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Linking Verbs
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Linking verbs, action verbs and helping verbs make our three lessons where we introduce how to use verbs in English.
This will also include the verb tenses so every student is confident they understand the essentials for English.
What is a Linking Verb?
A linking verb is not an action.
It links a describing word to the subject.
Linking Verb Examples
- I am happy
- You are students
- The food smells good
- – am links happy to “I”, I=happy
- – are links students to you, You=students
- – smells links good to the food, the food=good
Linking Verb with Nouns or Adjectives
- I am happy
- You are students
- The food smells good
- I am happy (adjective)
- You are students (noun)
- The food smells good (adjective)
Split these into nouns and adjectives
- Adjective = happy, good (predicate adjective)
- Noun = students (predicate noun)
Same linking verb: looks
- She looks tired. (predicate adjective)
- She looks at the screen. (predicate noun)
Common Linking Verbs
- To be – is, are, am, was, were, will be, we’ve been
- To become (transform) – become, get, grow, seem, appear, stay, remain
- Senses – look, smell, sound, feel, taste
Linking Verb vs Helping Verb
- A linking verb is followed by the noun or adjective
- A verb is followed by the -ing verb then it is a helping verb (next lesson)
Linking Verb Lists
- What is happening? — be, seem, look, feel, sound, smell, taste, become, get, stay
- Everyday descriptions — be, seem, look, feel, sound, smell, taste, become, stay, remain
- Real-life situations — be, seem, appear, become, remain, stay, get, grow, turn, prove
Linking Verb Role
Happening
- be — The room is quiet.
- seem — She seems tired.
- look — You look happy.
- feel — I feel nervous.
- sound — That sounds good.
- smell — The food smells fresh.
- taste — The soup tastes great.
- become — He became angry.
- get — It is getting cold.
- stay — Please stay calm.
Description
- be — The office is busy.
- seem — The problem seems difficult.
- look — You look tired.
- feel — I feel better now.
- sound — Your idea sounds interesting.
- smell — The room smells clean.
- taste — The coffee tastes bitter.
- become — The weather became warmer.
- stay — The door stayed open.
- remain — She remained calm.
Real-Life
- be — The meeting was successful.
- seem — The plan seems reasonable.
- appear — He appears nervous.
- become — She became a manager.
- remain — The situation remained difficult.
- stay — The price stayed the same.
- get — The situation is getting worse.
- grow — The company grew stronger.
- turn — The leaves turned yellow.
- prove — The decision proved useful.
Linking Verb Practice Exercise
Here is a list of linking verbs:
be · seem · look · feel · sound · smell · taste · become · get · stay · remain · grow · turn · appear · prove
And here are 5 categories that we can put these linking verbs:
appearances – feelings – sense – change – state
Put each and every linking verb into one of the five categories with out drag and drop practice exercise.
Song Listening Exercise
You Needed Me by Anne Murray
Enter the past tense for these words
cry, clear, sell, buy, give, put, need, are, find, hold, is, take, turn
I (cry) 1 cried a tear, you wiped it dry
I was confused, you (clear) 2 _________ my mind
I (sell) 3 _________ my soul, you (buy) 4 _________ it back for me
And held me up and gave me dignity
Somehow you needed me
You (give) 5 _________ me strength to stand alone again
To face the world out on my own again
You (put) 6 _________ me high upon a pedestal
So high that I could almost see eternity
You needed me, you needed me
And I can’t believe it’s you
I can’t believe it’s true
I (need) 7 _________ you and you (are) 8 _________ there
And I’ll never leave, why should I leave?
I’d be a fool ’cause I finally (find) 9 _________ someone who really cares
You (hold) 10 _________ my hand when it was cold
When I (is) 11 _________ lost you (take) 12 _________ me home
You gave me hope when I was at the end
And (turn) 13 _________ my lies back into truth again
You even called me “friend”
You (give) 14 _________ me strength to stand alone again
To face the world out on my own again
You (put) 15 _________ me high upon a pedestal
So high that I could almost see eternity
You needed me, you needed me. You needed me, you needed me
Subject-Verb Agreement
the verb in a sentence agrees with its subject in terms of number (singular or plural)
- Subject = the dog
- Verb = barks
- Both single (dog-barks)
- Subject = the dogs
- Verb = bark
- Both plural (dogs-bark)
Correct:
- the dog barks
- the dogs bark
Incorrect:
- X – the dog bark
- X – the dogs barks
- Subject = he
- Verb = bakes
- Both single (he-bakes)
- Subject = we
- Verb = bake
- Both plural (we-bake)
Correct:
- Jake bakes a cake
- we bake a cake
Incorrect:
- X – Jake bake a cake
- X – we bakes a cake
Simple Examples
1.The dog barks at the mailman.
- Singular subject “dog” agrees with the singular verb “barks.”
2.The students study hard for their exams.
- Plural subject “students” agrees with the plural verb “study.”
3.My friend and I enjoy playing basketball together.
- Plural subject “friend and I” agrees with the plural verb “enjoy.”
4.The bookshelf in the corner holds many books.
- Singular subject “bookshelf” agrees with the singular verb “holds.”
5.Every morning, the sun rises in the east.
- Singular subject “sun” agrees with the singular verb “rises.”
Common Errors
- wrong: “The group of students were studying for their exams.“
- correct: “The group of students was studying for its exams.”
- wrong: The cat, along with the dogs, chase mice in the garden.”
- correct: “The cat, along with the dogs, chases mice in the garden.”
- “Someone left their jacket on the chair.”
- “Someone left his or her jacket on the chair.”
Subject Verb-Object Practice Exercise
Order the sentences in the correct order of subject verb then object
More Help for Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject Verb Agreement is taught in advanced classes such as SAT English. If you wish to access these advanced notes and exercises then visit the SAT subject-verb agreement page here
- Explanations, grammar rules and examples for Subject-Verb Agreement: Digital SAT Grammar for Beginners: Subject-Verb and Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Simply Explained
- Tips, strategies and practice for Subject-Verb Agreement: Subject Verb Agreement Practice: Key Strategies to Advance your Digital SAT Grammar
- Types of questions for Subject-Verb Agreement: Digital SAT Subject Verb Agreement Examples: Types of Questions
Useful Resources & Links
- https://www.opendurian.com/news/toeic-subject-verb-agreement/?srsltid=AfmBOooNFOhzuTLn8VwGKuOcD2vShB8gj_UzItEN0_cLuTZmUsgz7eU1
- https://memmoread.website/subject-verb-agreement-in-5-minitues/
- https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/subject_verb_agreement.html
- https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/modulesvagr.htm
Verb Tenses
The lesson material related to verb tense will appear on a different web page