Linking verbs are an essential part of English grammar that connect the subject of a sentence to additional information about that subject. Unlike action verbs, linking verbs do not express physical actions but instead describe a state of being, condition, or relationship. They serve as a bridge between the subject and a noun, pronoun, or adjective that provides more detail or describes the subject. Common linking verbs include “be,” “seem,” “become,” and “feel.” For example, in the sentence “She is happy,” the verb “is” links the subject “she” to the description “happy.”
| Linking Verb | Usage/Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Be | Used to describe identity, quality, or state | He is a doctor. / She was happy. |
| Am | First-person form of “be” | I am tired. |
| Is | Third-person singular form of “be” | The sky is blue. |
| Are | Plural form of “be” | They are excited. |
| Was | Past tense of “be” for singular subjects | He was a student. |
| Were | Past tense of “be” for plural subjects | They were here yesterday. |
| Seem | To give the impression of being | She seems tired. |
| Become | To grow or change into something | He became a teacher. |
| Appear | To seem or look a certain way | She appears confused. |
| Feel | To experience or seem to experience an emotion or sensation | I feel great today. |
| Look | To seem or appear in terms of sight | She looks beautiful. |
| Sound | To seem a certain way based on what is heard | This sounds interesting. |
| Taste | To seem in terms of flavor | The soup tastes delicious. |
| Smell | To seem in terms of odor | The flowers smell amazing. |
| Remain | To continue in a state | He remained silent throughout the meeting. |
| Grow | To gradually become something | He grew restless over time. |
| Stay | To continue in a state | She stayed calm during the storm. |
| Turn | To change into something | The leaves turned yellow in autumn. |
| Get | To become something | He got angry quickly. |
| Prove | To turn out to be | This theory proved correct. |
| Seem | To appear or look as though | They seem friendly. |
| Appear | To seem to be, based on appearance | She appears to be nervous. |
| Come | To develop into a state or condition | She came to realize the truth. |
| End up | To result in a certain state or condition | He ended up being the best player. |
| Go | To turn into a particular condition (change over time) | The milk went bad after a few days. |
| Turn out | To prove to be the case | The experiment turned out successful. |
| Fall | To become or enter into a state | She fell ill during the trip. |
| Lie | To remain in a certain state | The truth lies in the details. |
| Stand | To be in a particular state | The matter stands unresolved. |
| Sit | To remain in a certain condition or state | The decision sits well with the committee. |
| Act | To behave in a way that shows a state of being | He acted surprised when he heard the news. |
| Stay | To remain in a particular condition | She stayed positive throughout the challenge. |
| Hold | To continue being true | The offer holds valid for one week. |
| Run | To remain in a state | The bill runs high at that restaurant. |
| Come across | To seem or give a certain impression | He comes across as very confident. |
| Get | To become, often used informally | It gets dark early in winter. |
| Be seen | To appear or be noticeable | She is seen as a leader in the community. |
| Grow | To develop into a certain state or quality | The noise grew louder as we approached. |
| Turn into | To change or develop into something else | The argument turned into a full-blown fight. |
| Feel | To give a certain impression through sensation | The fabric feels soft to the touch. |
| Look like | To appear as if | It looks like rain is coming. |
| Prove | To be shown to be something | His theory proved false in the end. |
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