A linking verb connects the subject of a sentence to a subject complement that identifies or describes the subject. In the sentence “The sky became dark,” became links the sky to the adjective dark rather than expressing an action performed on an object. Linking verbs include forms of be, become, seem, appear, remain, and context-dependent sensory verbs.
Key Facts at a Glance
A linking verb connects a subject with a predicate adjective or predicate nominative.
The core pattern is subject + linking verb + subject complement.
Forms of be, such as is, are, was, and were, commonly function as linking verbs.
Verbs such as look, feel, smell, taste, and sound can be linking verbs or action verbs.
A direct object receives an action; a subject complement describes or renames the subject.
The equal-sign test helps identify linking verbs, but sentence meaning and grammar determine the final answer.
What Is a Linking Verb?
A linking verb expresses a state, identity, condition, or change of condition by connecting the subject to information about that subject. The word or phrase after the verb is a subject complement, because it completes the meaning of the subject rather than receiving an action.
Compare these sentences:
- The child is sleepy.
- The child kicked the ball.
In the first sentence, is links the child with the adjective sleepy. In the second, kicked describes an action, and the ball is the direct object affected by that action.
A linking verb does not mean that the sentence lacks a verb. It means that the verb’s grammatical job is connection rather than transfer of action.
The Basic Sentence Pattern
The standard pattern is:
Subject + linking verb + subject complement
| Sentence | Subject | Linking verb | Subject complement |
|---|---|---|---|
| The roses are fragrant. | The roses | are | fragrant |
| Marcus became a doctor. | Marcus | became | a doctor |
| The answer seems correct. | The answer | seems | correct |
| Her explanation was a surprise. | Her explanation | was | a surprise |
A subject complement has two common forms. A predicate adjective describes the subject, as fragrant, correct, or tired. A predicate nominative, also called a predicate noun, identifies or renames the subject, as doctor or surprise.
How Do Linking Verbs Work?
Linking verbs establish a relationship between two parts of a clause: the subject and a complement that refers back to it. The complement may be one word, a noun phrase, an adjective phrase, or a clause.
Predicate Adjectives
A predicate adjective follows a linking verb and describes the subject.
- The water feels cold.
- The lecture was informative.
- The athletes remained confident.
- The leaves turned yellow.
The adjective agrees semantically with the subject. In “The leaves turned yellow,” yellow describes the leaves, not an object that the leaves acted upon.
Predicate Nominatives
A predicate nominative follows a linking verb and renames or identifies the subject.
- Priya is an engineer.
- That animal became the zoo’s mascot.
- The caller was my supervisor.
- Their main concern remains safety.
A useful substitution test is to reverse the subject and complement:
Priya is an engineer means approximately An engineer is Priya. The wording is unusual, but the identity relationship remains. That relationship does not exist in “Priya repaired an engine,” where an engine is an object.
Linking Verb Complements Can Be Longer
A complement need not be a single adjective or noun.
- The proposal seems unusually expensive.
- The new manager became a respected member of the team.
- The difficulty is that the files are incomplete.
In the final example, the clause that the files are incomplete functions as a subject complement. The verb is connects the difficulty with an explanation of its identity.
Which Verbs Are Linking Verbs?
Forms of be are the most reliable linking verbs, while become and seem nearly always link a subject to a complement. Other verbs, especially sensory verbs, require context because they can describe either a condition or an intentional action.
| Verb group | Common forms | Typical meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forms of be | am, is, are, was, were, been, being | Identity or state | The room was quiet. |
| Change-of-state verbs | become, grow, turn, get | A developing condition | The milk turned sour. |
| Appearance or evidence verbs | seem, appear, prove | Perceived or established condition | The claim proved false. |
| Continuation verbs | remain, stay, keep | Continuing condition | The door remained open. |
| Sensory verbs | look, feel, smell, taste, sound | Perceived quality | The fabric feels soft. |
Are Forms of “Be” Always Linking Verbs?
Forms of be are linking verbs when they connect a subject to a complement, but be can also function as a helping verb. In “The researchers are careful,” are links the subject to careful. In “The researchers are testing the samples,” are helps form the present progressive verb phrase are testing.
| Sentence | Role of be | Main grammatical evidence |
|---|---|---|
| The machine is reliable. | Linking verb | Reliable describes the machine |
| The machine is operating. | Helping verb | Operating is the main verb |
| The documents were confidential. | Linking verb | Confidential describes documents |
| The documents were reviewed. | Helping verb | Reviewed forms a passive verb phrase |
| The documents were on the desk. | Linking verb | On the desk identifies location |
The form being can work similarly. “Being honest matters” uses being as part of a nonfinite verb phrase, while “The issue is being difficult” is generally unnatural because difficult is more naturally linked by is.
How Can You Test a Linking Verb?
Use the equal-sign test, then confirm the result by checking whether the following word describes or renames the subject. Replace the verb with an appropriate form of be when possible, but do not treat the substitution as a mechanical rule.
- Identify the subject.
- Ask whether the verb connects the subject to a description or identity.
- Check whether the following element is a subject complement.
- Try a natural form of be or an approximate equal sign.
- Look for a direct object receiving an action.
Examples:
- The soup tastes delicious.
The soup = delicious. The soup is delicious. Tastes is linking. - The chef tastes the soup.
The chef = the soup makes no sense. The soup receives the action. Tastes is transitive action use. - The dog grew restless.
The dog became restless. Grew is linking. - The dog grew tomatoes.
The dog did not become tomatoes. Tomatoes receives the action. Grew is an action verb.
The equal-sign test is a diagnostic, not a definition. “The soup tastes delicious” passes because the sentence states a quality. “The soup tastes the chef” fails because the verb cannot connect those identities in that context.
Why Do Sensory Verbs Change Function?
Sensory verbs change from linking to action verbs according to whether the subject experiences or produces a sensation, or deliberately performs a sensory activity. The complement pattern describes the subject; the object pattern shows an action directed toward something else.
| Verb | Linking use | Action use |
|---|---|---|
| look | The painting looks valuable. | She looked through the files. |
| feel | The blanket feels soft. | He felt the wall. |
| smell | The bread smells fresh. | The dog smelled the bag. |
| taste | The sauce tastes bitter. | The cook tasted the sauce. |
| sound | The plan sounds practical. | The alarm sounded at noon. |
The grammatical distinction matters because the same verb may require a different complement. A linking use commonly takes an adjective: “The flowers smell sweet.” An action use commonly takes a noun phrase: “The gardener smelled the flowers.”
Can “Look” Be a Linking Verb?
Look is a linking verb when it connects the subject with a visual description, as in “You look tired.” It is an action verb when it means direct the eyes or examine something, as in “You looked at the clock.”
The preposition at often signals an action use, although context remains decisive. “The clock looked broken” uses looked as a linking verb because broken describes the clock.
Linking Verbs vs. Action Verbs
A linking verb connects the subject to a complement, whereas an action verb expresses something the subject does, thinks, experiences, or causes. Action verbs may be intransitive and take no object, so the presence of an object is strong evidence but not the only test.
| Feature | Linking verb | Action verb | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main role | Connects subject and complement | Expresses activity or event | The road became narrow / The driver turned |
| Following element | Predicate adjective or nominative | Direct object, adverb, or no complement | She seems calm / She ran quickly |
| Subject relationship | Complement describes or renames subject | Object differs from subject | The metal feels cold / He felt metal |
| Common question | What is the subject like? | What did the subject do? | The room looks empty / She looked inside |
| Equal-sign test | Usually works | Usually fails | The plan is risky / The worker lifted the plan |
An important edge case is an action verb without an object. In “The baby slept,” slept is an action verb even though no noun follows it. Therefore, “no object” does not automatically prove that a verb is linking.
Linking Verbs and Helping Verbs
A linking verb connects a subject to a complement, while a helping verb combines with a main verb to express tense, aspect, voice, or mood. The same form can perform either job in different sentences.
- They are ready.
Are is linking; ready describes they. - They are leaving.
Are is helping; leaving is the main verb. - The report was accurate.
Was is linking; accurate is a subject complement. - The report was corrected.
Was is helping; corrected forms the passive construction.
Modal verbs such as can, should, and might are helping verbs, not linking verbs: “The answer might be correct.” Here might helps be, and be links the answer to correct.
Are Linking Verbs the Same as Passive Voice?
Linking verbs are not the same as passive voice. Passive voice uses a form of be plus a past participle to show that the grammatical subject receives an action, while a linking construction uses a complement to describe or identify the subject.
Compare:
- The window was broken.
Usually passive if broken means someone broke it; was helps form the passive verb phrase. - The window was dirty.
Linking construction; dirty is an adjective describing the window. - The window became broken.
Linking construction is possible, although “became damaged” is usually more natural; broken functions as a subject complement describing a resulting condition.
A past participle can be adjectival or verbal. Context, possible agent phrases, and meaning determine the analysis. “The gate was closed by the guard” strongly indicates passive voice because by the guard names the agent.
Common Linking-Verb Mistakes
Using an Adverb After a Linking Verb
Linking verbs normally take adjectives when the adjective describes the subject.
- Standard: I feel bad about the mistake.
- Different meaning: I feel badly.
“I feel badly” can mean that the physical sense of touch is impaired. In ordinary emotional contexts, bad is the predicate adjective.
The same distinction appears in formal editing:
- The musician sounds good. The musician produces a pleasing sound.
- The musician sounds well. This may mean the musician has a healthy voice, but it is less common and context-dependent.
- The machine runs well. Runs is an action verb modified by the adverb well.
Assuming Every Sense Verb Is Linking
“The dog smelled the garbage” is not linking because the garbage is the object being smelled. “The garbage smelled horrible” is linking because horrible describes the garbage.
Treating Every Verb of State as Linking
“Own,” “believe,” and “contain” can express states without being linking verbs.
- She owns a studio.
- They believe the explanation.
- The box contains tools.
These verbs take objects or clauses rather than subject complements. A verb’s meaning and syntactic pattern matter more than whether the sentence feels static.
Forcing Pronoun Case After “Be”
Traditional formal grammar often prefers a subject form in identifying constructions:
- It was I.
- The person responsible was she.
In contemporary English, “It was me” and “The person responsible was her” are widespread and natural in conversation. Formal academic writing may retain the traditional forms, but style, register, and local editorial policy should guide the choice.
How Should Writers Use Linking Verbs?
Writers should keep linking verbs when they state identity, classify evidence, or describe a condition precisely; writers should replace them only when a more specific action improves meaning. Removing every form of be produces awkward prose and can obscure scientific or logical relationships.
Creative Writing
A sequence of weak, generic states can make a scene abstract:
- The hallway was dark and was frightening.
A more concrete revision may show the cause:
- Shadows covered the hallway, and loose boards creaked beneath each step.
The revision is not automatically better. “The hallway was dark” is efficient when darkness is simply a fact, while sensory action helps when atmosphere or movement matters.
Academic and Technical Writing
Linking verbs often improve precision:
- The sample was acidic.
- The results remain consistent.
- The hypothesis proved unsupported.
- The primary risk is contamination.
Technical prose should not replace is with elaborate alternatives merely to sound sophisticated. “The solution is stable” is clearer than “The solution constitutes a stable condition.”
English-Language Learners
Learners can begin with forms of be, become, and seem, then practice context-sensitive verbs in contrasting pairs. A useful exercise takes 10-15 minutes per session and labels the subject, verb, complement, and object in 10 sentences.
A Reliable Editing Procedure
Use the following five-question audit when analyzing a disputed verb.
- What is the subject?
Identify who or what the clause is about. - What follows the verb?
Decide whether the following word is an adjective, noun phrase, clause, direct object, or adverbial phrase. - Does the complement refer back to the subject?
In “The plan seems risky,” risky refers to the plan. - Does a natural form of “be” preserve the meaning?
“The plan is risky” confirms the linking interpretation. - What does the sentence mean in context?
“She felt the fabric” and “The fabric felt rough” use felt differently.
A practical worksheet can classify 20 examples in about 20-30 minutes. Mastery requires repeated contrasts rather than memorizing a fixed list, because sensory and change-of-state verbs shift roles across clauses.
Linking Verb Examples by Tense
Linking verbs operate across tense and number, so the complement does not change the agreement requirement. The subject controls the verb form.
| Tense or form | Example | Linking verb | Complement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present | The results are promising. | are | promising |
| Past | The results were unexpected. | were | unexpected |
| Future | The results will be significant. | will be | significant |
| Present perfect | The results have become clearer. | have become | clearer |
| Past perfect | The results had remained stable. | had remained | stable |
| Progressive change | The results are becoming clearer. | are becoming | clearer |
In “The results have become clearer,” have is a helping verb and become is the linking verb. In “The results will be significant,” will is a modal auxiliary and be is the linking verb.
What Is the Difference Between a Subject Complement and an Object?
A subject complement describes or renames the subject, while an object receives the action of a transitive verb. The difference can be tested by asking whether the second element refers back to the subject or identifies a separate participant.
- The manager became a mentor.
A mentor renames or classifies the manager. - The manager hired a mentor.
A mentor is a separate person receiving the action of hired.
| Sentence | Verb role | Second element | Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| The fruit became soft. | Linking | soft | Describes fruit |
| The chef sliced fruit. | Action | fruit | Receives slicing |
| Maya is the captain. | Linking | the captain | Renames Maya |
| Maya chose the captain. | Action | the captain | Receives choosing |
The Bottom Line
Linking verbs connect a subject to a description, identity, location, or resulting condition. Forms of be, become, seem, remain, appear, and prove are common examples, while look, feel, smell, taste, and sound require contextual analysis. To identify one, locate the subject complement, apply the equal-sign test, and confirm that no separate object receives an action. Use linking verbs for accurate description, and replace them only when a more specific action improves the sentence.
FAQ
Is “to be” a linking verb?
“To be” is the infinitive form, not a single tense-specific verb. Forms such as am, is, are, was, and were function as linking verbs when they connect a subject to a complement, as in “The building is old.” Forms of be can also help another verb, as in “The building is changing.”
Can a linking verb have an object?
A linking verb does not take a direct object in its linking use. It takes a subject complement, as in “The fabric feels soft.” A verb such as feel can take an object in an action use, as in “She felt the fabric,” so the verb’s context determines the classification.
Is “become” always a linking verb?
Become is ordinarily a linking verb because it expresses a change in the subject’s condition or identity: “The apprentice became a specialist.” The phrase after became is a subject complement. Unlike sensory verbs, become rarely functions as a normal transitive action verb in modern standard English.
Why is “I feel badly” often marked wrong?
“I feel bad” is the standard construction when bad describes the speaker’s emotional condition. “I feel badly” uses badly as an adverb and can suggest that the speaker’s sense of touch works poorly. The adverb is correct when a genuine action verb requires it, as in “She performed badly.”
Are “seem” and “appear” linking verbs?
Seem and appear are commonly linking verbs when they connect a subject to an apparent quality: “The explanation seems reasonable” and “The solution appears stable.” Appear can also describe an event or arrival, as in “The actor appeared on stage,” where it is an action or occurrence verb rather than a subject-linking verb.
Should writers avoid linking verbs?
Writers should not avoid linking verbs automatically. Linking verbs provide the clearest structure for identity, classification, condition, and evidence, especially in academic and technical prose. Creative writers may revise an unnecessary “was” when a concrete action creates stronger imagery, but concise factual description often depends on linking verbs.
