List of Linking Verbs
Linking verbs play a crucial role in connecting the subject of a sentence with a subject complement. These verbs do not express action but rather link the subject to additional information about the subject.
Below is a comprehensive list of linking verbs, along with their definitions:
A-C
Am: Verb used to describe the current state of being for the first person singular.
Appear: Verb indicating that something seems to be the case.
Are: Verb used to describe the current state of being for the second person singular/plural and third person plural.
Be: Verb used as a base form to describe the state of existence or condition.
Become: Verb indicating a change of state or condition.
Been: Past participle form of "be," used to describe the state of existence or condition in the past.
Being: Present participle form of "be," indicating the ongoing state of existence or condition.
Can be: Modal verb indicating possibility or potential state of being.
Could be: Modal verb indicating past possibility or potential state of being.
Come: Verb indicating the state of arriving or coming to be.
D-G
Did: Past tense of "do," used in questions or emphasis to describe the state of an action or condition.
Do: Verb used to describe the state of an action or condition, especially in questions or emphatic statements.
Does: Third person singular form of "do," used to describe the state of an action or condition in questions or emphatic statements.
Feel: Verb indicating the state of physical or emotional perception.
Get: Verb indicating a change of state or condition.
Gets: Third person singular form of "get," indicating a change of state or condition.
Go: Verb indicating the state of moving from one place to another.
Gone: Past participle form of "go," indicating the state of having moved from one place to another.
Grow: Verb indicating the state of increasing in size or maturity.
H-L
Had: Past tense of "have," used to describe the state of possession or condition.
Has: Third person singular form of "have," used to describe the state of possession or condition.
Have: Verb used to describe the state of possession or condition.
Had been: Past perfect form of "be," indicating a state of existence or condition that existed up to a point in the past.
Have been: Present perfect form of "be," indicating a state of existence or condition that has continued up to the present.
Is: Third person singular form of "be," used to describe the current state of being.
Keep: Verb indicating the state of maintaining or continuing.
Look: Verb indicating the state of appearing or seeming.
M-R
Might be: Modal verb indicating a possibility or potential state of being.
May be: Modal verb indicating a possibility or potential state of being.
Must be: Modal verb indicating necessity or strong likelihood of a state of being.
Remain: Verb indicating the state of continuing to be in a particular condition.
Remains: Third person singular form of "remain," indicating the state of continuing to be in a particular condition.
S-W
Seem: Verb indicating the state of appearing to be.
Seemed: Past tense of "seem," indicating the state of having appeared to be.
Shall be: Modal verb indicating future state of being.
Should be: Modal verb indicating advisability or expectation of a state of being.
Smell: Verb indicating the state of perceiving a scent.
Sound: Verb indicating the state of emitting a particular noise or appearing in a certain way.
Stay: Verb indicating the state of remaining in a particular condition or place.
Taste: Verb indicating the state of perceiving a flavor.
Turn: Verb indicating the state of changing direction or condition.
Was: Past tense of "is" or "am," used to describe the state of being in the past.
Were: Past tense of "are," used to describe the state of being in the past.
Will be: Modal verb indicating future state of being.
Would be: Modal verb indicating potential or hypothetical state of being.
This comprehensive list of linking verbs provides a foundational understanding of how these verbs function within sentences to connect the subject with additional information.