linking Verb?
The word from is not a linking verb that expresses a state of being. Instead, it is a preposition.
Linking Verb Summary
There are many types of verbs in English. Linking verbs are not like other common verbs that express actions. Instead, they connect the subject with different types of predicates.
This guide has shown you the definition, functions, and examples of linking verbs. Expand your knowledge of the English language by learning more about verbs.
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Yes, the word «been» is a linking verb.
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Main Linking Verbs Takeaways:
- Here’s a Comprehensive Linking Verbs .pdf
- Unlike most verbs, a linking verb is not an action word.
- Instead, they connect the subject of a sentence with the rest of the sentence. They join a subject with its predicate noun or adjective.
- There are 12 main and 23 total linking verbs in the English language.
- These are always linking verbs: to seem, to become, and any form of the verbto be.
What is a Linking Verb in English Grammar?
According to traditional English grammar guides, a linking verb describes the subject by connecting it with the rest of a sentence. What’s more, they can be a single word or a group of words. Unlike other verbs, this type of verb does not convey action. Instead, they describe or identify a subject. Think of them as the glue that holds a sentence together.
There are several verbs that are always linking. These are:
- to seem
- to become
- any form of the verb to be
Here are some examples of linking verbs used in sentences:
What is the Difference Between a Linking Verb and an Action Verb?
Typically, verbs are action words. However, linking verbs don’t express action. Instead of acting, they describe and connect. Specifically, this type of verb describes a state of being. Moreover, it connects the subject of a sentence with the subject complements. Subject complements are predicate nouns or predicate adjectives. “To be,” “to become,” and “to seem” are always linking verbs. Words that can function as a linking or an actionverb include smell, appear, look, and sound.
Linking Verb Definition: a word or expression that joins the subject of a sentence with its predicate.
How Many Linking Verbs are There?
There are 23 total linking verbs in the English language. This total is made up of about eight verbs that are always linking. Examples include become, seem, and any form of the verb to be like am, is, are, was, were, and has been. Additionally, this total includes about 15 more verbs that can also be action or helping verbs.
What are the 23 Linking Verbs?
The 23 linking verbs are:
- am
- is
- was
- are
- were
- being
- been
- be
- have
- has
- had
- do
- does
- did
- shall
- will
- should
- would
- may
- might
- must
- can
- could
What is the Most Common Linking Verb?
There are 12 popular linking verbs (is, seems, be, am, becomes, been, are, feels, being, was, appears, were).
- is
- are
- am
- was
- were
- can be
- could be
- will be
- would be
- shall be
- should be
- may be
- might be
- must be
- has been
- have been
- had been
But, you can transform some of them into other forms, such ashelping verbs.
What Is the Difference Between a Linking Verb and a Helping Verb?
To start with, both linking verbs and helping verbs are not action verbs. However, there’s a big difference between their functions in a sentence. Linking verbs express a state of being or a condition. They connect the subject to the rest of the sentence. On the other hand, helping verbs or auxiliary verbs help the main action verb in a sentence. Consider the following examples:
Linking verbs used in sentences
Helping verbs used in sentence
Here is a list of common helping verbs. Bold verbs are also linking:
- is
- can
- be
- do
- may
- had
- should
- was
- has
- could
- are
- will
- been
- did
- might
- were
- does
- must
- have
- would
- am
- shall
- being
To further complicate things, sometimes “is” can be linking, action verb, or a helping verb depending on the sentence’s context.
In these sentences, “is” describes a state of being. The action referenced here is “to be.”
Download:Here’s a Comprehensive .pdf of Linking Verbs
How Do You Identify a Linking Verb?
Here’s are three quick tricks for identifying a linking verb. First, replace your verb with is or are. If the sentence still makes sense, then your verb is most likely a linking verb. This is because is and are can act as linking verbs, but they are also effective substitutes for others. Similarly, another trick is to replace the verb with an equals sign (=). If the sentence still make sense, the verb is almost certainly a linking verb. The final trick is to decide whether the verb describes a state of being or an action. If the verb describes the subject’s state of being, it’s probably a linking verb. However, if the verb describes an action, it’s probably not.
1. Replace the Verb With Is or Are
In the examples above, you can replace each verb in question with “is” or “are.” The sentences still make sense. Therefore, it’s confirmed that the each verb we replaced islinking.
However, in this example, the meaning of the sentence changes when we substitute the verb in question:
The verb dries is an action verb because itdescribes an action the subject takes and not a state of being.
2. Replace the Verb With =
One of my favorite short-hand tactics for taking notes in History class. Replacing the verb in question with an equal sign can also help you determine what kind of verb a word is.
How does Shayla feel? She’s annoyed, and we understand that after reading each example.
3. You Decide: State of Being or Action?
Action verbs express something a person or thing does. Linking verbs do not convey action. However, some are also action verbs.
The example above describes the subject, Daria. What’s more, the word smells connects Daria to the rest of the sentence. The linking category of verbs describes the subject and connects it to the rest of the sentence. Therefore, smells is linking here.
However, this example describes an action that the subject of the sentence took. In other words, this example describes something that Daria did.
What did Daria do? She smelled (the cake. We know you’re fresh as a daisy, Daria).
Therefore, smells is an action verb here.
Linking, Helping, Action, or All of the Above? Set a new High Quiz Score
Linking Verbs Question #1
Correct!
Wrong!
The answer is TRUE. Linking verbs connect the subject of a sentence with its predicate.
Linking Verb Question #2
A. Plays
B. Seems
C. Happy
D. Whenever
Correct!
Wrong!
The answer is B. Seems connects the subject, John, with the rest of the sentence.
Verb «is» and «are» Question #3
Correct!
Wrong!
The answer is TRUE. You can identify a linking verb in a sentence by replacing it with “is” or “are.”
Linking Verb Question #4
A. Were
B. Appear
C. Feels
D. Work
Correct!
Wrong!
The answer is D. Work is an action verb.
Linking Verb Question #5
A. Helping verbs are the same as linking verbs.
B. Some linking verbs are also helping verbs.
C. Helping verbs convey time or meaning.
D. Helping verbs appear before a sentence’s main verb.
Correct!
Wrong!
The answer is A. Unlike linking verbs, helping verbs help the main verb in a sentence by extending its meaning.
Helping Verb Question #6
A. Shall
B. Seems
C. Might
D. Should
Correct!
Wrong!
The answer is B. Seems is a linking verb that connects the subject of a sentence with its predicate.
Read More: First, Second, and Third Person: Points of View in Writing
В английском языке есть такое понятие как глагол-связка. Почему мы решили затронуть эту тему? Потому что большинство студентов считают, что глагол-связка и вспомогательный глагол – это одно и то же, однако, это не так. Для начала заметим, что глагол-связка в разных источниках может на английском звучать по-разному: linking verbs, copulative verbs, state of being verbs или being verbs, но все эти термины обозначают одно и то же явление.
Auxiliary verbs
Что касается вспомогательного глагола, то на английском языке он звучит как auxiliary verb и необходим для образования вопросительных и отрицательных предложений. В каждом грамматическом времени живут свои вспомогательные глаголы, например, в продолженных временах – это формы глагола to be, в простых или неопределенных – do, а в совершенных – формы глагола have. Вспомогательные глаголы редко встречаются в утвердительных предложениях и на русский язык не переводятся – они как бы есть — и их как бы нет.
Что касается глагола-связки, он не выражает действие предмета, т.е. не отвечает на вопрос «что делать?» и не является смысловым глаголом. Такой тип глагола связывает подлежащее и определяющее или характеризующее его существительное, прилагательное или местоимение.
Linking verbs
Английский глагол to be – самый распространенный глагол-связка, и вероятно большинство студентов путают понятия глагол-связка и вспомогательный глагол именно потому, что он также является и вспомогательным. Вот примеры глагола-связки to be в разных временах.
- I am hungry.
- She is a good doctor.
- The flowers were beautiful.
- That was a nice film.
- That man might have been a robber.
На втором месте по популярности находятся глаголы-связки seem и become. Что касается seem, то данный глагол всегда является связкой, а become — обычно, но не всегда.
- Your sister seems clever. (глагол-связка: соединяет слова sister и clever)
- When she returns home she becomes a good mother and wife. (глагол-связка: соединяет she и mother and wife)
В качестве смыслового глагола become означает “подходить, хорошо смотреться”:
- That dress certainly becomes her. – это платье определенно ей подходит.
Get — еще один популярный глагол, который может выполнять функцию смыслового глагола и глагола-связки:
- I get to my office by bus. (смысловой)
- She got pale when she heard the news. (связка)
Десять английских глаголов, которые могут быть как смысловыми, так и связующими глаголами, являются: appear, turn, feel, prove, grow, sound, look, taste, smell, remain:
- The apples appear ripe. (связка)
- He suddenly appeared from behind the tree. (смысловой)
- I feel sick because of the nausea. (связка)
- Feel the difference by tasting this sauce! (смысловой)
- Poor Emma grew old. (связка)
- We grow white roses in our garden. (смысловой)
- Mother looked tired after working in the garden. (связка)
- Jane looked under the bed but didn’t find her slips. (смысловой)
- Her opinion proved right. (связка)
- I proved my theory in a modern way. (смысловой)
- Our relations remain neutral. (связка)
- Little of my patience remained. (смысловой)
- The cake smells delicious. (связка)
- I smelled something rotten. (смысловой)
- That music sounded strange to my ears. (связка)
- The crew member sounded the alarm when it wasn’t necessary. (смысловой)
- The meat tastes good. (связка)
- I couldn’t taste pepper in the meat balls. (смысловой)
- She suddenly turned pale. (связка)
- I turned right when reached the corner. (смысловой)
Как определить, чем является в предложении тот или иной глагол?
Если вы не уверены, который глагол является связкой, который — смысловым, попробуйте следующее:
1. Замените глагол формой глагола “to be”, как в предложении «The cake smells delicious = the cake is delicious». Несмотря на то, что мы заменили smells на is, смысл остался прежним, что говорит о том, что smells в данном случае – это глагол-связка. Если же в результате подобной манипуляции предложение приобретет новое значение или же предложение станет бессмысленным, значит это смысловой глагол.
2. Измените порядок слов в предложении по следующему образцу: The cake smells delicious = delicious smells the cake. Звучит немного странно, учитывая то, что delicious – это прилагательное, но первоначальная мысль остается, а значит smells – глагол-связка.
Углубившись в английский язык, вы научитесь отличать глагол-связку от смыслового, отмечая связь между подлежащим и глаголом. Глагол-связка образует мост между подлежащим и словом, которое его определяет или описывает. Смысловые глаголы вовлекают подлежащее в действие, заставляя его в этом случае что-то делать.
