What is a linking verb?
A linking verb connects or links the subject of a sentence with additional information such as an adjective, noun, or noun phrase that describes, identifies, or complements that subject. There are three types of linking verbs: "to be" verbs, five senses, and states of being.
| Category | Description | Common Examples |
|---|---|---|
| To Be Verbs | Connect the subject to a description or identity | am, is, are, was, were, will be |
| Five Senses | Link the subject to a sensory quality | feel, look, smell, sound, taste |
| States of Being | Express a condition or state of the subject | appear, become, remain, stay, grow |
Linking verbs (also known as copulas or copular verbs) do not express actions.
The teacher was angry.
The linking verb (was) connects the subject (teacher) to an adjective describing the subject (angry).
The shirt is Kyle's.
The linking verb (is) identifies the subject (Kyle) as the owner of the noun (shirt).
Types of linking verbs
The most common linking verbs fall into one of three categories: "to be" verbs, five senses, and states of being.
To be:
am
might be
are
must be
can be
shall be
could be
should be
had been
was
has been
were
have been
will be
is
would be
may be
Five senses:
feel
look
smell
sound
taste
States of being:
act
appear
become
get
grow
prove
remain
stay
turn
Linking verb vs. helping verb
Linking verbs connect the subject to the rest of the sentence, whereas helping (auxiliary) verbs connect the subject of the sentence to the action of the main verb.
The following is a linking verb example:
The car is blue.
As a linking verb, "is" connects the subject (car) to an adjective (blue).
The following is a helping verb example:
The car is leaving the lot.
As a helping verb, "is" connects the subject (car) to the action verb (leaving).
Linking verbs example sentences
Below are example sentences organized by linking verb category, illustrating how each type connects the subject to additional information.
| Category | Number of Verbs | Function |
|---|---|---|
| To Be | 17 | Describe or identify the subject |
| Five Senses | 5 | Link the subject to a sensory description |
| States of Being | 9 | Express the subject's condition or transformation |
To be examples
The following chart includes examples of linking verbs in sentences for each form of "to be":
| Linking verb | Example |
|---|---|
| am | I am tired. |
| might be | He might be too tall. |
| are | You are old. |
| must be | They must be ready to go. |
| can be | John can be helpful. |
| shall be | He shall be earlier than expected. |
| could be | He could be the best. |
| should be | We should be early. |
| had been | They had been too cold. |
| was | I was incredibly excited. |
| has been | He has been wrong before. |
| were | They were dreadfully bored. |
| have been | We have been here all day. |
| will be | You will be famous one day. |
| is | She is almost 40. |
| would be | She would be happy to go. |
| may be | I may be too young. |
Five senses examples
The following sentences incorporate the use of the five senses as linking verbs:
| Linking verb | Example |
|---|---|
| feel | The sand feels extremely hot. |
| look | The painting looks surreal. |
| smell | The restaurant smells fantastic. |
| sound | The choir sounds angelic. |
| taste | The pie tastes delicious. |
States of being examples
The following sentences use states of being as linking verbs:
| Linking verb | Example |
|---|---|
| act | He acts incredibly mature. |
| prove | The hike proved to be too dangerous. |
| appear | They appear quite young. |
| remain | The room remained quiet. |
| become | She will become a doctor. |
| stay | The twins stayed home. |
| get | I get anxious before a game. |
| turn | I can't wait to turn 16. |
| grow | He wants to grow old. |
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